Abstract:
Agency Theory is an attempt to understand games from their core: an answer
to the question "what are games really about?"  Instead of looking for a
definition of games, it attempts to understand them through what they allow
the player to change, or at least what they allow the player to *feel* like
they're changing.  This talk will explore where this theory came from, and
how it can be applied to both critique and improve on game designs.