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Game Studies: Rolling Your Own

This talk provides an overview of the background, early programs, curriculum, current issues, emerging truths, and future directions in the field of game studies. It explores the history of game studies, early programs at MIT and CMU, the development of game studies curriculum, and various career paths within the field.

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Game Studies: Rolling Your Own

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  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)

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