Critical Game Studies

Critical Game Studies: Gaming the Systems Spring 2021 Are you here to learn more [[about]] the course? Are you here to Choose Your Own ~~Adventure~~ [[syllabus]]? or Are you here to check the class [[budget]] tracker? Are you here to check our [[archive of encounters]]? Are you here to check the instructor's [[contact]] information?

On the first day of class, we had a long introductory [[discussion]]. This included a conversation about the [[schedule]] of readings to come. 13 april:((unlocked)) [[syllabus overview]] 20 april:((unlocked)) [[roads not taken]]

Critical Game Studies: Gaming the Systems SOSCSI: 3300-002 School of the Art Institute of Chicago Spring 2021 Course Description This is a class where we will think about games with respect to social and political life; it is not a game design course. It puts Game Studies and Critical Theory in conversation with each other in order to invite questions and thought about what the formal, aesthetic, historical, sociopolitical, and affective dimensions of games could teach us about the formal, aesthetic, historical, social, and affective dimensions of politics. We will read games across genre and type - from First-Person Shooter video games to collaborative board games to Role-Playing mobile games to drinking card games (without the drinking). We will also read theory across disciplines and fields - from theories of embodiment (like queer theory or race and ethnicity studies) to debates in game studies (like ludology v. narratology) to concepts behind design elements (like game mechanics or player interaction) to questions of contemporary sociopolitical life (like critiques of capitalism or Science and Technology Studies). Expect to read things like: José Esteban Muñoz (on queer of color performance studies) alongside Jane McGonigal (on immersive aesthetics in Alternate Reality Games), Bruno Latour (on sociology of science and technology) alongside Mary Flanagan (on critical play and radical game design), and Michel Foucault (on subjectivity and subjectivzation) alongside Anna Anthropy's Adobe Flash video game Dys4ia. Also expect to play some games and to write short, though regular, critical analyses.

2 february, 2021 INTRODUCTION We discussed the goals, genesis, and objectives of the course. We talked over the [[schedule]]. Most importantly, we discussed the concept of distributed agency, and what it looks like within the classroom. We did introductions. Sometimes, people shared their astrology signs? (after:5s)[One person knew a lot about this. Most did not.] Everybody shared the story of one object on their desk to practice seeing how objects hold stories. Axioms: - A teacher does not know what a student does not know. - The state of the world has gotten between you and the education that you deserve, which means we must face the challenge of creating new terms and opportunities for flourishing and intellection. - You will only get to take this class once, and it happens to be now.

The dates on the schedule include: =|= week 1 - [[2 february]] week 2 - [[9 february]] week 3 - [[16 february]] week 4 - [[23 february]] week 5 - [[2 march]] week 6 - [[9 march]] week 7 - [[16 march]] =|= week 8 - [[23 march]] week 9 - [[30 march]] week 10 - [[6 april]] week 11 - [[13 april]] week 12 - [[20 april]] week 13 - [[27 april]] week 14 - [[4 may]] week 15 - [[11 may]] |==| 13 april: ((unlocked)) [[syllabus overview]] 20 april: ((unlocked)) all sessions Head back [[home]].

This was the day of our first [[discussion]]. Head back [[home]].

9 february, 2021 HOW TO READ critically and with purpose - Eve Kosovsky Sedgwick, “Paranoid Reading and Reparative Reading, or, You’re So Paranoid, You Probably Think This Essay is About You,” 123 – 151. - Jane McGonigal, “Reality is Broken,” 1-15. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ thoughts that got stuck: a safe space to fail. what can you see now that you couldn't see before. epistemology. what if this class was a game. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ``(reminder: you can continue to submit landmarks throughout the term for any class meeting.)`` Do you want to return to the [[schedule]] or proceed to [[16 february]] ? Head back [[home]].

