TIM_B_025 Game Studies

Faculty of Arts
Autumn 2023
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Bc. Silvester Buček (lecturer), doc. Mgr. Jana Horáková, Ph.D. (deputy)
Guaranteed by
doc. Mgr. Jana Horáková, Ph.D.
Department of Musicology – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Ing. Alena Albíniová
Supplier department: Department of Musicology – Faculty of Arts
Timetable
each odd Monday 16:00–19:40 N21
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 100 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 31/100, only registered: 0/100, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/100
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The aim of the course is to familiarize students with the main research areas of digital and non-digital games in an overview way. Students will become familiar with the main themes of research in the field of game studies, such as history, formal and content research, or players and their culture. The graduate should have a basic overview of the possibilities for the further direction of game research.
Learning outcomes
Orientation in the most significant events from the history of digital and non-digital games and to know the basic technologies that influenced the shape of the current game market. Identify the basic features of digital games, especially in the context of other media, be able to describe these elements and assess their role in the game. Perceive wider social and meaning contexts affecting games, but also influenced by games.
Syllabus
  • A) Brief history of games and playing I: Games as an experiment II: Games as technology III: Games as a medium IV: Games as a tool for change In: Challenges and Methods of Historical Game Research B) What is a game and what are its characteristics? I: Definition of the game II: Game classifications III: Aesthetics and semiotics of games C) Games and people I: Games in pop culture II: Gamer culture III: Games and Society IV: Meanings in games
Literature
  • Nieborg, D. 2009. Political Economy of Video Games. (disertace)
  • Lamoureux, M. 8-Bit Primitive: A Hommage to Atari 2600 in Compton, S. (ed.) 2004. Gamers. New York: Soft Skull Press.
  • Hunicke, M. et al. MDA: A Formal Approach to Game Design and Game Research.
  • Lee, K. M. – Peng, W. 2006. What Do We Know About Social and Psychological Effects of Computer Games? A Comprehensive Review of the Current Literature in Vorderer, P. – Jennings, B. (eds.) 2006) Playing Video Games: Motives, Responses and Consequences. N
  • Newman, J. 2004. Video Games. London: Routledge.
  • Gee, J. P. 2005. Why video games are good for your soul: pleasure and learning. Altona: Common Ground Publishing.
  • Poole, S. 2004. Trigger Happy. London: Fourth Estate.
  • Juul, J. 2007. A Certain Level of Abstraction. In Situated Play: DiGRA 2007 Conference Proceedings, Baba, A., ed. DiGRA Japan.
  • Williams, D. 2006. A Brief Social History Of Gameplay. In in Vorderer, P. – Bryant, J. (eds.) Playing Video Games: Motives, Responses, and Consequences. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum. dmitriwilliams.com/WilliamsSocHist.doc
  • Chaplin, H. – Ruby, A. 2006. Smartbomb: The Quest for Art, Entertainment, and Big Bucks in the Videogame Revolution. New York: Algonquin Books.
  • Ebert, R. Game vs. Art. http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070721/COMMENTARY/70721001
  • Hawisher, G. - Selfe, C. (eds.) Gaming Lives In the Twenty-First Century: Literate Connections,
  • Úryvky z knihy Grand Theft Childhood: http://www.grandtheftchildhood.com/GTC/Excerpts/Excerpts.html
  • Csíkszentmihályi, M. 1991. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. Harper.
  • Eskelinen, M. 2001. The Gaming Situation, in Game Studies 01/2001. www.gamestudies.org/0101/eskelinen.
  • Lowood, H. 2005. High Performance Play: The Making Of Machinima in Clarke, A. – Mitchell, G. (eds.). Videogames and Art. Bristol: Intellect.
  • Juul, J. 2005. Half-Real: Video Games Between Real Rules and Fictional Worlds. Cambridge: The MIT Press.
  • Lowood, H. 2006. A Brief Biography Of Computer Games. In in Vorderer, P. – Bryant, J. (eds.) Playing Video Games: Motives, Responses, and Consequences. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum.
  • Klevjer, R. 2008. Avatar. (disertace). http://folk.uib.no/smkrk/docs/RuneKlevjer_What%20is%20the%20Avatar_finalprint.pdf
  • Fernandéz-Vara, C. 2008. Shaping Players Experience in Adventure Games. (nepublikováno)
  • Frasca, G. 2003. Ludologists love stories, too: notes from a debate that never took place.
  • Levy, S. 1984. Hackers. New York: Double Day.
  • Bogost, I. 2006. Comparative Video Game Criticism. In Games And Culture 2006 1:41.
  • Lakoff, G. - Johnson, M. 2002. Metafory, kterými žijeme. Brno: Host.
  • Murray, J. 1999. Hamlet on the Holodeck: The Future of Narrative in Cyberspace. Cambridge: MIT Press.
  • Bogost, I. 2006. Unit Operations. Cambridge: MIT Press.
  • Jenkins, H. 2004. Game Design as Narrative Architecture in Wardrip-Fruin, N. – Pat Harrigan (eds.) First Person: New Media as Story, Performance, Game. Cambridge: MIT Press. http://web.mit.edu/cms/People/henry3/games&narrative.html.
  • Friedman, T. 1999. Semiotics of Sim City. http://www.firstmonday.org/issues/issue4_4/friedman/index.html
  • Tolkien, J.R.R. On fairy stories.
  • Aarseth, E. 1997. Cybertext: Perspectives on Ergodic Literature. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press.
  • Galloway, A. R. 2006. Gaming: Essays On Algorithmic Culture. Minneapolis: University Of Minnesota Press.
  • Kennedy, H. 2002. Lara Croft: Feminist Icon or Cyberbimbo. On the Limits of Textual Analysis, in Game Studies 02/2002. http://www.gamestudies.org/0202/kennedy/ (k dispozici je i český překlad)
  • Bogost, I. 2006. Unit Operations. Cambridge: MIT Press.
  • Rossignol, J. 2008. This Gaming Life. Digital Culture Books.
  • Článek o Everquest: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/1899420.stm
  • Caillois, R. 1998. Hry a lidé. Praha: Nakladatelství studia Ypsilon.
  • Bogost, I. 2008. Persuasive Games. Cambridge: MIT Press.
  • Huizinga, J. 2000. Homo ludens: o původu kultury ve hře. Praha: Dauphin.
Teaching methods
A lecture with discussions, student presentations
Assessment methods
It is a humanities class, therefore technical knowledge is not required from students. The condition is the ability to read texts in English. Since we are talking about an interactive medium, interaction with the teacher is expected. The assessment consists of interim assignments and a final paper (7 NP). Interim assignments consist of presentations, written preparations and tests. Students combine the tasks in such a way as to obtain the necessary number of points. Details will be presented in the first lesson.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
Listed among pre-requisites of other courses
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2019, Autumn 2020, Autumn 2021, Autumn 2022, Autumn 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2023, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/autumn2023/TIM_B_025