Concepts in Game Studies/COM265

Concepts in Game Studies/COM265 Meets 9:30p-10:45a, Mondays and Thursdays in LT209 Professor Brett Phares, LT136A Contact: Brett.Phares@marist.edu Office Hours: M 11a-12p, 2-4p; W 11a-2p; TH 11a-12:00p, 2-3p Del.icio.us bookmarks Overview This course examines the emergence and development of the digital game as a major force in 21st century media. The course will focus on diverse areas including the historical, cultural and sociological impact of digital games, technical aspects of game design and production, and business aspects of the digital game industry. While students will play digital games, the course emphasizes the analysis, interpretation and production of digital games. Different tools will be used to create an environment that will help students to see what goes into game development, why some games are published, what the survival rate is of a title and of a career. For grading, see Assessment. Learning Outcomes In this course, students will: 1.Learn about the history of digital games and the workings of the digital game industry. 2.Become familiar with theories and approaches to the understanding and interpretation of digital games. 3.Become conversant with the debates surrounding digital games. 4.Apply media theories to digital game production and play. 5.Develop critical and technical skills in the evaluation and production of digital games. 6.To gain appreciation of digital games as an expressive and communicative medium; to move beyond play towards literacy. Required Text Understanding Digital Games, ed. by J. Rutter and J. Bryce, 2006, Sage Publications [UDG] An account at tubesnow.com; for secondary backup, USB 2.0 Flash Drive, min. 1GB. All weekly activity will follow the same general plan Students will start each week with lecture and discussion on different aspects of digital games. Next students will present a game genre, like a simulation or “serious” game, and then students will play the title and then enter their experiences into their Tumblr blog [blog]. The second half of the week students will work on the practical side of game studies, producing small games like Pong or Pacman, learning different software applications to create and modify digital assets (images, 3D models, animation and sound), and gain experience in the pre-production process of game development, in generating ideas, storyboarding, etc. in the use of machinima. Schedule (by week) 1.Introductions, class rules and goals Our compulsion: Why do we play games? Account creation at tumblr.com, gametap.com, igda.org and GameCareerGuide.com Read Chapter 1 “An introduction to understanding digital games” and Chapter 2 “A history of digital games” from UDG; Game Maker PDF; top five games. 2.History and production: 40 years old, more or less; Game Ontology Project Studio: Game Maker, tutorial 1 in-class, mods for next studio class Read: Chapter 3 “The business of making digital games” from UDG 3.History and production: Hard to not talk about the business; job discussion Studio: play tutorial 1 modded games made in Game Maker; tutorial 2, in-class, mod for next studio class Read Chapter 4 “The economics of digital games” from UDG 4.History and production: Hard to not talk about the business (cont.) Studio: play tutorial 2 modded games made in Game Maker; Flash protocol for casual game research Read Chapter 5 “A player-centered approach to digital game design” from UDG; optional "Ludology" 5.Theories and approaches: Player-centered game design; Ludology; Zero-player game Studio: Continue with Flash, build "mood board" for persona of "Mom"; Game Maker tute 2 mod troubleshooting Read Chapter 6 “Literary theory and digital games” from UDG; Prep for next week’s exam period, define take-home exam list of "break-out box" terms and apply them to your casual game presentations. 6. Midterm Presentations Game presentations: you will be asked to apply three of the ten breakout box terms to the casual game you deem as a market opportunity. Read Chapter 7 “Film studies and digital games” from UDG 7.Theories and approaches: Digital games as text and film in-class film, “Blade Runner” Studio: Discussion of film as games Read Chapter 8 “Digital games as new media” from UDG 8.Theories and approaches: New media got game? Studio: Machinima as pre-production process Read Chapter 9 “Digital games and cultural studies” from UDG 9.Theories and approaches: New media got game? continued Studio: Machinima basics II Read Chapter 9 “Digital games and cultural studies” from UDG continued 10.Theories and approaches: Applying “Unit Analysis” Studio: Build tutorial 3 game in Game Maker Read Chapter 10 “Community, identity and digital games” from UDG 11.Theories and approaches: Culture and Community Studio: Game Maker tutorial 3 mods, play and testing/troubleshooting 12.Key Debates in Game Studies (week12) Studio: Thanksgiving break 13.Theories and approaches: Culture and Community II Read Chapters 11 and 12 “Digital games and gender” and “Digital games and the violence debate” from UDG Studio: John Zurhellen from RockStar Games; workshop options 14.Theories and approaches: Emergent Gameplay Studio: Half-life 2 and Windows Movie Maker 15.Studio workshop 16. Final Exam: Festival and Tournament: apply break-out boxes. Other resources Chapter 1 from Unit Analysis by Ian Bogost PDF “Theory of Flow” by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi	blogs Christine David Kyle Tom Brian Greg Jeffrey Matt Bret Mike Dan Patrick Interview with John Zurhellen from Rockstar