16 february, 2021 HOW TO READ games: once more, with ``feeling*`` - Mary Flanagan, “Introduction to Critical Play,” 1 – 15. - Patrick Jagoda and Peter McDonald, “Game Mechanics, Experience Design, and Affective Play,” 174 – 182. - Melissa Gregg and Gregory J. Seigworth, “An Inventory of Shimmers,” 1 – 25. - play (link: "This Is A Game (2019)")[(open-url: "https://www.kongregate.com/games/Merthew_Deathson/this-is-a-game")] (link: "but...")[ (replace: "- Mary Flanagan, “Introduction to Critical Play,” 1 – 15.")[-] [ ...your teacher mistitled a document.] ] ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ landmarks from discussion: What happens when you follow your curiosity instead of force it? Why do we privilege stasis? Things can be and are their potentiality. There’s different kinds of openings; there is progress and fluidity. How does the body physically respond to challenges that do not exist physically? ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ``(reminder: you can continue to submit landmarks throughout the term for any class meeting.)`` Do you want to return to the [[schedule]] or proceed to [[23 february]] ? Head back [[home]]. ``(*reference: “Once More, With Feeling” – musical episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, S6E7.)``

23 february, 2021 Why do you play? What do you want? - Mary Flanagan, “Playing House,” 37-62. - Lauren Berlant, "Cruel Optimism," 23-49. - play The Sims 4 - we will play for at least two weeks, so get it going and settle in. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ landmarks from discussion: "Why do you wake up in the morning?" Hope in the potential that an object can provide for you is an inherent aspect of attachment and life, but it can be harmful. How deeply does ``[one's]`` ingrained notion of good v bad affect how ``[they]`` process the world -- and how could one challenge it. (a methodological landmark) Analytic Tools - what can you see now that you couldn't see before? ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ``(reminder: you can continue to submit landmarks throughout the term for any class meeting.)`` GETTING THE GAME The cheapest option is to purchase it from the publisher, Electronic Arts. You can get it via their distribution platform, Origin. (link: "Go")[(open-url: "https://www.origin.com/usa/en-us/store/the-sims/the-sims-4")] directly to the store. (This class will keep a running [[budget]] to help you track costs.) Do you want to return to the [[schedule]] or proceed to [[2 march]] ? Head back [[home]].

Though all of the written texts will be available via the Canvas course site, you may still need to purchase some of the aesthetic objects (the games) we will work with. Here is a running ledger (sans taxes) for your budgeting reference: =|= The Sims (started [[23 february]]) Gone Home (started [[30 march]]) =|= 6.24 12.99 |==| _______________________________ =|= Total: =|= 19.23 |==| Head back to the [[syllabus]]. If acquiring the materials is difficult due to economic hardship, please see me outside of class to work out a possible solution. It would be a genuine shame if additional costs also come between you and a good education, so do reach out, if necessary.

