Asian/American Gaming (333-0-1)

Instructors

Tara Fickle

Meeting Info

Harris Hall L28: Tues, Thurs 2:00PM - 3:20PM

Overview of class

Asian/American gaming is a unique and timely phenomenon. How do games reflect US-Asian geopolitics, from where game hardware is produced and disposed of, and where much video game art and programming is outsourced, to the PR scandal of US-sponsored esports players supporting Hong Kong sovereignty? How does the association of Asians with video games interact with long-standing racial stereotypes of Asians as unplayful or robotic? Students will read and write about gaming, play and make games, and hear from Asian American game developers.

Learning Objectives

1. Identify and critique how racial, gender, national, and other forms of identity have shaped digital media, and how video games have in turn re-shaped forms of identity and representation.

2. Connect the concerns of "virtual" worlds to ongoing debates in contemporary political and cultural life, particularly in terms of US-Asian history and geopolitics, and reflect on your consumption of popular culture.

3. Discuss, present, and write about ideas relating to digital media and games, using appropriate disciplinary vocabulary.

4. Critically analyze games in terms of their mechanics, aesthetics, and historical and cultural context.

Expand your understanding of technology and design through the construction of a text-based video game.

Class Materials (Required)

All readings will be available on canvas

Games will be purchased online through Steam or twitch.io, no more than $50 total, most also available on public computer in Media and Design Studio (Kresge)

Class Notes

Attendance at first class is mandatory. No game making or coding experience expected.

Class Attributes

Literature and Arts Foundational Discipline
Literature & Fine Arts Distro Area