Introduction to Video Game Studies

3 units

This course will introduce students to multiple facets of video games as an art form, as a business, and as a part of American popular culture. The course will begin with a broad establishment of game studies and an investigation of the uniqueness of video games as a medium. Subsequent weeks will introduce different approaches to studying video games -- including historical, industrial, technological, cultural, theoretical, and aesthetic -- drawn from a variety of sources. Weekly lab sections will provide the opportunity for screenings -- including documentaries, news reports, television episodes, web series, and feature films -- and video game play. Students will complete a final research project on a video game of their choice and present on their projects in class. Required lab.