Game Studies: Rolling Your Own

1. Game Studies: Rolling Your Own Issues, Trends, & Lessons Learned

2. Talk Overview • Background • Early Programs • Curriculum • Program Design • Current Issues • Emerging Truths • Future Directions

3. Game Studies Background

4. Background • Me • 1991: Computer Science • 1995: Interactive Narrative • 1997: Graduate Studies: AI • 1999: AI & Video Games • 2000: IGDA Education Committee • Detailed Game Studies Curriculum • Education Summit: 2002, 2003 • Bibliography (in progress)

5. Background • Games • 1962: Spacewar for the DEC PDP-1 • 1972: Pong, Magnivox Odessy • 1985: Nintendo • 1990: 3D (First Person Shooters) • 2000: Games = $$$ • Over 30 million consoles in homes • Over 20 million PC gamers

6. Background • Game Studies • J. Huizinga • Homo Ludens • E. Avedon & R. Sutton Smith: • The Study of Games, • The Ambiguity of Play • S. Sackson • A Gamut of Games

7. Background • Game Studies • H. Jenkins & J. Cassell • From Barbie to Mortal Combat • R. Rouse • Game Design, Theory and Practice

8. Game Studies Early Programs

9. Early Programs • MIT • Comparative Media Studies • 1984: Film & Media Studies Concentration • 1998: CMS graduate program • 2001: Jenkins & MS Research • Games to Teach • Fall 2003: Full Undergrad Major in CMS • Humanistic Focus “Increasingly CMS courses are designed to teach students about the forms of media, as well as the text.”

10. Early Programs • CMU • Entertainment Technology Center • Randy Pausch & Don Marinelli • 1999: Pilot Class – 8 seniors • 25 new students per year, 50 total • 2 year Masters program (MET) • Focus on Placement • Industrial Light and Magic (ILM), • Angel Studios • Universal Studios • MERL: Mitsubishi Electric Research Lab.

11. Early Programs • Most Major Universities • Game Courses in CS Departments • Video games in the Humanities • Sociology of Games • Gender Studies • Game Violence • Children and Play • Education

12. Game Studies Curriculum

13. Curriculum • 2000: IGDA Education Committee • Panel of Academics & Developers • Goals • Bridge gap between communities • Create opportunities for communication and collaboration • Create a unified curriculum for Game Studies Programs

14. Curriculum • 2000: IGDA Education Committee • Panel of Academics & Developers • Goals • Bridge gap between communities • Create opportunities for communication and collaboration • Create a unified curriculum for Game Studies Programs  HARDER THAN WE EXPECTED

15. Curriculum • Many different flavors of Institution, Goals & Concerns • Curriculum Framework • Overview of the Field • Details on each Discipline • Outline Several Possible Careers • Guide Program Designs

16. Curriculum • Many different flavors of Institution, Goals & Concerns • Curriculum Framework • Overview of the Field • Details on each Discipline • Outline Several Possible Careers • Guide Program Designs NOT DICTATING FORM/CONTENT

17. Game Studies Curriculum: Core Topics

18. Curriculum: Core Topics • Ten Topics • Three Major Areas • Humanistic Study • Game Technology • Game Business • Overview follows • Details in online document

19. Curriculum: Core Topics • Humanistic Study: • Critical Game Studies • Criticism, Analysis and History of electronic and non-electronic games • Games and Society • Understanding how games reflect and construct individuals and groups

20. Curriculum : Core Topics • Technical Study • Game Design • Game Programming • Visual Design • Audio Design • Interactive Storytelling

21. Curriculum: Core Topics • Process & Management • Game Production • Practical challenges of managing the development of games • Game Business • Economic, legal and policy aspects of games

22. Game Studies Curriculum: Career Paths

23. Curriculum: Career Paths • Scholarly/Academic • Game Studies Scholar/Educator • Game Technology Educator • Game Journalist • Applied • Game Artist/Programmer • Game Designer • Game Producer

24. Curriculum: Career Paths • Game Studies Scholar and Educator • Trained in History, Analysis, Criticism • Experienced Gamer • Knows Genres, Designs • Understands Technology • Familiar with Industry • Understands Dev. Process • Knows gist of Business & Legal

25. Curriculum: Career Paths • Game Technology Educator • Trained in Design and Development • Experienced Programmer • Knows Mechanics, Dynamics • Hardware Strengths & Limitations • Emphasizes Good Process • Software Dev. Best & Worst Practices • Group Work, Creativity Management

