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Symposium: Issues in RTVF (398-0-22)

Topic

Video Game Theory & Criticism

Instructors

Patrick Oliver Fiorilli

Meeting Info

University Hall 112: Tues, Thurs 9:30AM - 10:50AM

Overview of class

This introductory class will focus on the place of video games in culture, broadly understood. The core question of the course is this: How do we talk about games? To answer this, we have to ask several more questions. For instance, what are the vocabularies, rhetorics, and strategies we use to talk about games? How do we talk about games in comparison with other media? How does one approach to talking about games differ from another?


To augment its focus on theoretical and critical approaches to games, this course will make use of texts from a range of disciplines, including philosophy, critical theory, anthropology, and literature. Using these texts to enrich our gameplay and our readings about games, we will deepen our understanding of the language we use to discuss and design this century's breakout medium.


This will be a reading- and writing-heavy course: class meetings will consist of discussion of readings, and assignments will generally take the form of written responses and critical essays. Video games (or recorded video game playthroughs) may be assigned alongside films, video clips, and podcasts at low or no cost to students.


This class does not require any special knowledge of video games or gaming culture! An interest in the topic is all that's needed to succeed.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course students will be able to:


  • Discuss games and game-making from an analytical perspective.

  • Recognize and contrast various critical and theoretical perspectives on games.

  • Situate games within a context of media and media studies.

  • Craft original arguments and critiques using evidence from games, texts, and other media.

Class Materials (Required)

All required readings will be provided via web link or .pdf file on Canvas. Videos, films, and podcasts may be assigned where appropriate, and will be available via link or download. Games will be made available on a case-by-case basis. Some of these may require rental or purchase, but accommodations will be made for students who cannot purchase, run, or otherwise obtain any assigned work.


Regarding the practicality of playing the video games we discuss: for the purposes of this course, in most cases, watching a playthrough online (ideally without commentary) will be sufficient for class discussion. However, if you plan on writing about a game, I request that you actually play it yourself.