GDD 394 History of Video Games

Texts

Vintage Game Consoles: An Inside Look at Apple, Atari, Commodore, Nintendo, and the Greatest Gaming Platforms of All Time by Bill Loguidice and Matt Barton

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (Crown Publishing)

Assignments

• Game Analyses (30%)

  For this assignment, you will play 2 games of your choice, watch them being played on Twitch and review/analyze them. The reviews should include analysis of the positive and negative features of the game, demonstrate an understanding of how the game fits into the history of game development, and analyze the varieties of play experiences available withing the game structure and the possibilities for play offered by the hardware and software platform the game was built for. Here are four: Eliot's analysis of Apex Legends, John's analysis of Mass Effect II, Lauren's L.A. Noir paper and Andrew's Binding of Isaac analysis. The review can be written (5-7 pages) or produced as a video/ interactive piece using any multimedia technology that you are fluent in. (150 points each for a total of 300 points)

• Game Presentations (30%)

  Each student will select 1 game from the Vintage Games book. You must bring a playable version of the game to class, allow us to test play it and then make a presentation in which you discuss how this game fit into its historical context, how the mechanic was enabled by the console that it was designed for, and your assessment of the game overall. Here is a great resource for historical games. Then you will do the same with a game designed during the last 5 years. A 3 paragraph summary of your presentations should be posted to Blackboard so everyone can see them. Here is a helpful list of things you might include in your review. (150 pts per review 300 total)

• Reading Responses (20%)

  Each week you should post a thoughtful, reasoned response to the readings and week's topic on the Blackboard forum. These are due by noon Monday before class (readings listed in week 1 on the syllabus are due the following Monday). Your response should include citations and evidence that you have done the readings and are thinking critically about them. The expectation is that these will be at least 3 paragraphs long. (15 pts. per post )

• Final Exam (15%)

  We will either play the final or have an essay exam. More info on this later (150 pts).

• Class Participation (5%)

  This is a seminar during which we will be playing a lot of games, so attendance and participation are mandatory. You should speak in class, play enthusiastically and be a good overall class citizen. If you miss more than 2 classes you will get no points in this category. (50 pts.)

These are the rubrics that will be used for grading.