game laws, restrictions on the hunting or capture of wild game, whether bird, beast, or fish. After the Norman Conquest (1066), England enacted stringent game laws, known as the Forest Laws, which made hunting the sole privilege of the king and his nobles. Other European feudal states had similar laws. The English laws softened progressively after the 16th cent., and in the 19th cent. hunting was open to all who obtained a license. In the United States game laws have been directed at protecting wildlife from indiscriminate slaughter by trappers, hunters, and fishermen. The almost total extermination of the bison in the 19th cent. demonstrated the need for conservation laws, now in effect in nearly all states. Common protective devices include prohibitions against lake and river pollution; designation of a closed season during which game may not be taken; limitation of the age, size, or sex of the game hunted; the requirement of licenses, even in open season; and restrictions and prohibition of the sale or possession of game meat. Ironically, because license fees often fund state conservation agencies, conservationist efforts often depend upon persons whose hunting may contribute to the endangerment of some species.

game birds, a term used variously for all birds of the order Galliformes (gallinaceous, or chickenlike, birds), for certain quarry species within this order, and for a variety of quarry birds of several other orders. In Britain game bird refers particularly to partridge, grouse, and quail. In North America the term may include various gallinaceous birds such as quail and turkey, aquatic quarry birds such as duck and geese, and shorebirds such as woodcock, snipe, and plover. Game birds are hunted extensively, especially in the English-speaking world, and a number of dogs, including pointers, setters, and retrievers, have been specially bred for this purpose. Laws designating game birds and licensing their hunting were originally enacted in England to protect the privileges of nobility. Today, many countries enact licensing laws (see game laws), but these are generally for the protection of the animals rather than the hunters.

electronic game, device or computer program that provides entertainment by challenging a person's eye-hand coordination or mental abilities. Made possible by the development of the microprocessor, electronic games are marketed in various formats, such as hand-held one-player models, cartridges or compact discs that are inserted in modules attached to television sets, computer programs run on personal or network computers, and freestanding arcade versions. Most of their appeal comes from the computer program that synchronizes flashing lights and a variety of sounds with the movielike animated action portrayed on a graphic display (see computer graphics). As the technology has advanced from 8-bit microprocessors to ever faster chips with greater graphic and sound capabilities, the programming has kept pace. For example, the newest games have so many levels and twists that they may take more than 100 hours to complete, and the graphic capabilities allow the game player to alter the visual perspective from narrow to panoramic. The games may be contested among several players, or an individual may engage in a test of skill against the computer. Some Internet-based games, known as massively multiplayer on-line games (MMOGs), involve thousands of individuals interacting with each other in ongoing, open-ended play; by 2007 MMOGs were a $1 billion industry. Game subjects include sports (e.g., baseball and football); action warfare, adventure, and role-playing; casino gambling (e.g., as roulette, poker, and simulated slot machines); and such classics as solitaire, contract bridge, chess, and backgammon. See also virtual reality.

computer game: see electronic game.

Selous Game Reserve, the world's largest game reserve, 11,512 sq mi (29,816 sq km), S Tanzania; est. c.1900. It is located in the Rufiji River basin and includes grasslands and forests. There are many elephants, lions, zebras, and other wildlife in the reserve.

Etosha Game Park, c.26,000 sq mi (67,300 sq km), NW Namibia; est. 1928. It is one of Africa's largest game reserves and extends inland from the coast beyond the Etosha Pan to the Ovambo Omuramba River. The Omusati, Oshana, and Oshikoto regions border it on the north.

Branch of applied mathematics devised to analyze certain situations in which there is an interplay between parties that may have similar, opposed, or mixed interests. Game theory was originally developed by John von Neumann and Oscar Morgenstern in their book The Theory of Games and Economic Behavior (1944). In a typical game, or competition with fixed rules, “players” try to outsmart one another by anticipating the others' decisions, or moves. A solution to a game prescribes the optimal strategy or strategies for each player and predicts the average, or expected, outcome. Until a highly contrived counterexample was devised in 1967, it was thought that every contest had at least one solution. Seealso decision theory; prisoner's dilemma.

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or quiz show

Radio or television show designed to test the knowledge, luck, or skill of contestants or experts. Among the shows popular on U.S. radio were Dr. I.Q. (1939–49), Information, Please (1938–48), and The Quiz Kids (1940–53). The genre was adopted by television and cash awards were increased, so that radio's $64 Question became television's $64,000 Question. In the mid-1950s, to increase their shows' popularity, some producers began feeding answers to contestants who had been chosen to win. An accusation of unfair practices on Twenty-one (1958) led to a government investigation and the quick demise of the big-money shows. The game show later regained popularity when it was revived in formats with lower stakes and easier questions, as on Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune. At the turn of the 21st century, game shows such as Who Wants to Be a Millionaire boasted large cash prizes and gained popularity in prime time, and reality shows like Survivor adopted aspects of the game show genre.

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