Updated Syllabus

Updated Schedule

Video Games

Reading: Chapter 12: Video games

Reading questions: When did video games begin using dedicated computer hardware? Who are the major players in video game hardware development? Software development? Why have some video games developed franchising relationships with film studios? What is an example of a MMORPG? How have fan cultures emerged around gaming world-wide?

Thurs, June 24:

Lab exercise 15: (Group work) Gaming platforms. Play one PC game, one console game, and one mobile game in the game lab. If possible, select game titles with which the most members of your group are NOT already familiar. Address each of these questions for a short report to publish to your class blog. Which platforms enable networking? What functionalities does the mobile device have that the console and PC systems do not have? How is each game title classified (which genre), and why? Who published each game title? What are three other game titles published by each game publisher within the same genre? Lab resources: Video game lab.

Fri, June 25

Lab exercise 16: Game communities. Do ethnographic research on virtual communities of video gamers. Look for places online where gamers self-identify as a culture or subculture (e.g., women, people of color, gays and lesbians, immigrants, or another minority group), and for whom video games are a meaningful part of their lives. Select one gamer site that you do not ordinarily visit. Identify three discussion threads on the site where questions of personal identity and gaming are thematized explicitly. For each discussion thread, address whether or not the discussion is moderated by a forum moderator. Then summarize the topic question or debate for each discussion thread. Then, identify at least three positions on each topic question or debate taken by posters in each thread. Address the question, what is this debate about, and what are the main points of contention? Where does agreement emerge in the discussion? What contentious points remain unresolved? Lab resources: http://www.racialicious.com/category/video-games/, www.racewire.com, gaymer.org, www.fragdolls.com.

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Monday, June 28

Odds and Ends

We'll discuss items that have been on the borders of our discussions. For instance, we can discuss more about graphic design, about jailbreaking hardware, privacy/legal issues, and any other items you may have questions about. This day will be designed to give you a better idea and feel of communication technology as an industry, hobby and part of life. Everyone should have at least one item to bring into the discussion; feel free to e-mail me at lucasvlogan@tamu.edu beforehand with the topic so that we can work on a more in-depth discussion. However, the e-mail isn't required.

June 29

Final Review

June 30

Final

Each student will be given ten discussion questions from the syllabus and will need to pick five to answer thoroughly. You will have the entire class period to complete this assignment. The amount of time each student takes will vary, as some students are faster or more concise writers than others. There is no right or wrong length and in some cases no absolute answers; you will use your own critical thinking skills and judgment to decide if you address the discussion question properly.

July 1-2

Lab Exercise 17

Each student will give a 6-8 minute presentation on one of your favorite lab activities from the semester. Explain what you were expecting to learn, any surprises or unanticipated results you achieved, and what research questions the lab has led you to now. Illustrate your account with clear examples. You may record a video podcast in lieu of presenting live before the class. We will show the podcast in class.