Game Design and Analysis

A combined seminar/studio course in videogame theory, criticism, and design. From a critical perspective, the course focuses on key theoretical moments in game studies. From a design perspective, the course focuses on core mechanics that go largely uninterrogated in contemporary design, such as movement, health, and adventure.

The syllabus is reproduced below.

Syllabus

LCC 4725, Game Design as a Cultural Practice

LCC 6325, Game Design and Analysis

Prof. Ian Bogost

Skiles 024

ibogost at gatech dot edu

(404) 894-1160

COURSE DESCRIPTION

There is a potential debate in contemporary videogame studies that has enjoyed little discussion: that between play and representation. As a descendent of games in general, are videogames primarily artifacts that extend the human need and desire to play? Or, as a descendent of expressive forms like poetry, the plastic arts, and theater, are videogames primarily artifacts that extend the human need and desire to make sense of the world around us? Or, do videogames serve both functions, and if so, how so?

This course poses the question raised above, challenging students to reorient their notions of videogames as play to videogames as representation. In the process, we will consider and practice approaches to the game design as a craft, read and write critical works on videogames, evaluate several influential game genres from the perspective of their representational goals and develop focused videogame prototypes.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Students are required to attend class meetings, participate in discussions and complete required assignments (see below). Assignments and Grades will be calculated as follows.

Attendance and participation: 20%

Position papers: 20%

Game design documentlets: 20%

Game prototypes: 20%

Final game: 20%

* Research paper: see below

* Note: only graduate students and undergraduates taking this course for the 4699 Capstone requirement are obligated to complete a research paper. Students enrolled in 4725 only may omit this requirement. For graduate students, the research paper becomes 18% of the final grade, with the other components each being reduced to 18%, except participation, which is reduced to 10% of the grade (graduate students, your more active participation is assumed — do not try to hide behind the undergraduates!).

Attendance and Participation

This course is intended to function as a combination seminar and design practicum, so attendance is paramount. Being here is nice, but being here and being interesting is better. Being interesting requires preparation, so do the readings and play the games and don’t be shy.

Position Papers

Position papers are 1-2 page responses, reactions, or meditations on the specific topic for each week. Students are expected to write one position paper each week, on some aspect of the readings and discussions for the *previous* week. This exercise is intended to allow you to incorporate class discussions but also to strike out in your own direction based on topics that arose during our previous meeting. Students writing a research paper would be wise to explore possible themes or problems for their paper topics in the position paper; likewise such students would be wise to begin writing their papers incrementally in position papers, where appropriate.

Position papers will not be given a grade, as they are intended to spark discussion and question rather than mastery. However, they must be turned in on time. Students are expected to submit position papers to the course swiki by Friday of each week for credit. No credit will be given for late position papers. Students are likewise expected to read other students position papers, at least in part, before the following class. Some time each week will be devoted to wrapup discussions from the previous class meeting.

Game Design Documentlets

During the course of this class, we will spend four class meetings as “Design Weeks.” During these weeks, we will discuss specific, very high level design and representation problems in videogames. The week after each of these weeks, each student will be required to complete a 2-5 page game design documentlet outlining a possible approach to the problem. Because these might be general approaches to a mechanic rather than a full game, they might be more properly called “mechanic designs” than “game designs”; however, students may also imagine a larger context for their mechanic, and describing or contextualizing the idea is also very much in scope.

Game design documentlets will be due the week following the design meeting and will be given a letter grade. This grade will be based on how well the student articulates their representational goal(s), and how well the design backs up those goals.

Game Prototypes

Of the four design problems, students are required to choose two to build as prototypes. Prototypes are rudimentary functional models of the design, so polish, visual design, and production value are not expected. The “default” prototyping environment for our program is Processing (www.processing.org), however students are free to use whatever language/environment they feel most comfortable in. For the adventure class, for example, students may consider using Inform or another similar environment.

Due to the temporal organization of the course, all prototypes will be due on the final class meeting. I make this concession somewhat against my better judgment, as students are apt to procrastinate when given even a small measure of rope. However, I want you to have the flexibility to choose any of the design problems.

Finally, students with particular design interests outside the topics we cover in the course should feel free to propose those problems for consideration as prototype subjects.

Final Game

The “final game” should take one of the prototypes and develop it into all or part of a game. A small game! If your ideas might comprise part of a much larger game, build part of that and abstract the rest. This is your opportunity to elaborate on the prototype and build some production value around it. Please keep in mind: I am NOT expecting a commercial game here.

The final game must be created as a group project. Students may collaborate with a small group (3-4ish) of their peers. Groups might choose one concept from a single prototype or design document and build that out in detail, or they might choose to combine several. To allow for freer collaboration, groups will not be assigned initially, however this policy may change based on my perception of progress.

The final game will be due during finals week, and must be working and ready to show for Demo Day (usually the Wednesday evening during finals week).

