Computer Games

1. Computer Games Textual Analysis

2. Textual Analysis • The first question on the exam will always ask you to analyse a text • It could be a moving image clip (or clips) or a piece of print • It will be worth 40 marks… • You will be expected to write for about 40 mins.

3. Print • If it is print, you will likely be asked to comment on: • Visual Codes • Layout and Design • Language and mode of address

4. Moving Image • If it is moving image, you will likely be asked to comment on any 3 from this list: • Visual Codes • Technical Codes • Audio Codes • Genre Conventions • Narrative

5. Visual Codes Whether moving image or print, visual codes relates to signs and signifiers and can include everything from basic meaning up to pure symbolism Print • Body Posture • Costume/Clothing • Props/Background • Use of significant colours • Significance of font • Moving Image • Mise-en-Scène (props, costume, sets, hair, make-up, etc.) • Body Language of actors • Sound (significance of music  symbolises something) • Special Effects (only if significant  symbolises)

6. Layout & Design • Kress & van Leeuwan’s Theory • Whatever appears on the left-hand side signifies the culture of that publication – it is ‘known’ – it is where the ‘safe’ ideas are grouped • Whatever appears on the right-hand side signifies things not always found in that publication – the ‘contested’ issues – more risqué ideas (for this publication) appear here… • Font size, position, colour, style • Image size, position

7. Language & Mode of Address • Hearkens back to GCSE English Language • Use of simile, alliteration, puns • Direct Address (you/we) or Indirect Address (she/he/it/they) • Who is the audience and how are they positioned? • Tone of language • Informal/Formal

8. Print Practice • The class will be split into 3 groups • Group One will focus on applying Kress & van Leeuwan’s Theory • Group Two will focus on Layout & Design • Group Three will focus on Language & Mode of Address

9. Print Practice • Group One will focus on applying Kress & van Leeuwan’s Theory • Group Two will focus on Layout & Design • Group Three will focus on Language & Mode of Address

10. Technical/Audio Codes • These relate to the ways in which meaning is created i.e. how come we understand the story from what we see/hear • Camera Decisions (distance, angle, movement) • Editing (the order in which events are shown, what is NOT shown but can be inferred) • Diegetic sound (the characters can hear it) / Non-Diegetic sound (the characters cannot hear it, e.g. background music, stingers, etc.)

11. The Sims 3 and Rome: Total War In your groups: • Apply an analysis of Technical codes to these two games • The Sims 3 is a ‘simulation’; Rome: Total War is a Real-Time Strategy (RTS)

12. Genre Conventions • Basic: how is this genre different from other genres in terms of audience expectations and what we actually see? • Advanced: how is this text different from other texts in the same genre? • Cross-Over with other genres in style (the way it’s filmed) or content (what’s in it) • Uses settings/props/costumes in a different way • The plot is unusual for this sort of genre

13. Dead Space Example • Apply what you have learned about Genre to this game • You may wish to bring in film genres when comparing the feel of the cut-scenes… • It is a third-person SHOOTER* • Other shooters we have studied include: • Gears of War 2 (3PS) • Modern Warfare 3 (FPS) *as well as a cross-over with one other genre

14. Narrative • Narratives are constructed from what an audience sees and what an audience can feasibly interpret • E.g. The villain disappears off screen after the heroine; we hear a blood-curdling (female) scream: it is reasonable to infer that the heroine has just been killed • Some narratives play with our expectations by surprising us – it could be that she has killed him, but we don’t find that out until later on…

15. Narrative Several Narrative Theories can be observed: • Propp’s Theory of Narrative • Claude Levi-Strauss & Binary Opposition • Todorov’s Theory of Narrative • Syd Field’s Theory of Narrative Whichever theory you use, the marks are for explaining how it can be applied, NOT just recognising that it can be applied and listing which bits fit in where…

16. Propp’s Theory Narratives centre around 8 ‘spheres of action’. The interaction between these spheres drives the narrative forwards: • Hero (goes on a quest for the princess) • Princess (or sought-for) • Villain (opposes the hero) • Father (places obstacles between the hero & princess) • Helper (physically goes along to help) • Donor (gives the hero training/advice/skills/an item) • False Hero (takes credit for the hero’s actions) • Dispatcher (starts the hero on his quest)

17. Binary Opposition All narratives are driven forward by the conflict between two opposing forces or ideas. E.g.: • Nature vs Technology (Avatar) • Poor vs Rich (Titanic) • Good vs Evil (Star Wars) • Government vs Revolutionaries (Modern Warfare series)

18. TzvetanTodorov • Equilibrium – things are normal (for these people) • Disruption – something comes along to disrupt normality • Recognition of disruption – the characters find out about it • Attempts to deal with disruption, culminating in overcoming it • New equilibrium – things get ‘back to normal’, but usually a slightly different type of normality

19. Todorov Practice for Shaun of the Dead • Equilibrium • Disruption • Recognition • Dealing & Overcoming • New Equilibrium

20. Syd Field Like a simpler version of Todorov. All narratives have 3 stages: • Set-Up • Conflict • Resolution The marks are for examining how each stage works and how that is different from the way they work in other media texts…

21. Analysis of Modern Warfare 3 clip • The class will be split into 4 parts, with each part focussing on a different Narrative Theory • Apply it as best you can to the clip you see • You may also wish to think about point-of-view and how that affects the narrative