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Welcome to U75105 Playing the Game: The Culture of Digital Games Please take a Module Handbook

Welcome to U75105 Playing the Game: The Culture of Digital Games Please take a Module Handbook. Session Overview. Spacewar!  1962 MIT  PDP-1  star map  not quite first digital game.

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Welcome to U75105 Playing the Game: The Culture of Digital Games Please take a Module Handbook

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  1. Welcome to U75105 Playing the Game:The Culture of Digital Games Please take a Module Handbook

  2. Session Overview

  3. Spacewar! 1962 MIT PDP-1 star map not quite first digital game

  4. Why Study Games?1. Games are Big Business USA: $7 billion in sales in 2005 more than film industry box office industry <40 years old thus worth studying

  5. Why Study Games?2. Games are a Distinct Cultural Form playing games very different from reading books or watching TV diverse people now play games: average age of players = 33 25% gamers >50 38% gamers = women  thus worth studying

  6. Why Study Games?3. Games Tell Us About Human Culture crucial part of human development can tell us about individual development can tell us about human culture & civilization thus worth studying

  7. Why Study Games?4. Games Theories are Useful game concepts have broad application help us understand other stuff useful for other modules  thus worth studying Any Questions?

  8. Module Overview (p. 16)01. Why Games?02. Ban These Evil Games03. Homo Ludens04. Pleasure, Pain and Play05. Interaction, Immersion and Identity

  9. Module Overview06. Unnatural Selection07. (Research Week)08. Sex, Lies and Videogames09. Digital Games and Learning10. How to Cheat11. Games of the Future

  10. Module Overview fun and demanding rooms (p. 5): B1/39 (except Weeks 5 and 11: FG/14)

  11. Module Website (p. 6) http://www.cyberchimp.co.uk/U75105/ bibliography downloads free games contact details take a look before next week

  12. Recommended Texts (p. 8) no purchase necessary two recommended texts… www.amazon.co.uk www.abebooks.com

  13. Edge

  14. Assessment (pp. 10-13) two assignments: 50% each Gaming Journal (due Week 6) Essay (due Week 12) Any Questions?

  15. Gaming Journal (p. 9) objective: consider the theories we discuss in class in light of your own game playing 1 entry per week for Weeks 1-5  online: www.blogger.com

  16. Gaming Journal assessment criteria:  play read describe apply

  17. Gaming Journal (p. 9) total length = 1500 words due 12.30pm Friday 09.03.07 (Week 6)  grammar & spelling unimportant advice each week do it weekly Any Questions?

  18. Exercise: Define ‘Game’ Brief: In groups of four, compose a one sentence definition of the word ‘game’. In order to make your definition as accurate as possible, try to ensure that it encompasses all activities and artefacts that are usually considered games, and excludes those which are not.

  19. Wittgenstein on Games  games don’t all share the same features overlapping similarities e.g. chess = skill, no luck, competitive e.g. lottery = no skill, luck, competitive e.g. frisbee = skill, luck, uncompetitive  concept of a ‘game’ is like a rope: made of twisted fibres, with no single thread

  20. Wittgenstein on Games  family resemblances members of a family will share some features:  eyes, nose, build, temperament, etc but not all  concept of a game has blurred edges the meaning is not precise but it is still useful (like a rope)

  21. Wittgenstein on Games  so how to understand ‘game’? describe examples we will be examining games by looking at examples objective: not to find a common feature but to work out the family resemblances

  22. Wittgenstein on Games: Summary  ‘game’ does not have precise boundaries no single common feature describe examples  Wittgenstein not interested in games interested in how words and concepts work all words work like ‘game’ his discussion thus has a wider application Any Questions?

  23. Gaming Journal  play some games read what Wittgenstein says  describe Wittgenstein’s understanding of ‘game’ apply it to the games you have played Any Questions?

  24. Before Next Week…  read the Module Handbook check out the Module Website  try the module games: 20mins eachgaming journal: write first entry

  25. Further Reading  Spacewar!: Myers (2003, Ch1); Poole (2000, pp. 15-18) Why Study Games: Poole (2000, Ch1); ESA (2006)Defining ‘Game’: Salen & Zimmerman (2004, Ch2); Juul (2005, pp. 23-54)Wittgenstein: Wittgenstein (1968, §66-71); Saunders (2000)

  26. The Module Games to the Computer Room…

  27. Headphones  own: Walkman, iPod, etc  borrow: HH Computer Services (GLG/08, 488266)borrow: A/V Services (F1/17, 488382)  buy: GL Computer Services (483333)

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