Seminar
in Digital Game Studies
USC School of
Cinema-Television, CTCS 564
Instructor: Tracy Fullerton
Contact Info:
|
(310) 390-5520 main |
|
(310) 985-1167 mobile |
Course Description:
This class will explore the formal, aesthetic, and cultural
aspects of digital games, the emerging critical discourse around the nature of
meaningful gameplay, and the relationship of digital games to media such as
television and film.
Students will:
·
Read and discuss class
materials on the nature, history and aesthetics of games.
·
Play and analyze games -- both in and out of
class -- in terms of the topics explored in the readings.
·
Keep a game journal, chronicling game play
experiences and critiques.
·
Choose one specific game in which to become the
“class expert” and present an overview, walkthrough and analysis of that game
to the class.
·
Produce a final paper that rigorously examines one
or more games in regards to the topics explored in class.
Meeting Information:
Interactive Media Lab, G142 Main Room
(below the
Thursdays,
Course Website:
Pre-requisites: CTIN 488 is recommended but not required.
Evaluation of student
performance:
a. Assignments (see full
descriptions below):
1. Game Journal
2. 2 Short Papers (5 pages)
3. In-class Game Presentation
4. Final Paper (15 pages)
b.
Criteria
for grading:
|
Game Journal |
20 |
|
Short Papers (2) |
30 |
|
In-class Game Presentation |
10 |
|
Final Paper |
40 |
|
Total: |
100 |
Course content
(summarized by class meeting)
Discussion: Why study game theory and how? Overview of course format, readings and assignments and central topics.
In-class games: Werewolf, Colossal Cave Adventure, Tic-tac-toe
Discussion: Rules, systems and interactivity; meaningful play; design and authorship. How can we approach games and gameplay critically? The emergence of “ludology” as a field of inquiry. What starting points do existing fields of study offer to the game theorist? What new concepts need to be defined?
In-class games: Pong, Zork, Asteroids, Chess
Assignment: Bring a game to class next week that creates meaningful play, be prepared to discuss how meaning is constructed in the game you bring.
Rules of Play:
§ Preface, Chapters 1, 3-6
Reader:
§ The Grasshopper: Games, Life and Utopia, “Construction of a Definition” (Suits)
Mentioned in class:
§ Art of Computer Game Design (Crawford)
Discussion: What are games? How are they distinct from other media or experiences? How are they the same? Overview of definitions from traditional game studies and recent attempts towards deriving a lexicon of game concepts.
In-class games: Discuss games that have been brought to class.
Rules of Play:
§ Chapters 7-9
Reader:
§ The Study of Games, “The History of Games” (E.B. Tylor)
§ The Study of Games, “Structural Elements of Games” (E.M. Avedon)
§ The Grasshopper: Games, Life and Utopia, “Taking the Long Way Home” (Suits)
Discussion: An introduction to ludology, the study of
games and game structure. Ludology vs.
narratology. The challenges of reading ergodic
art.
In-class games: The Sims, Grand Theft Auto III
Assignment: Short Paper #1
Rules of Play (Salen, Zimmerman)
§ Chapter 10
Reader:
§ The Video Game Theory Reader, “Simulation vs. Narrative: Introduction to Ludology” (Frasca)
§ Cyberspace Textuality: Computer Technology and Literary Theory, “Aporia and Epiphany in Doom and the Speaking Clock” (Aarseth)
§ CosignConference.org, “Literary Theory and Computer Games” (Kücklich)
Discussion: Games as sub-set of play; play as an element of games. Gameplay in terms of competition, challenge, ritual, pleasure and meaning.
In-class games: Breakout, Centipede,
Rules of Play (Salen, Zimmerman)
§ Chapters 22-24
Reader:
§ Homo Ludens, “Nature and Significance of Play” (Huizinga)
§ Man, Play and Games, “The Definition of Play” (Callois)
§ The Ambiguity of Play, “Rhetorics of Self” (Sutton-Smith)
Discussion: Rules as the formal aspect of game systems. Types and qualities of rules. Conflict and challenge as emergent properties of rules in action. Games without rules. Breaking the rules.
In-class games: Chutes and Ladders, Tetris, Joust, Gauntlet, Illuminati, Ironclad
Due: Short Paper #1
Rules of Play (Salen, Zimmerman)
§ Chapters 11-13, 20-21
Reader:
§ The Grasshopper: Games, Life and Utopia, “Ivan and Abdul,” “Mountain climbing” (Suits)
Discussion: Unique aspects of digitally mediated games. How do digital interfaces -- screens, mice, controllers and keyboards -- change the nature of games, the complexity and accessibility of their rules, spaces, sensations, representation, and play?
