From the bedside: Games have meaning

As designers, we all know that everything means something. Every coloured wall, every crossed T has some meaning in it. It is the basis of design.
You can agree then, that games have meaning too. They express something.
My argument is that games have a deeper meaning that is not expressed just in the artwork, story or that kind of top-level design. I argue that the core mechanics, the way you play the game, expresses a lot. The core mechanics shape your decision making within the game world and that is a powerful thing.
See slide #2 from the post below