Games, Simulations, and Society

Respond to this week's prompt in the Week One Forum.

The three articles assigned this week consider different aspects of the battle between so-called "old" and "new" communication media. Choose one of the three and analyze the central thesis. Do you agree or disagree with the claims regarding the disruptive potential of digital media? Are Twitter, iPads and Kindles fundamentally different from what has come before?

Your contributions to the discussion should be substantial: aim for 300-500 words and make specific references to the texts or other relevant sources.

Respond in the Week Two forum. Consider the recent Doonesbury sequence on mobile devices beginning here: http://www.doonesbury.com/strip/archive/2011/01/31 in light of the readings for this week. How are mobile devices changing our interactions with the city and people around us? Are we ever really alone? How does mobile gaming–both location based and otherwise–intrude upon and integrate with our daily lives?

Your contributions to the discussion should be substantial: aim for 300-500 words and make specific references to the texts or other relevant sources.

For this week, you are responsible for having a conversation on “Maker Culture.” As you read this week’s assignments, consider the relationship of video games and new media to the DIY movement. What do you think of the future imagined in “Our Future Remade by ‘Maker’ Culture”?

Remember, a conversation requires:

At least five meaningful posts from each group member over the course of the week and in dialog with other group members References to specific readings and outside texts, experiences and examples Respectful disagreement and constructive collaboration

If you missed class, you are responsible for finding and joining a discussion group through the site

With your conversation group: choose an “Indie” game to play and report back on. A few options you might consider:

The Silver Lining (http://www.tsl-game.com/) Braid (http://www.braid-game.com/) World of Goo (http://2dboy.com/games.php) Super Meat Boy (http://supermeatboy.com/) Emberwind (http://www.timetrap.se/emberwind/) Use the group space you have already established to discuss your chosen game and consider: what “tells” you that this is an Indie game, aside from the marketing? What are the defining qualities of independent games? As you read the essay from Joshua Bearman, do you agree or disagree with his arguments? Have a conversation throughout the week.

Remember, a conversation requires:

At least five meaningful posts from each group member over the course of the week and in dialog with other group members References to specific readings and outside texts, experiences and examples Respectful disagreement and constructive collaboration

Conversation Group: Forum Discussion

With your conversation group: choose a game reliant upon user-generated content and report back on the most interesting experiments you’ve seen within this world. You should find and dissect several examples of user content and consider their relationship to both mainstream and indie texts. Look at the intertextuality of the production, expressed fandom, and novelty of game mechanics. Consider the role of user-generated content as a pathway towards innovation. You must have your choice of game world approved before leaving class. Be prepared to present the results of your conversation next week with specific examples.

Remember, a conversation requires:

At least five meaningful posts from each group member over the course of the week and in dialog with other group members References to specific readings and outside texts, experiences and examples Respectful disagreement and constructive collaboration

With your conversation group, reflect on the technologies and ideas presented in the “near-future” post-cyberpunk novel Halting State. What ideas in this world seem far-fetched? Which are familiar or already present in our simulation landscape? Consider the existing state of networks, literature and games we’ve analyzed so far this semester and look for profitable juxtapositions between the real world and Charles Stross’s imagined future. You are encouraged to bring in outside articles that relate to ideas within the novel. (For this week, you are responsible for the *first third* of the book!)

Remember, a conversation requires:

At least five meaningful posts from each group member over the course of the week and in dialog with other group members References to specific readings and outside texts, experiences and examples Respectful disagreement and constructive collaboration

With your conversation group, reflect on the technologies and ideas presented in the “near-future” post-cyberpunk novel Halting State. For this week, consider the juxtaposition of Halting State with other science fiction you are familiar with (The Matrix, Ghost in the Shell, Blade Runner, etc.) You are encouraged to bring in outside fictions that relate to ideas within the novel. (For this week, you are responsible for the *second third* of the book!)

Remember, a conversation requires:

At least five meaningful posts from each group member over the course of the week and in dialog with other group members References to specific readings and outside texts, experiences and examples Respectful disagreement and constructive collaboration

Forum Discussion: Collaborative Writing

As a group, “write” a story that engages with future technology and science fiction themes. You should show your awareness of Charles Stross’s novel, but you need not borrow directly: your vision of the future of gaming and simulation might be radically different from his. Use a topic in your group’s forum as a space and write round table style, picking up where the last contributor has left off. Each person should contribute a paragraph at least five times, and you should advance the plot together. Reflect on the process and be prepared to discuss in class next week.

After reading McGonigal’s This is Not a Game, propose a location-based game design. As a group, you should agree on a concept, consider the use of technology, and map out a few key moments in gameplay. Be prepared to share your game concept with the class next week: your presentation will be graded for credit for this week’s forum discussion. For this assignment, early and consistent communication is crucial to developing a strong idea.