26. Curriculum: Career Paths • Game Journalist • Trained in Design, Analysis, Criticism • Expert Communicator • Investigator of Game Culture • Non-Digital, PC, Console, Online • Visual Aesthetics, Narrative Theory • Social Issues (Gender, Violence) • Technical trends, research, novel implementations

27. Curriculum: Career Paths • Game Programmer/Artist • Trained in Design, Analysis, Tech • Experienced Procedural Thinker • Specialization Expert • Graphics Programming • Audio Design & Implementation • Concept Art, 3D design & Rendering • Level Design and Game Mechanics • Character Design, Behavior, Artificial Intelligence

28. Curriculum: Career Paths • Game Designer • Trained in Design, Analysis, Tech • Experienced Procedural Thinker • Expert Communicator • Narrative and Experience goals • Visual & Audio Aesthetics • Practical Nuts & Bolts • Example: Thief

29. Curriculum: Career Paths • Game Producer • Trained in Biz & Management • Experienced Procedural Thinker • Expert Communicator • Team structure and goals • Time, Budget and Design constraints • Markets, Promotion, Publication • Legal issues

30. Curriculum: Our Bias • Universal Skills

31. Curriculum: Our Bias • Universal Skills • Procedural Thinking

32. Curriculum: Our Bias • Universal Skills • Procedural Thinking • Communication

33. Curriculum: Our Bias • Universal Skills • Procedural Thinking • Communication • Group Work

34. Curriculum: Our Bias • Universal Skills • Procedural Thinking • Communication • Group Work • Creativity

35. Curriculum: Our Bias • Universal Skills • Procedural Thinking • Communication • Group Work • Creativity • Flexibility

36. Curriculum: Our Bias • Universal Skills • Procedural Thinking • Communication • Group Work • Creativity • Flexibility • Curiosity

37. Curriculum: Our Bias • Universal Skills • Procedural Thinking • Communication • Group Work • Creativity • Flexibility • Curiosity • Will Wright:city planning, ants and people

38. Game Studies Program Design

39. Program Design • Major Considerations • Foundation: Your Institution • Scope: Your Program • Roots: Your Core Instructors • Focus: Your Methodology • Relationships: Your Allies

40. Program Design • Foundation • University, College, Vocational? • Collection of Schools or Disciplines • Working together to create a “tent” • Finding instructors • Funding your efforts • Advertising to students • Advertising to the rest of the world

41. Program Design • Scope • Course, Concentration, Certificate, Major or Advanced Degree? • Strengths & Weaknesses • Numbers: Where is the labor? • Expertise: Where is the know-how? • Fame: Where will it shine? • Buy-in: Who wants it? • Critical Mass • Pilot courses, Student Groups

42. Program Design • Roots • Technical: Computer Science, Material Sciences, Engineering • Humanistic: Media Studies, Cultural Theory, Sociology, Psychology • Fine Art: Art Theory and Practice, Design, RTVF, Animation and Film

43. Program Design • Focus • How to teach the material • Methods of Analysis and Critique • What to teach with • Software, Hardware, Bibliography • Finally, What to teach • Fundamentals of Design • Basics of Implementation • Production, Biz, Legal

44. Program Design • Relationships • Inter-departmental • Local Universities • Local Industry & Alumnae • Major Publishers • DARPA, NSF, NEH, NEA

45. Game Studies Current Issues

46. Current Issues • IGDA Academic Summit 2003 • Game Developers Conference • Working Meeting • 140 Academics, 10 Developers • Global interest • Several approaches shared and discussed – all available on line.

47. Current Issues • Major topics: Highlights • Attracting & integrating developers into the classroom • Facilitating exchange between departments & disciplines • Structuring & funding conferences, journals, and on-line resources • Facilitating tech transfer, sharing of dev. tools & information

48. Current Issues • Major themes • Procedural Literacy • DIY: “Change your attitude, not theirs” • Leveraging current academic funding and publication structures • Avoid “bleeding edge” technology • Modify existing tech/games • Look for low-hanging fruit • Bruce Gooch & NPR

49. Game Studies Emerging Truths

50. Emerging Truths • Academic • Integrated programs • Leverage strengths • Promote collaboration between groups and departments • Georgia Tech – Hodges, Mateas • Relationships with developers • Assets (code, art, designs) • Time (not money)