Hw for the 22nd

This week, your assignment is to get into an argument about a video game. Pick a video game you think is good, find someone else that thinks it is good, and take the position that the video game is bad. What kind of criticism did you use? What did they think of your argument? How did their perception of the game change? How did yours?

HW for november 15th

First off yes we will be holding class. 2 part assignment this time.

The first part is to write a review of a gaming community. Explain what your scoring system is, and why you chose your specific style of review.

Second is to come up with what we will hold for our extra class. Be ready to propose suggestions tomorrow.

hw for novemer 8th

sorry for the late post this week, the hw is to take a tragedy media other then a game (film, play, ect) and explain how you would turn it into a comedy game. What style of game would it be? How would the mechanics fit in? Be creative with this one.

hw for november 2nd

A bit of a change up this week for you guys, no write up required. Instead, take 3 pictures, one of something familiar, one uncanny, and one absurd. Follow the definitions discussed in class. No captions required. The absurd picture can be staged, and the familiar one as well, but i strong you suggest you find something familiar on your own. The uncanny cannot be staged and must be found. With Halloween coming up, this should be fun.

HW for october 25th

Make an argument for how the video game market in a country or region SHOULD change and why, if in an effort to reflect a positive cultural change. Try to avoid obvious stuff. Instead address cultural issues that aren't ever(or very rarely) discussed in the political arena.

For example, I might argue(not that I would) that American games should experiment with the idea of strategically sharing resources with NPCs (non-player characters). The NPCs could then influence the outcome of the game by some degree dependent on the player's interaction with them. This aims at a game experience that emphasizes cautious collectivism and teamwork with others toward a common goal.

IMPORTANT NOTE!!:
Some of you have missed a couple assignments, or received poor marks on some assignments-- the result is that a few of you are in danger of not passing. If you would like to know where you stand in the class, email videogamedecal@gmail.com with your name and we will reply with your current score out of the total.

Hw for october 18th

Analyze what you would consider to be the worst controls in a game. Explain why it was bad. How did these controls work (or not) in the context of the game. Try to develop specific ideas of why the CONTROLS were bad and not the game itself.

hw for 10/4

First, read Barthe's The Death of the Author (http://evans-experientialism.freewebspace.com/barthes06.htm)

Second, choose one of the two prompts to write on.

-Analyze Barthe's voice and message in The Death of the Author. Then, analyze the text's voice and message. How do these two contrast?

-With what we learned about narrative, theorize a game with the following plot, "Kill the Scientist." Describe why this is compelling, how it fits in to the story, and how you will use the game play medium to tell it.

Long assignments this weekend, but i think you are up to it.

Hw and movie for 9/27

This week you have 3 options for homework:
1. Play a game, analyze a specific segment and describe how the level design struck you as memorable for being good or bad.

2. Watch the new movie Drive, and explain what the mise-en-scene shows in one particularly violent and one non-violent scene. Also, what decade did the movie portray? What was some of the clash in this portrayal?

3. Come to shattuck cinema at 510 on saturday, see drive with the instructors, and discuss the questions there.

hw due 9/20

In the spirit of the borderline game discussion, play a flash game called "Extremeliest Catch." This can be found on newgrounds or other such flash portal sites. Play it, and write a page on if it is a game. Does it fit the theoretical ideal of game? What is its primary purpose?

Homework due 9/13

For those that couldn't stay for the end or make it, here is the homework for the "what is art" class.

As a bit of practice for the final, take a piece of art and explain why it is and is not art. Make one point in favor and one point against, and please support your claim with an art definition theory that shows understanding of the material.

More make up!

Hey guys, i know some of you still have make up assignments to do, so heres one i thought up while doing some research for a paper.

One of the main issues today in online media is the idea of fair use. Recently alot of small companies are creating retro copies of old games, such as the sonic and mario world remakes. Mostly, these are taken down by the original companies that own the IP, even if the game is non-profit. What are the various interests at stake? should a company be able to take down any project that looks like theirs? what about if its just a copy with increased graphics? how does this relate to the idea of parody and satire?

If you cant get this or the other assignments in before tuesday, email and well be accepting assignments all through deadweek.

OFFICIAL FINAL INSTRUCTIONS THREAD/FREE COOKIES

OK, this is the official thread for the final presentation. For those of you who needs the info, the final is:

You will join a group. This group will chose a game. You must decide whether you are going to show that the game IS art or that the game is NOT art. Your presentation will be comprised of three components-

1. AUDIBLE. You will present your argument in a way that people can hear. You can speak, use recording devices, sing a song, etc. If anyone in this class is deaf, they will be missing out, but that's just the way things go; maybe you should have tried harder.

2. VISUAL. You will present visual ques to help strengthen/explain/make pretty your argument. Visual ques can range from power-point presentations, hand drawn pictures, collages, ice statues, etc. Please do not make them shitty.

3. EDIBLE. You will bring a food item that relates to your game. For instance, if you were doing Super Mario World, you could bring cookies in the shape of mushrooms, or bring stuffed mushrooms, or bring cupcakes decorated like mushrooms, or something that doesn't have to do with mushrooms- its your choice. DO NOT BRING DRUGS OR ALCOHOL. I'll repeat that: DO NOT BRING DRUGS OR ALCOHOL. Also don't be shitty about this either; last semester we had like five groups bring in chips and claim they were from vending machines in various games. Everyone just ate chips. Don't be the group that just brings in chips. We'll make fun of you for not being creative, and make making fun of you for not being creative count as an extra-credit assignment.

One group should be the drink group, but that doesn't give you free reign to just bring coke. Last time, we had a group do Half Life, and they brought in a green concoction that looked like acid. It was cool.

OK EVERYONE, TIME TO BE PROACTIVE: The final group info I have is not up to date, so YOU are going to have to post IN THIS POST your final presentation group. Please say your game, your group name, your members. If you don't have a group, say so. Posting your contact info would also be a good idea if you're looking for a group.

Also, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaaADNu1a9Y

Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man

You might have guessed by the title of this blog post that the homework for Public Perception of Video Games/Gaming Communities is to watch the Big Lebowski and report on it.

...

Yes. Yes it is.

However, there is also an alternate homework you can do: Write about an online community you are apart of (HINT: If you really only do use the internet for Facebook and porn, Facebook is an online community), how you fit within that online community, what the public perception of that online community is, why you think that is and your own opinion about whether its a good or bad thing that its perceived as such.

One more thing, just to warn anyone who is thinking about writing a paper on the Big Lebowski: I have seen the movie over 100 times. This is not an exaggeration. Bullshit the paper and I will know, and if you dare defile what is unquestionably the 5th wonder of the world (oh, whats that you say? 'Actually, the 5th wonder of the world is the Tomb of Mausolus'? Kiddy bullshit, it doesn't even have Philip Seymour Hoffman as a minor character), I'm not only going to fail you-

I will purge you.

Keep it surreal, dude

Here it is, the Surrealist manifesto!

Read this with your eyes, comprehend it with your mind, and we will speak about it in class with our mouths.

Dude, that all just came out of my head...