(for your) References (encounters as of (current-time:) on (current-date:)). here for bibliographic reference. for the schedule of readings, refer to [[syllabus overview]] or [[schedule]]. - Eve Kosovsky Sedgwick, “Paranoid Reading and Reparative Reading, or, You’re So Paranoid, You Probably Think This Essay is About You,” Touching Feeling: Affect, Pedagogy, Performativity (Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2003), 123–151. - Jane McGonigal, “Reality is Broken,” Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World (New York, NY: Penguin Press, 2011), 1-15. ----- "Leveling Up in Life," 146-167. - Lauren Berlant, "Cruel Optimism," Cruel Optimism (Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2011), 23-49. - Mary Flanagan, “Introduction to Critical Play,” Critical Play: Radical Game Design (Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 2009), 1 – 15. ----- “Playing House,” 17–62. ----- “Board Games,” 63–116. - Patrick Jagoda and Peter McDonald, “Game Mechanics, Experience Design, and Affective Play,” in The Routledge Companion to Media Studies and Digital Humanities, ed. Jentery Sayers (New York, NY: Routledge, 2018), 174 – 182. - Chris Rojek, "Homo Faber/Homo Ludens" in Decentring Leisure: Rethinking Leisure Theory (``London:`` SAGE Publications), 175-192. - Donna J. Haraway, “A Cyborg Manifesto: Science, Technology, and Socialist-Feminism in the Late Twentieth Century,” Simians, Cyborgs, and Women: The Reinvention of Nature (New York, NY: Taylor and Francis, 1991 [1984]), 149 – 181. - Kathleen Stewart, "Cultural Poesis: The Generativity of Emergent Things," in The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research, ed. Norman K Denzin and Yvonna S Lincoln (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2005), 1015 - 1030. - Tavia Nyong'o, "Punk'd Theory," Social Text 84-85, Vol. 23, nos. 3-4 (Fall-Winter 2005): 19-34. - Stephen Best, "Unfit for History," in None Like Us: Blackness, Belonging, Aesthetic Life (Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2018), 1-26. - Leo Bersani, "Is the Rectum a Grave?" October Vol. 43 (Winter 1987), 197-222. - J. Halberstam, "The Queer Art of Failure," 87 - 121. - Joseph Loscalzo, "A Celebration of Failure," 953 - 955. - Robbie Fordyze, Timothy Neale, and Thomas Apperley, "Avatars: Addressing Racism and Racialized Address," 87 - 121. - Jonathan Belman and Mary Flanagan, "Designing Games to Foster Empathy," 5 - 15. - Mary Flanagan, "Making Games for Social CHange," 493 - 505. - Karen Skardzius, "Playing With Pride: Claiming Space Through Community Building in World of Warcraft," 175 - 192. - Amanda C. Cote, "Curate Your Culture: A Call for Social Justice-Oriented Game Development and Community Management," 193 - 212. - Rob Cover, “The Corporeal Ethics of Gaming: Vulnerability, Mobility, and Social Gaming,” 27 – 44. Merthew Deathson. This Is A Game. (link: "Kongregate")[(open-url: "https://www.kongregate.com/games/Merthew_Deathson/this-is-a-game")] and/or (link: "Playhack")[(open-url: "http://www.playhackgame.com/game/this-is-a-game.html")]. 2019. Maxis. The Sims 4 . (link: "Electronic Arts")[(open-url: "https://www.origin.com/usa/en-us/store/the-sims/the-sims-4")]. 2014. Level Up Life . (link: "LvlUpLife")[(open-url: "https://lvluplife.com/")]. 2019. The Fullbright Company and BlitWorks. (link: "Gone Home")[(open-url: "https://gonehome.com/")] . The Fullbright Company, Majesco Entertainment, and Annapurna Interactive. 2013. Rob Humble. (link: "The Marriage")[(open-url: "http://www.rodvik.com/rodgames/marriage.html")] . 2007. Anna Anthropy. (link: "Queers in Love at the End of the World")[(open-url: "https://w.itch.io/end-of-the-world")]. -----(link: "Dys4ia")[(open-url: " https://freegames.org/dys4ia")] (link: "QWOP")[(open-url: " http://www.foddy.net/Athletics.html")] - link: "Everyday Racism")[(open-url: " https://alltogethernow.org.au/everyday-racism/ ")] - (link: "Hair Nah")[(open-url: " http://hairnah.com ")] Head back [[home]].

Omie Hsu email: ohsu1@saic.edu email: ohsu@uchicago.edu pandemic office hours: by appointment pandemic office location: regional Zoom Data Center www.omiehsu.com

2 march, 2021 - Chris Rojek, "Homo Faber/Homo Ludens," 175-192. - and returning to: Flanagan's "Playing House" and Berlant's "Cruel Optimism" from [[23 february]]. - play something from The Sims universe prioritizing: 4, 3, 2, 1, then mobile. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ landmarks from discussion: ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ``(reminder: you can continue to submit landmarks throughout the term for any class meeting.)`` Do you want to return to the [[schedule]] or proceed to [[9 march]] ? Head back [[home]].

16 march, 2021 - David Harvey, Chapter 6 "The body as an accumulation strategy," 97-116. - Jane McGonigal, "Leveling Up in Life," 146-167. - in continued conversation with [[9 march]] and [[23 february]]. - play (link: "Level Up Life")[(open-url: "http://lvluplife.com")] ----- please share your username in the Slack channel for folks to add you ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ landmarks from discussion: Power under capitalism is less about deciding whether someone lives or dies than it is about determining how people live. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ``(reminder: you can continue to submit landmarks throughout the term for any class meeting.)`` You can return to the [[schedule]] or proceed to [[23 march]]. Head back [[home]].

9 march, 2021 March 2 Redux - Chris Rojek, "Homo Faber/Homo Ludens," 175-192. - and returning to: Flanagan's "Playing House" and Berlant's "Cruel Optimism" from [[23 february]]. - play something from The Sims universe prioritizing: 4, 3, 2, 1, then mobile. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ landmarks from discussion: What if we shift how we derive value or importance? What if play was the principle? ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ``(reminder: you can continue to submit landmarks throughout the term for any class meeting.)`` Do you want to return to the [[schedule]] or proceed to [[16 march]] ? Head back [[home]].