Concepts in Game Studies/COM265
Meets 9:30p-10:45a, Mondays and Thursdays in LT209

Professor Brett Phares, LT136A
Contact: Brett.Phares@marist.edu
Office Hours: M 11a-12p, 2-4p; W 11a-2p; TH 11a-12:00p, 2-3p
Del.icio.us bookmarks

Overview
This course examines the emergence and development of the digital game as a major force in 21st century media. The course will focus on diverse areas including the historical, cultural and sociological impact of digital games, technical aspects of game design and production, and business aspects of the digital game industry. While students will play digital games, the course emphasizes the analysis, interpretation and production of digital games. Different tools will be used to create an environment that will help students to see what goes into game development, why some games are published, what the survival rate is of a title and of a career. For grading, see Assessment.

Learning Outcomes
In this course, students will:
1.Learn about the history of digital games and the workings of the digital game industry.
2.Become familiar with theories and approaches to the understanding and interpretation of digital games.
3.Become conversant with the debates surrounding digital games.
4.Apply media theories to digital game production and play.
5.Develop critical and technical skills in the evaluation and production of digital games.
6.To gain appreciation of digital games as an expressive and communicative medium; to move beyond play towards literacy.

Required Text
Understanding Digital Games, ed. by J. Rutter and J. Bryce, 2006, Sage Publications [UDG]
An account at tubesnow.com; for secondary backup, USB 2.0 Flash Drive, min. 1GB.

All weekly activity will follow the same general plan
Students will start each week with lecture and discussion on different aspects of digital games. Next students will present a game genre, like a simulation or “serious” game, and then students will play the title and then enter their experiences into their Tumblr blog [blog]. The second half of the week students will work on the practical side of game studies, producing small games like Pong or Pacman, learning different software applications to create and modify digital assets (images, 3D models, animation and sound), and gain experience in the pre-production process of game development, in generating ideas, storyboarding, etc. in the use of machinima.

Schedule (by week)
1.Introductions, class rules and goals
Our compulsion: Why do we play games?
Account creation at tumblr.com, gametap.com, igda.org and GameCareerGuide.com
Read Chapter 1 “An introduction to understanding digital games” and Chapter 2 “A history of digital games” from UDG; Game Maker PDF; top five games.

2.History and production: 40 years old, more or less; Game Ontology Project
Studio: Game Maker, tutorial 1 in-class, mods for next studio class
Read: Chapter 3 “The business of making digital games” from UDG

3.History and production: Hard to not talk about the business; job discussion
Studio: play tutorial 1 modded games made in Game Maker; tutorial 2, in-class, mod for next studio class
Read Chapter 4 “The economics of digital games” from UDG

4.History and production: Hard to not talk about the business (cont.)
Studio: play tutorial 2 modded games made in Game Maker; Flash protocol for casual game research
Read Chapter 5 “A player-centered approach to digital game design” from UDG; optional "Ludology"

5.Theories and approaches: Player-centered game design; Ludology; Zero-player game
Studio: Continue with Flash, build "mood board" for persona of "Mom"; Game Maker tute 2 mod troubleshooting
Read Chapter 6 “Literary theory and digital games” from UDG; Prep for next week’s exam period, define take-home exam list of "break-out box" terms and apply them to your casual game presentations.

6. Midterm Presentations
Game presentations: you will be asked to apply three of the ten breakout box terms to the casual game you deem as a market opportunity.
Read Chapter 7 “Film studies and digital games” from UDG

7.Theories and approaches: Digital games as text and film
in-class film, “Blade Runner”
Studio: Discussion of film as games
Read Chapter 8 “Digital games as new media” from UDG

8.Theories and approaches: New media got game?
Studio: Machinima as pre-production process
Read Chapter 9 “Digital games and cultural studies” from UDG

9.Theories and approaches: New media got game? continued
Studio: Machinima basics II
Read Chapter 9 “Digital games and cultural studies” from UDG continued

10.Theories and approaches: Applying “Unit Analysis”
Studio: Build tutorial 3 game in Game Maker
Read Chapter 10 “Community, identity and digital games” from UDG

11.Theories and approaches: Culture and Community
Studio: Game Maker tutorial 3 mods, play and testing/troubleshooting

12.Key Debates in Game Studies (week12)
Studio: Thanksgiving break

13.Theories and approaches: Culture and Community II
Read Chapters 11 and 12 “Digital games and gender” and “Digital games and the violence debate” from UDG
Studio: John Zurhellen from RockStar Games; workshop options

14.Theories and approaches: Emergent Gameplay
Studio: Half-life 2 and Windows Movie Maker

15.Studio workshop

16. Final Exam: Festival and Tournament: apply break-out boxes.

Other resources
Chapter 1 from Unit Analysis by Ian Bogost PDF
“Theory of Flow” by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

blogs

Interview with John Zurhellen from Rockstar