In-class games: The Game of Life, Gearheads, SimCity 4, Black & White, Halo, Warcraft III
Rules of Play (Salen, Zimmerman)
§ Chapters 14-15
Reader:
§
Trigger Happy, “Solid Geometry” (
§ “Making Sense of Software: Computer Games and Interactive Textuality” (Friedman)
§
The Video Game Theory Reader, “As We Become
Machines” (
Discussion: How do we relate digital games to other media such as music, literature, film or television? Are games a “mass media”? How are players related to viewers/readers, if at all?
In-class games: Amplitude, CSI, American McGee’s
Due: Game Journals
Reader:
§ Understanding Media, “Games” (McLuhan)
§ The Language of New Media, “The Screen and the User” (Manovich)
§ The Video Game Theory Reader, “From Gamers to Players and Gameplayers: The Example of Interactive Movies” (Perron)
Discussion: Games, characters, narratives and the problems and potentials of authorship vs. agency. What is the relationship of games and narrative? How is meaning constructed from gameplay? How does narrative affect that construction? Can game narratives be “read” in the sense of traditionally authored texts?
In-class games: Atari Adventure, Super Mario Bros., Jak and Daxter, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Deus Ex
Assignment: Short Paper #2
Rules of Play (Salen, Zimmerman)
§ Chapters 25-27
Reader:
§ Gamestudies.org, “The Gaming Situation” (Eskelinen)
§ Gamestudies.org, “Games Telling Stories?” (Juul)
§ First Person: New Media as Story, Performance and Game, “Game Design as Narrative Architecture” (Jenkins)
Discussion: Historical patterns of multiplayer interaction. What role does the social play in games? Examination of the phenomenon of massively multiplayer worlds and the people that live, love and lie in them.
In-class games: Magic: The Gathering, Settlers of Catan, Mario Party 4, EverQuest
Due: Short Paper #2
Rules of Play (Salen, Zimmerman)
§ Chapter 28
Reader:
§ “Hearts, Clubs, Diamonds, Spades: Players Who Suit MUDS” (Bartle)
§ “Befriending Ogres and Wood-Elves: Understanding Relationship Formation in MMORPGs” (Yee)
§
Salon.com “Who Killed Miss
Discussion: How do games reflect culture? How do they reflect it? “Gamer culture” in comparison to the perception of film, television, comic books and music lovers. Blurring of boundaries – games that invade players lives.
In-class games: Family albums from The Sims, Machinima, mods, SiSSYFiGHT 2000, Survivor tribal council
Due: Final Paper topics (1
paragraph summary), class discussion of topics
Rules of Play (Salen, Zimmerman)
§ Chapter 29-33
Discussion: How are violence in games and violence out of games related, if at all? What impact will perceptions of game violence have on the design of games and the laws protecting them?
In-class games: Mortal Kombat, Grand Theft Auto III, Waco Resurrection, Doom for Columbine
Reader:
§ “Congressional Testimony on Media Violence” (Jenkins)
§
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,
excerpts from “Video Games and Aggressive Thoughts, Feelings, and Behavior in
the Laboratory and in Life” (
§ “Rethinking Virtual Violence: A Critique of Methodologies used in Violent Video Game Research” (Yee)
Discussion: What are “girl games?” Why have most attempts to make them failed? Today’s most popular games are inarguably coded male, but what about girls and women who play them? What kind of spaces, experiences and relationships do these games offer?
In-class games: Barbie Fashion Designer, Ms. Pac-Man, Um Jammer Lammy, Quake grrl clans
Reader:
§ From Barbie to Mortal Kombat, “Chess for Girls: Feminism and Computer Games” (Cassell, Jenkins)
§ “From Barbie to Mortal Kombat: Further Reflections” (Jenkins)
§ “Killing Like a Girl: Gendered Gaming and Girl Gamers Visibility” (Bryce, Rutter)
Discussion: What is the future of game studies in academia, in industry and in the culture at large? How can or should the critical examination of games inform and influence design and consumption? What are the next steps for this emerging discipline?
In-class games: Review and any remaining game presentations
Wrap-up and course evaluation
Due: Final Paper, Game Journals
Rules of Play (Salen, Zimmerman)
§ Forward
Reader:
§ “Rethinking Agency and Immersion: Videogames as a means of consciousness-raising” (Frasca)
Final Exam (
Due: Presentation of final
papers and class review
Final papers for review:
Assignments:
Game Journal
Students will be asked to keep a game journal detailing their experiences with games both in and out of class throughout the semester. The purpose of the journal is to practice critical thinking skills in relation to games, their structure and content, and to develop a body of insight from which to draw inspiration for the short papers and final assignment.