23 march, 2021 - Donna J. Haraway, “A Cyborg Manifesto: Science, Technology, and Socialist-Feminism in the Late Twentieth Century,” 149 – 181. - in continued conversation with Harvey ([[16 march]]) and Rojek ([[9 march]]). - continued play: (link: "Level Up Life")[(open-url: "http://lvluplife.com")] ----- please share your username in the Slack channel for folks to add you ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ landmarks from discussion: direct v. indirect satire; Guerilla Girls Guerilla Girls Guerilla Girls ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ``(reminder: you can continue to submit landmarks throughout the term for any class meeting.)`` You can return to the [[schedule]] or proceed to [[30 march]]. Head back [[home]].

30 march, 2021 - Kathleen Stewart, "Cultural Poesis: The Generativity of Emergent Things," 1015 - 1030. - Tavia Nyong'o, "Punk'd Theory." - in continued conversation with Haraway ([[23 march]]). - play: Gone Home (2013) ----- please DO NOT read reviews or commentary on the game before playing GETTING THE GAME The cheapest option to get the game is from the Apple App Store ($4.99), while all others (Steam, XBOX, Nintendo Switch, etc.) are ($14.99). Full disclosure: having played on my laptop via Steam, I do not know the reason for the price discrepancy or whether it affects gameplay. Because the Apple App Store is only available to Apple users, the running [[budget]] will have the higher cost. ~ (link: "Go")[(open-url: "https://gonehome.com/")] directly to the game website and scroll down for the store. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ landmarks from discussion: Thinking about the act of embodying a person while playing a game. When we know we are controlling a REAL person in a game setting, we are (usually) more abiding to their boundaries. But when embodying a virtual character in a game, they are merely an avatar for you to navigate the game world through, and we don’t think of them as a person with boundaries. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ``(reminder: you can continue to submit landmarks throughout the term for any class meeting.)`` You can proceed to [[6 april]] or return to the [[schedule]]. Head back [[home]].

6 april, 2021 - Alexander R. Galloway, "Origins of the First-Person shooter," 39-69. - Tavia Nyong'o, "Punk'd Theory." - in continued conversation with Haraway ([[23 march]]) and Stewart ([[30 march]]). - play: Gone Home (2013) ----- please DO NOT read reviews or commentary on the game before playing GETTING THE GAME The cheapest option to get the game is from the Apple App Store ($4.99), while all others (Steam, XBOX, Nintendo Switch, etc.) are ($14.99). Full disclosure: having played on my laptop via Steam, I do not know the reason for the price discrepancy or whether it affects gameplay. Because the Apple App Store is only available to Apple users, the running [[budget]] will have the higher cost. ~ (link: "Go")[(open-url: "https://gonehome.com/")] directly to the game website and scroll down for the store. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ landmarks from discussion: How are histories of power and politics built into language? ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ``(reminder: you can continue to submit landmarks throughout the term for any class meeting.)`` You can proceed to [[20 april]] or return to the [[schedule]]. Head back [[home]].

20 april, 2021 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ reading notes: take some time to put these texts in conversation with eachother and consider them comparatively. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ - Stephen Best, "Unfit for History," 1-26. - Leo Bersani, "Is The Rectum a Grave?," 197-222. - in continued conversation with [[6 april]]. - play (link: "The Marriage")[(open-url: "http://www.rodvik.com/rodgames/marriage.html")] - play (link: "Queers in Love at the End of the World")[(open-url: " https://w.itch.io/end-of-the-world")] ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ landmarks from discussion: the antisocial - to be against the social from within & to be the thing against which the social is historically defined ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ``(reminder: you can continue to submit landmarks throughout the term for any class meeting.)`` You can return to the [[schedule]] or proceed to [[27 april]]. Head back [[home]].

13 april, 2021 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ reading notes: take some time to put these texts in conversation with eachother and consider them comparatively. consider these as exemplary cases through which to think about the concepts and questions addressed so far this term. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ - Unfriended (2014) - available: Netflix - Bandersnatch (2018) - available: Netflix - The Game (1997) - available: Amazon (and elsewhere) Reminder: watch party on Friday, 9 April at 5pm Central Time. Link will be in Slack. - in continued conversation with ALL THE WEEKS ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ landmarks from discussion: ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ``(reminder: you can continue to submit landmarks throughout the term for any class meeting.)`` You can return to the [[schedule]] or head to [[20 april]]. Head back [[home]].

