UWash TC 498 Digital Games

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Technical Communication 498: Digital Games

 Games Education 

Course


Table of contents

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[edit] Course Background Information

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  • How often did the class meet and how long were the classes??

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[edit] Course description

The overall question driving this course is how to create a satisfying gaming experience. This question can be approached from multiple dimensions and, in fact, must be approached from different perspectives in order to be addressed effectively. To that end, then, this course is envisioned as an interdisciplinary investigation into digital games. The students in this course are upper division undergraduates and graduate students from a range of disciplines including technical communication, computer science, political science, education, art, women’s studies, communication, informatics, bioinformatics, and more. As such, the quarter will be an opportunity to see how games are perceived in areas familiar and unfamiliar. We will spend time working out some definitions and a common vocabulary to meet the challenges of interdisciplinary conversations (and to keep the overall annoyance factor down). Key skills to bring to the class are going to include curiosity and patience. A sense of fun will be tolerated.

The course covers many topics, including social and cultural elements of games, games as a global commodity, games as instigators for technical innovation, and emerging gaming areas such as mobile games.

The course will include readings, hands-on activities, presentations, the opportunity for students to pursue topics of their own interest, and a group final project. Class meeting time will be split between a regular classroom and a computer classroom.

Instruction will include presentations by guest speakers from local game companies. In addition to regular class time and class assignments, students will be expected to spend time outside of class familiarizing themselves with some of the games that will be covered in the course.

The schedule below includes most but not all course readings. You should expect one or two additional articles most weeks; the syllabus will be updated on the website with these new readings which will often be available online or via the library.

[edit] Course learning objectives

At the conclusion of the class, students will be able to:

  • Describe the importance of games as an area of the software market.
  • Describe the importance of games as a cultural artifact, especially with

respect to other entertainment genres.

  • Describe the importance of games as a driver of technological innovation.
  • Describe how societal norms are reflected in game design.
  • Evaluate different gaming populations and make design recommendations

appropriate for those (potential) players.

  • Describe how game-playing patterns reflect social codes and mores.
  • Identify and explain core principles of online interaction and communication.
  • Describe issues of identity and representation within games and game-playing

communities.

  • Describe the global scope of the games market and its implications for

cross-cultural diffusion.


[edit] Week by week topics

Week 1: January 5 Topics: Introduction to class; The Politics of Design

Readings:

  • Winner, "Do Artifacts Have Politics?"
  • Nissenbaum, "How Computer Systems Embody Values"
  • Getting Gamers etc. from User Experience (handout in class)
  • P. David Lebling, Marc S. Blank, and Timothy A. Anderson, "Zork: A Computerized Fantasy Simulation Game," IEEE Computer 12 (April 1979): 51-59. At http://www.csd.uwo.ca/Infocom/Articles/ieee.html

Game: Zork

Week 2: January 12 Topics: Genres of Virtual Environments (Games, CSCW, Distance Education, etc.); Definitions (so we can have fewer frustrating conversations this quarter)

Readings:

  • DFC Intelligence, Business of Games
  • Jones, "Let the games begin: Gaming technology and entertainment among college students."
  • ISDA, Essential Facts on Video Game Players 2003 Sales Demographics and Use Data.
  • Genres, [1]
  • Ellis, Gibbs, Rein, "Groupware: Some Issues and Experiences"
  • Herbsleb, Atkins, et.al., "Introducing Instant Messaging and Chat in the Workplace"
  • Kyng, "Designing for Cooperation: Cooperating in Design"

Assignments: Play Diary entry \#1

Game: Zork con\'t, LamdaMOO or LinguaMOO

Movie: Avatars Offline

Week 3: January 19

Topics: Identity in Virtual Environments; The User Experience of Gaming; Design Decisions

Readings:

  • Turkle, from Life on the Screen
  • Taylor, "Intentional Bodies"
  • Filiciak, "Hyperidentities: Postmodern Identity Patterns in Massively
  • Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games" in The Video Game Theory Reader
  • Norman, from The Design of Everyday Things - not required as of Jan. 11, 2005.
  • Bartle, "Hearts, Clubs, Diamonds, Spades: Players Who Suit MUDs"
  • Robert Axelrod, From The Evolution of Cooperation
  • Unit 1 of Rules of Play \*strongly recommended\*

