Prospectus

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Game Analysis: Games and Cultural Analysis

Course
2015-2016

Admission requirements

Not applicable

Description

This 13-week course is dedicated to exploring the many aspects of one specific game series (in 2014-2015: The Elder Scrolls, Bethesda, 1994-), within the context of comparable games and the intermedial genre of fantasy. Students will learn to bring key concepts and analytic methods discussed in the first semester, and a range of more specific issues and concepts for this genre to bear on the TES-games, and learn how to develop this analysis into a critical reflection on the social role of these specific games, and the genre of RPG-(fantasy)-games as a whole, within a broader cultural and social context.

Course objectives

After this course, students have obtained

  • an insight in the contemporary cultural and theoretical relevance of the intermedial genre of fantasy, and of the genre of RPG fantasy video games ;

  • the ability to work with the concepts and insights obtained in the first semester to analyse a specific case study;

  • knowledge of a range of specific concepts and insights relevant for this specific genre;;

  • the ability to engage in a well-informed cultural analysis of an aspect of the games series (fantasy, neomedievalism, landscape, space, religion, magic, database, identity, race, death, gender, sexuality, pleasure, counter-gaming, etc.), and to write a well-founded report of this analysis.

Timetable

Timetable

Mode of instruction

Seminar

Assessment method

Presentation 20%, short paper 40%, exam 40%

Blackboard

Blackboard will be used to provide students with additional information/reading material

Reading list

The reading list will be announced on Blackboard. Short essays that are not available on internet will be placed on Blackboard, longer texts will be available on the “werkgroepenplank” (working group shelves) in the library.

Registration

Students should register through uSis. Exchange students cannot register through uSis, but must see the director of studies and register with her. If you have any questions, please contact the departmental office, tel. 071 5272251 or mail

Contact information

Coordinator Ms I.Hoving

Remarks

For more information please check the website Film- en literatuurwetenschap