27 april, 2021 - J. Halberstam, "The Queer Art of Failure," 87 - 121. - Joseph Loscalzo, "A Celebration of Failure," 953 - 955. - play (link: "QWOP")[(open-url: " http://www.foddy.net/Athletics.html")] - play (link: "Dys4ia")[(open-url: " https://freegames.org/dys4ia")] - in continued conversation with [[20 april]]. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ landmarks from discussion: exclusion is a way for society to understand itself as society; failure as a way to intervene in an alternate world/in potentialities; (a simple reading reminder) each time you re-evaluate and look at a text, you gain more insight ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ``(reminder: you can continue to submit landmarks throughout the term for any class meeting.)`` You can return to the [[schedule]] or proceed to [[4 may]]. As of 19 April, 2021: all future sessions ((unlocked)). Head back [[home]].

4 may, 2021 Class CANCELLED due to Critique Week. Read the following for [[11 may]]. - Robbie Fordyze, Timothy Neale, and Thomas Apperley, "Avatars: Addressing Racism and Racialized Address," 87 - 121. - Jonathan Belman and Mary Flanagan, "Designing Games to Foster Empathy," 5 - 15. - Mary Flanagan, "Making Games for Social CHange," 493 - 505. - play (link: "Everyday Racism")[(open-url: " https://alltogethernow.org.au/everyday-racism/ ")] - play (link: "Hair Nah")[(open-url: " http://hairnah.com ")] ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ landmarks from discussion: ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ``(reminder: you can continue to submit landmarks throughout the term for any class meeting.)`` You can return to the [[schedule]] or head to [[11 may]]. As of 19 April, 2021: all future sessions ((unlocked)). Head back [[home]].

11 may, 2021 - texts from [[4 may]]. - Karen Skardzius, "Playing With Pride: Claiming Space Through Community Building in World of Warcraft," 175 - 192. ** last names beginning with A to L - Amanda C. Cote, "Curate Your Culture: A Call for Social Justice-Oriented Game Development and Community Management," 193 - 212. ** last names beginning with N to Z ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ landmarks from discussion: ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ``(reminder: you can continue to submit landmarks throughout the term for any class meeting.)`` You can return to the [[schedule]], but not forward because this is [[The End]]. Head back [[home]].