The game journals will be turned in twice during the semester – once in week 8 and once at the end of the course. They will be graded as to completeness, quality of content, and detail of writing. The journal will be worth 20% of the total grade in the class.
Short Papers
Two short papers (5 pages) will be assigned in weeks 4 and 6,
due weeks 9 and 11. These papers will consist
of close analysis of games played in or out of class as related to topics in
the readings. As mentioned above, they may
draw on insights or work initiated in the game journal. Each paper will be worth 15% of the total
grade in the class.
In-class Game Presentation
Each meeting of the class will include both game play and discussion
surrounding that week’s topic. The games
that will be looked at and the discussion topics for each meeting are noted
above. At the start of the semester, one
game on the presentation list will be assigned to each student. That student will be responsible for
obtaining and playing that game to an expert level before the assigned night
(see game list for dates).
During the assigned class meeting, the student will present their game to
the class, playing through several sections or levels and demonstrating the
various features of system, the types and quality of player choices and giving
their expert analysis of the game to the class.
This in-class presentation will be graded on its depth and quality, not
on the game playing skills exhibited.
The presentation will be worth 10% of the total grade in the class.
Final Paper
The final paper (15 pages) may be a rigorous analysis of a particular game
or games, a game genre or an article or theoretical framework discussed in
class. Students must turn in a paragraph
summary of their topic in week 12 for class review and suggestions. As with the short papers, students may draw
on insights or works initiated in the game journal. The final paper is due during the last week
of class and will be distributed to the class for review. During the final exam period, each student
will present their paper for class discussion.
The paper and presentation are worth 40% of the total grade in the
class.
Course Text and Reader:
The required text is available at the University bookstore:
Rules of Play:
Game Design Fundamentals
Katie Salen, Eric Zimmerman
MIT Press, ISBN: 0-262-24045-9
Alternatively, MIT Press is offering a 20% discount off the cover price
if you purchase Rules of Play through their website at http://mitpress.mit.edu/rulesofplay
and enter code ROP2003 during the checkout process.
The required reader, which includes all of the articles
mentioned under each class meeting, is available from the IMS Copy House at
Missing an Assignment,
Incompletes:
The only acceptable excuses for missing an assignment or taking an
incomplete in the course are personal illness or a family emergency. Students must inform the instructor before
the assignment is due and present verifiable evidence in order for a make-up to
be scheduled. Students who wish to take
incompletes must also present documentation of the problem to the instructor
before final grades are due.
Note for students
with disabilities:
Any student requesting academic accommodations based on a
disability is required to register with Disability Services and Programs (DSP)
each semester. A letter of verification for approved accommodations can be
obtained from DSP. Please be sure the letter is delivered to us as early in the
semester as possible. DSP is located in STU 301, and is open
Academic Integrity:
The School of Cinema-Television expects the highest standards of academic excellence and ethical performance from USC students. It is particularly important that you are aware of and avoid plagiarism, cheating on exams, submitting a paper to more than one instructor, or submitting a paper authored by anyone other than yourself. Violations of this policy will result in a failing grade band be reported to the Office of Student Judicial Affairs. If you have any doubts or questions about these policies, consult “SCAMPUS” and/or confer with the instructor.
Additional Suggested
Bibliography:
Hamlet on the Holodeck, by Janet Murray
Homo Ludens, by Johann Huizinga
Man, Play and Games, by Roger Callois
Supercade: A Visual History of the Videogame Age 1971-1984, by Van Burnham
The Ambiguity of Play, by Brian Sutton-Smith
The Grasshopper: Games Life and Utopia by Bernard Suits
The Study of Games, E.M Avedon and Brian Sutton-Smith
The
The Video Game Reader, edited by Mark J.P. Wolf and Bernard Perron
The Well-Played Game, by Bernie DeKoven
www.gamasutra.com
www.ludology.org
www.gamestudies.org
Previously, she was President of
the interactive television game developer, Spiderdance, Inc. Spiderdance’s games included NBC’s Weakest
Link, MTV’s webRIOT, The WB’s No
Boundaries, History Channel’s History IQ, Sony Game Show Network’s Inquizition
and TBS’s Cyber Bond.
·Before
starting Spiderdance,
Prior to her work at R/GA,
Tracy’s work has received numerous industry honors including best Family/Board Game from the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, ID Magazine’s Interactive Design Review, Communication Arts Interactive Design Annual, several New Media Invision awards, iMix Best of Show, the Digital Coast Innovation Award, IBC’s Nombre D’Or, and Time Magazine’s Best of the Web. In December 2001, she was featured in the Hollywood Reporter’s “Women in Entertainment Power 100” issue.