TIM_B_026 Digital Games Critical Analyses

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2021
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Bc. Silvester Buček (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Bc. Silvester Buček
Department of Musicology – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Bc. Jitka Leflíková
Supplier department: Department of Musicology – Faculty of Arts
Timetable
Mon 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 40 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/40, only registered: 0/40, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/40
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
To equip students with an arsenal of methodological tools for analyzing and interpreting digital games.
Learning outcomes
After successfully finishing this class, the student will be able to:
  • 1) Analyze digital games as meaningful cultural artifacts.
  • 2) Explain the way computer games work as a medium, their affordances and limitations.
  • 3) Discuss the ideology and bias built in games' rule systems and representations.
  • 4)Form opinions on the current state of the medium of the digital game.
  • 5) Interpret games in terms of their narratives and game mechanics.
    • Syllabus
    • 1. Introduction
    • 2. Games as an object of study. Cultural studies and critical analysis of games
    • 3. Videogames industry and its kontext in view of cultural studies. Videogames ingustry as post-industrial cultural form.
    • 4. Videogames journalism. Ideal review (homework assignment)
    • 5. Public holiday
    • 6. Transtextualita and fandom
    • 7. Fans as an postmodern subculture
    • 8. Ideology in games
    • 9. Status quo and subversion
    • 10. Gender representation, gender stereotypes and sexuality in games
    • 11. Identity and multiculturalism
    • 12. Diegesis and metagames
    Literature
    • BOGOST, Ian. Persuasive games : the expressive power of videogames. 1st MIT Press pbk. ed. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 2010, xii, 450. ISBN 9780262026147. info
    • SICART, Miguel. The ethics of computer games. London: MIT Press, 2009, 264 s. ISBN 9780262012652. info
    • Gamingessays on algorithmic culture. Edited by Alexander R. Galloway. London: University of Minnesota Press, 2006, xiii, 143. ISBN 9780816648511. info
    • JUUL, Jesper. Half-real : video games between real rules and fictional worlds. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 2005, ix, 233. ISBN 9780262516518. info
    • TEKINBAŞ, Katie Salen and Eric ZIMMERMAN. Rules of play : game design fundamentals. London: MIT, 2004, xv, 672. ISBN 0262240459. info
    • MURRAY, Janet Horowitz. Hamlet on the holodeck : the future of narrative in cyberspace. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press, 1998, xii, 324. ISBN 0262631873. info
    Teaching methods
    Lecutures and discussions on selected topic and literature
    Assessment methods
    Students hand in one analysis of different critiques of one selected game. At the end of semestre, students hand a critique analysis on topic related with lessons. The topic of analysis will be shortly presented on 10th lecture.
    Language of instruction
    Czech
    Further Comments
    Study Materials
    The course is taught annually.
    The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2020, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024, Spring 2025.
    • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2021, recent)
    • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2021/TIM_B_026