Assignments: Play Diary entry \#2

Game: MUDs continued

Guest Speakers: Colin Maclay, Berkman Center for Internet and Society, Harvard University; Chris Coward, Director of the Center for Internet Studies, UW

Show and Tell, Jan. 19: Ario (Katamari Damacy and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas for Playstation)

Week 4: January 26

Topics: Gender, Race, and other Audience Considerations; Issues for Designers; Avatars and In-Game Representation

Readings:

  • Taylor, "Multiple Pleasures"
  • Kerr, "Women Just Want to Have Fun"
  • Kolko, "Erasing @race"
  • Consalvo, "Hot Dats and Fairly-Tale Romance: Studying Sexuality in Video
  • Games" in The Video Game Theory Reader
  • Optional: Donna Haraway, "A Cyborg Manifesto"

Assignments: Play Diary entry \#3

Game: Counter-Strike

Movie, Jan. 25: War Games

Week 5: February 2

Topics: Commodification of Culture; Questions of Player Rights

Readings:

  • Taylor, "Whose Game is this Anyway?"
  • Koster, "Declaring the Rights of Players"
  • Dibbell, "The Unreal Estate Boom"
  • Bartle, "Pitfalls of Virtual Property"
  • Castronova, "Virtual Worlds: A First-hand Account of Market and Society on the Cyberian Frontier"

Assignments: Play Diary entry \#4

Game: Rise of Nations

Guest Speaker, 3 p.m.: Erik Johnson - Project Manager, Valve Software. Erik began his career as a shoe salesman and later moved up to selling used cars. Deciding that the car business wasn\'t for him either, he took a job with Sierra Online in the QA department. As one of Sierra\'s testers for Half-Life, Erik spent a lot of time over at the Valve offices and was eventually offered a job with Valve as shipping manager. Erik\'s responsibilities include localization, testing, managing the build process, creating demos, and shipping products.

Show and Tell, Feb. 1: Derek and John

Week 6: February 9

Topics: Games as Learning Tool, Informal Learning via Games

Readings:

  • Postigo, "From Pong to Planet Quake: Post-Industrial Transitions from Leisure to Work"
  • Holland, Jenkins and Squire, "Theory by Design" in The Video Game Theory Reader
  • Kiesler and Sproull, "Pool Halls, Chips, and War Games: Women in the Culture of Computing"

Assignments: Play Diary entry \#5

Game: Zoo Tycoon (optional: Flight Sim)

Movie, Feb. 9: The Last Starfighter

Week 7: February 16

Topics: Rule-making, Power and Control in Online Games

Readings:

  • Talin, "Managing Deviant Behaviors in Online Worlds" - optional
  • Morningstar & Farmer, "The Lessons of Lucasfilm\'s Habitat"
  • MacKinnon, "Punishing the Persona: Correctional Strategies for the Virtual Offender"

Assignments: Play Diary entry \#6 (not required as of Feb. 12, 2005); Interim Final

Project Report

Game: Dungeon Siege: Legends of Aranna

Show and Tell, Feb. 16: Catherine (Stepmania) and Karla (Revolved)

Week 8: February 23

Topics: Presence, Immersion, Interactivity

Readings:

  • Janet Murray, from Hamlet on the Holodeck
  • McMahon in The Video Game Theory Reader
  • Grodal in The Video Game Theory Reader
  • Crawford in The Video Game Theory Reader

Assignments: Play Diary entry \#7

Game: Dungeon Siege: Legends of Aranna

Guest Speaker, 3 p.m.: Doug Lombardi - Director of Marketing, Valve Software. After years in the music industry, Doug decided to get a real job. Then he came to his senses and made the decision to get into the gaming industry instead. During his time in gaming, he has worked on the launch of websites, magazines, and games. As Director of Marketing at Valve, he helps manage and coordinate third-party relations, marketing and press activities.

Guest Speaker: Tony Leamer, Marketing/Distribution, RealArcade.

Movie, Feb. 22: Tron (canceled as of Feb. 22, 2005)

Week 9: March 2

Topics: Games as Driver of Technological Innovation, Input Devices

Readings:

Assignments: Play Diary entry \#8

Guest Speakers: Microsoft team from "The Beast"

Movie, Mar. 2: ExistenZ

Week 10: March 9

Topic: Final Project workshop

Finals Week: March 14, 6:30-9:30

Final Projects due at 6:30. Class presentations and guest speaker.

Guest Speaker: Mark Selander



[edit] Analysis of learning methods

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