Research Paper

The research paper is a standard, written argument of considerable length and detail (20+ double- spaced pages, or 5,000+ words).

Students obligated to write a research paper (see above) must individually consult with the me to establish an approved topic no later than November 6. Please make a private appointment for this purpose. Prepare a 250-500 word abstract as well as a partial bibliography in advance.

The research paper will be due during finals week.

REQUIRED BOOKS

The following books are required and can be purchased at the Engineers Bookstore or at your favorite online/brick-and-mortar bookseller.

Bogost, Ian. Unit Operations: An Approach to Videogame Criticism. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2006. (abbreviated UO below)

Huizinga, Johan. Homo Ludens: A study of hte playe element in culture. Boston: Beacon, 1955.

Sutton-Smith, Brian. The Ambiguity of Play. Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP, 1997.

Koster, Raph. A Theory of Fun for Game Design. Scottsdale, AZ: Paraglyph Press, 2004.

Salen, Katie and Eric Zimmerman. Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2004. (abbreviated ROP below)

RESERVE BOOKS

Additional books and materials will be held on reserve in the Library and/or the Experimental Game Lab. It is your responsibility to read the selections from these books when assigned. Most books will be held in the EGL for easier access. These books must not be removed.

EXPERIMENTAL GAME LAB

This course will require you to play traditional games and videogames. You may use your own games if you wish, or you may use the titles in the Experimental Game Lab. All students will be provided Buzzcard access to the EGL, on the third floor of Skiles, northeast side, across the breezeway.

SCHEDULE (subject to change)

Week 1 – August 21

Introductions – Goals – Play – Representation – Rules – Procedurality

Week 2 – August 28

Play and Culture

Read:

ROP chapters 3, 10, 22

Johan Huizinga, Homo Ludens chapters II-V

Brian Sutton-Smith, The Ambiguity of Play chapter 1

Play:

(to be announcced)

Week 3 – No Class (Labor Day)

Week 4 – September 11

Games – Videogames – Simulations – Abstraction

Read:

ROP chapters 7-8, 22, 23, 29

Ernest Adams, Fundamentals of Game Design, chapters 1-3

Jesper Juul, Half-Real: Video games between real rules and fictional worlds chapters 1, 2, 5

Game Design Workshop, Chapter 2 (The Structure of Games)

UO chapter 7

Play:

Tecmo Bowl (NES – http://www.1980-games.com/us/old-games/nintendo/t/Tecmo_Bowl/game.php)

Madden 2005 (or 6, or 7)

Sim City (original)

Sim City 2000 or 3000

Night Driver (Atari 2600)

Need for Speed (Xbox)

Kings of the Beach (NES)

Dead or Alive Beach Volleyball (Xbox)

Superman (Atari 2600)

Spider-Man (Xbox)

Week 5 – September 18

Experience Design – Core Mechanics – Prototyping – Design Patterns – Design Models

Read:

Tracy Fullerton et al, Game Design Workshop, chapters 7-8

Ernest Adams, Fundamentals of Game Design, chapters 9-11

Robin Hunicke, Marc LeBlanc, Robert Zubek, Mechanics, Dynamics, Aesthetics (http://www.cs.northwestern.edu/~hunicke/MDA.pdf)

Chaim Gingold, Lightweight Prototyping (http://www.slackworks.com/~cog/presentations/lightweight_prototyping_3-5.ppt)

Chaim Gingold and Chris Hecker, Advanced Prototyping (http://www.slackworks.com/~cog/presentations/gdc06-AdvancedPrototyping.ppt)

Week 6 – September 25

Rules – Representation – Procedurality

Read:

ROP chapters 11-21

UO Introduction, chapters 1-6

Jacques Derrida, Structure, Sign, and Play in the Discourse of the Human Sciences (http://www.hydra.umn.edu/derrida/sign-play.html)

Play:

The Landlord’s Game

Monopoly

“Disney” Monopoly

(others to be announced)

Week 7 – October 2

Design Week – Movement – Orthogonality

Read:

Tracy Fullerton et al., Game Design Workshop chapter 11

Richard Rouse, III, Game Design Theory & Practice, chapter 21

Harvey Smith, Orthogonal Unit Differentiation (http://www.gdconf.com/archives/2003/Smith_Harvey.ppt)

Play:

Pong

Boundish

Pac-Man

Donkey Kong

Tempest (via MAME)

Super Mario Bros.

Sonic the Hedgehog

(decent remake of the original: http://sonic-the-hedgehog.freeonlinegames.com/,

others in EGL)

Prince of Persia (original, http://www.abandonia.com/games/10/PrinceofPersia)

Price of Persia: Sands of Time

Robot Alchemic Drive

Dragster (VCS)

(get the Stella emulator, http://stella.sourceforge.org,

and then get the ROM from http://www.atariage.com)

Raph Koster’s Andean Bird (http://www.raphkoster.com/2006/08/23/andean-bird-04/, and read the posts too)

Ragdoll Kung-Fu (http://www.ragdollkungfu.com, get the demo at least)

Curry House CoCo Ichibanya

Week 8 – October 9

Design Week – Health

Read:

To be announced

Play:

Asteroids

Space Invaders

Pac-Man

Yie-Ar Kung Fu

Super Mario Bros.