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ [[2 february]], 2021 introduction. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ [[9 february]], 2021 - Eve Kosovsky Sedgwick, “Paranoid Reading and Reparative Reading, or, You’re So Paranoid, You Probably Think This Essay is About You,” 123 – 151. - Jane McGonigal, “Reality is Broken,” 1-15. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ [[16 february]], 2021 - Mary Flanagan, “Introduction to Critical Play,” 1 – 15. - Patrick Jagoda and Peter McDonald, “Game Mechanics, Experience Design, and Affective Play,” 174 – 182. - Melissa Gregg and Gregory J. Seigworth, “An Inventory of Shimmers,” 1 – 25. - play (link: "This Is A Game (2019)")[(open-url: "https://www.kongregate.com/games/Merthew_Deathson/this-is-a-game")] (link: "but...")[ (replace: "- Mary Flanagan, “Introduction to Critical Play,” 1 – 15.")[-] [ ...your teacher mistitled a document.]] ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ [[23 february]], 2021 - Mary Flanagan, “Playing House,” 37-62. - Lauren Berlant, "Cruel Optimism," 23-49. - play The Sims 4 - we will play for at least two weeks, so get it going and settle in. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ [[2 march]] & [[9 march]], 2021 - Chris Rojek, "Homo Faber/Homo Ludens," 175-192. - and returning to: Flanagan's "Playing House" and Berlant's "Cruel Optimism" from [[23 february]]. - play something from The Sims universe prioritizing: 4, 3, 2, 1, then mobile. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ [[16 march]], 2021 - David Harvey, Chapter 6 "The body as an accumulation strategy," 97-116. - Jane McGonigal, "Leveling Up in Life," 146-167. - in continued conversation with [[9 march]] and [[23 february]]. - play (link: "Level Up Life")[(open-url: "http://lvluplife.com")] ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ [[23 march]], 2021 - Donna J. Haraway, “A Cyborg Manifesto: Science, Technology, and Socialist-Feminism in the Late Twentieth Century,” 149 – 181. - in continued conversation with Harvey ([[16 march]]) and Rojek ([[9 march]]). - continued play: (link: "Level Up Life")[(open-url: "http://lvluplife.com")] ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ [[30 march]], 2021 - Kathleen Stewart, "Cultural Poesis: The Generativity of Emergent Things," 1015 - 1030. - Tavia Nyong'o, "Punk'd Theory." - in continued conversation with Haraway ([[23 march]]). - play: Gone Home (2013) ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ [[6 april]], 2021 - Alexander R. Galloway, "Origins of the First-Person shooter," 39-69. - Tavia Nyong'o, "Punk'd Theory." </p. - in continued conversation with Haraway ([[23 march]]) and Stewart ([[30 march]]). - play: Gone Home (2013) ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ [[13 april]], 2021 - Unfriended (2014) - available: Netflix - Bandersnatch (2018) - available: Netflix - The Game (1997) - available: Amazon (and elsewhere) - in continued conversation with ALL THE WEEKS. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ [[20 april]], 2021 - Stephen Best, "Unfit for History," 1-26. - Leo Bersani, "Is The Rectum a Grave?," 197-222. - play (link: "The Marriage")[(open-url: "http://www.rodvik.com/rodgames/marriage.html")] - play (link: "Queers in Love at the End of the World")[(open-url: " https://w.itch.io/end-of-the-world")] ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ [[27 april]], 2021 - J. Halberstam, "The Queer Art of Failure," 87 - 121. - Joseph Loscalzo, "A Celebration of Failure," 953 - 955. - play (link: "QWOP")[(open-url: " http://www.foddy.net/Athletics.html")] - play (link: "Dys4ia")[(open-url: " https://freegames.org/dys4ia")] - in continued conversation with [[20 april]]. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ [[4 may]], 2021 - Robbie Fordyze, Timothy Neale, and Thomas Apperley, "Avatars: Addressing Racism and Racialized Address," 87 - 121. - Jonathan Belman and Mary Flanagan, "Designing Games to Foster Empathy," 5 - 15. - Mary Flanagan, "Making Games for Social CHange," 493 - 505. - play (link: "Everyday Racism")[(open-url: " https://alltogethernow.org.au/everyday-racism/ ")] - play (link: "Hair Nah")[(open-url: " http://hairnah.com ")] ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ [[11 may]], 2021 - Karen Skardzius, "Playing With Pride: Claiming Space Through Community Building in World of Warcraft," 175 - 192. - Amanda C. Cote, "Curate Your Culture: A Call for Social Justice-Oriented Game Development and Community Management," 193 - 212. - play any game with a guild/group chat function - (specific instructions and parameters to be discussed in class) - play (link: "Dys4ia")[(open-url: " https://freegames.org/dys4ia")] - in continued conversation with [[20 april]]. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 18 may, 2021 - Rob Cover, “The Corporeal Ethics of Gaming: Vulnerability, Mobility, and Social Gaming,” 27 – 44. - play continue the game you chose from last week - in continued conversation with [[11 may]]. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Return [[home]]. Check out the [[roads not taken]].

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- Eric Schwitzgebel, "Kant Meets Cyberpunk," Disputatio 11, no. 55 (2020): 411-435. - Grant Tavinor, The Art of Videogames (Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009). - Rob Cover, “The Corporeal Ethics of Gaming: Vulnerability, Mobility, and Social Gaming,” 27 – 44. - Diane Ackerman, Deep Play (Vintage, 2000). - James Rossignol, This Gaming Life: Travels in Three Cities (University of Michigan, 2009). - Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman, Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals (The MIT Press, 2003). - Steven Johnson, Everything Bad is Good for You (Riverhead Books, 2006). - Jane McGonigal, " 'This is Not a Game': Immersive Aesthetics and Collective Play" - Henrik Ornebring, "Alternate reality gaming and convergence culture: The case of Alias," International Journal of Cultural Studies 10, no. 4 (December 2007): 445-462. - Antero Garcia and Greg Niemeyer, "Introduction," Alternate Reality Games and the Cusp of Digital Gameplay, 1-26. - Patrick Jagoda, "Improvisational Aesthetics: Alternate Reality Games," in Network Aesthetics, 181 - 219. Dipesh Chakrabarty, "The Climate of History: Four Theses," Critical Inquiry 35, no. 2 (Winter 2009), 197 - 222. World Without Oil (2007), http://writerguy.com/wwo/metaabout.htm Matt Leacock, Z-Man Games, Pandemic 2017. Avalon Hill, Betrayal at House on the Hill 2010. Irrational Games, Bioshock 2007. Asteroid Base, Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime 2015.