IM137 Applied Game Studies – Research and Design

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2019
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. et Mgr. Zdeněk Záhora (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. Mgr. Jana Horáková, Ph.D.
Department of Musicology – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Bc. Jitka Leflíková
Supplier department: Department of Musicology – Faculty of Arts
Timetable
Mon 14:00–15:40 N21
Prerequisites
IM082 Game Studies
IM082 Game Studies.
Ability to read texts in English.
Broad knowledge of game genres is an advantage.
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 60 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/60, only registered: 0/60, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/60
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The aim of the course is to deepen the knowledge of game studies and to present methods and techniques by which the digital games, their industry and the audience can be explored. During the course the student acquires knowledge applicable not only to the academic sphere but also to the professional environment. Lecture topics are structured into several thematic blocks, divided into use of games in research, industry research, and game audience analysis. Students will acquire both the theoretical knowledge necessary for a deeper understanding of games and game culture as well as selected methods by which these topics can be explored.
Learning outcomes
Ability to prepare the design of applied research, including presentable materials.
Syllabus
  • - Formal (digital) game analysis
  • - Methodology and scientific paradigms
  • - Game genres
  • - Game industry and game journalism
  • - Semiotics, Cybertext
  • - Narrative, discourse analysis
  • - Reading Week
  • - Players as an audience
  • - Virtual worlds as an ethnographic field
  • - Playbour and link to game mechanics
  • - Crowdresearch and game telemetry
  • - Design of applied research
Literature
    required literature
  • MCALLISTER, Graham. The difference between focus testing and player testing. Edge [online]. 2012. Dostupné z: http://www.edge-online.com/features/the-difference-between-focus-testing-and-player-testing
  • WOLF, Mark J.P.; PERRON, Bernard, eds. The Video Game Theory Reader. 2003.
  • AARSETH, Espen. Introduction to Gamestudies. 2001. Dostupné z: http://www.gamestudies.org/0101/editorial.html
  • MÄYRÄ, Frans. An introduction to game studies :games in culture. 1st ed. Los Angeles: SAGE Publications, 2008
  • KERR, Aphra. The business and culture of digital games: gamework/gameplay. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: SAGE, 2006, 177 p. ISBN 978-141-2900-461.
  • GEE, James Paul. What video games have to teach us about learning and literacy. Palgrave. 2003.
  • JENKINS, Henry. Convergence culture: where old and new media collide. 1. vyd. New York: New York University Press, 2006, xi, 308 s. ISBN 978-081-4742-952.
  • SCHNELL, Jesse. The Art of Game Design. The Book of Lenses. CRC Press. 2008.
  • HUNICK, LEBLANC & ZUBEK. MDA: A formal approach to game design and game research. Discovery. 3 2004, Sv. 83. Dostupné z: http://www.cs.northwestern.edu/~hunicke/MDA.pdf
  • AARSETH, Espen. Cybertext: Perspectives on Ergodic Literature. JHU Press. 1997.
  • BARTLE, Richard. Hearts, Clubs, Diamonds, Spades: Players who suits MUDs. 1996. Dostupné z: http://www.mud.co.uk/richard/hcds.htm
  • BOGOST, Ian. Persuasive games: the expressive power of videogames. London: MIT Press. c2007.
  • JUUL, Jesper. Half-real: video games between real rules and fictional worlds. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 2005.
Teaching methods
Lectures, reading, active participation in lectures (discussion), proposal of applied research and its consultation.
Assessment methods
- intermediate tasks (40% of the evaluation)
- final seminar paper (60% of the evaluation | proposal of applied research)
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Autumn 2019, Autumn 2020, Autumn 2021.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2019, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2019/IM137