The Legend of Zelda (original, NES)

Street Fighter

Mega Man

Doom

Fight Night

Fable

Empire Earth, Age of Empires, or similar RTS

Elder Scrolls: Oblivion

Grand Theft Auto III

Week 9 – No Class (Fall Recess)

Week 10 – October 23

Design Week – Adventure

Read:

Rick Adams, The Origins of Adventure (http://www.rickadams.org/adventure/a_history.html)

Graham Nelson, from The Inform Designer’s Manual, 4th ed. (2001. 1st ed., 1994), sections 46- 49.

(http://www.inform-fiction.org/manual/html/contents.html)

Adam Cadre, Interacting with IF (http://adamcadre.ac/content/if.txt)

Nick Montfort, Interactive fiction as …, from First Person (310-315)

Warren Robinett, Adventure as a Video Game: Adventure for Atari 2600, from the Game Design Reader (690-724)

Warren Robinett, presentation on Adventure (http://warrenrobinett.com/adventure/adventure_lecture.ppt)

Play:

Zork (http://www.csd.uwo.ca/~pete/Infocom/games.html; get a Z-Machine interpreter from http://www.csd.uwo.ca/Infocom/interp.html)

Bad Machine (http://poemsthatgo.com/gallery/fall2003/bmch/)

Book & Volume (http://nickm.com/if/book_and_volume.html)

Adventure (VCS)

King’s Quest

The Secret of Monkey Island

Grim Fandango

The Legend of Zelda (several versions)

Week 11 – October 30 – No Class – Working week

Read:

Towards an Ontological Language for Game Analysis (http://www-static.cc.gatech.edu/~jp/Papers/OntologyDIGRA2005.pdf)

Do:

Additional assignment this week, in lieu of a postion paper. Please continue with

your normal design documentlets and prototypes.

1. Create an account on the Game Ontology Wiki (www.gameontology.org).

2. For any three games you have played for class so far:

A. Write a strong example for an element in the game ontology that you feel is

present in some way in the game you played.

B. Write a weak example for an element in the ontology that you feel is present

in some way in the game you played.

C. Pick an example that someone else has written for a game you are familiar with.

Is there anything you would add/change in that example? Edit that example by

making changes you feel are pertinent.

You can refer to the following (links) for some ideas of what a strong and weak example can look like:

http://www.gameontology.org/index.php/To_Own

http://www.gameontology.org/index.php/Level

http://www.gameontology.org/index.php/Boss_Challenge

Week 12 – November 6

The Magic Circle – Experience Design

Read:

Johan Huizinga, Homo Ludens chapter I

ROP chapter 9

UO chapter 9

Markus Montola, Exploring the Edge of the Magic Circle: Defining Pervasive Games (http://users.tkk.fi/~mmontola/exploringtheedge.pdf)

Jane McGonigal, This Is Not a Game: Immersive Aesthetics & Collective Play (http://www.seanstewart.org/beast/mcgonigal/notagame/paper.pdf)

Ernest Adams, Fundamentals of Game Design chapter 8

Greg Wilson, Off With their HUDS!: Rethinking the Heads-Up Display in Console Game Design (http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20060203/wilson_01.shtml)

Play:

Diplomacy

Werewolf

(others to be announced)

Week 13 – November 13

Space

Do:

Additional assignment this week, in lieu of a postion paper. (You may also write a

position paper, if you would like)

GameLog, created by CoC Ph.D. student Jose Zagal, is an online community for people

to keep track of the videogames they are playing as well as those theyï¿½ve played.

GameLogï¿½s primary feature is to allow registered users to write a blog, or online

journal, of their gameplaying experience for each game they play. It is different

from traditional blogging environments because each user maintains multiple parallel

blogs each devoted to a particular game. The rationale behind GameLog is that it may

provide a space for reflection and critical thinking about games.

For this assignment, you will keep a gamelog, or journal, of your gameplaying experience

with a particular game. In order to do that, you need to create an account on the site

http://www.gamelog.cl. You can choose to use an alias for your username, however make sure

you sign up with your real name so that I can read your assignments appropriately.

1. Pick at least three games from next weekï¿½s playing assignment.

2. Play each of these games, on three different occasions for at least 30 minutes each time.

For each time you play the game, write a GameLog entry. Write about the experience you had

while playing the game including your thoughts on the characters in the game, the narrative,

and the gameplay. In particular, try to think how each of those are related in the game.

When you play these games and write your log entries think about the issues we generally discuss in class.

Read:

Henry Jenkins, Game Design as Narrative Architecture (http://www.electronicbookreview.com/thread/firstperson/lazzi-fair)