Module overview
Linked modules
FILM1001 or FILM2006 or FILM1027 or FILM1020
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Analyse the role of the gamer in the construction of games
- Situate video games in the context of technological development
- Discuss the issues of game immersion and narrative control
- Apply the histories and theories studied on the module to provide readings of video games
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Synthesise sources from a range of media
- Construct argument using audio visual media
- Independently research a range of sources
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- The theoretical specificities of the medium
- The dominant theoretical approaches that have been taken to video games
- The history and traditions of video games
- The impact of technology on narrative and aesthetics of video games
Syllabus
This module will approach video games from three primary perspectives: media specificity and technology, narrative, and culture. The importance and interconnectedness of these strands will be addressed through a syllabus that will typically include:
- The history of gaming and consoles
- An introduction to ludomusicology
- Canonical games
- Technological determinants
- Narratology
- Immersion
- Reception
- Gamer identification
- Genre
- Videogame adaptations
Lecture elements will provide you with general knowledge and understanding of key concepts. Your independent research into secondary material will develop this further. Discussion in seminars will help you to develop your own ideas about a topic, to analyse a range of source material and to articulate a critical argument. Rather than screenings for this module, you will be expected to seek out an experience a range of different games from a variety of different periods and platforms. While paying attention to the differences between platforms in the creation and aesthetic development of games, this module will remain platform agnostic in terms of assessment.
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
Teaching methods include
- Plenary session
- Seminars
- tutorials
Learning activities include
- group seminar discussions
- Independent study, viewing, gaming, and research
Type | Hours |
---|---|
Teaching | 36 |
Independent Study | 114 |
Total study time | 150 |
Resources & Reading list
Textbooks
Karen Collins (2008). From Pac-Man to Pop Music : Interactive Audio in Games and New Media. Ashgate Publishing Ltd.
Jesper Juul (2010). A Casual Revolution : Reinventing Video Games and Their Players. MIT Press.
Mark J.P. Wolf (2012). Before the Crash : Early Video Game History. Wayne State University Press.
Lerner, N., Donnelly, K., & Gibbons, W. (Eds.) (2014). Music in video games: studying play. Routledge.
Assessment
Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
Method | Percentage contribution |
---|---|
Analytical essay | 60% |
Audio or Video Recording | 40% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
Method | Percentage contribution |
---|---|
Analytical essay | 60% |
Audio or Video Recording | 40% |
Repeat
An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.
Method | Percentage contribution |
---|---|
Analytical essay | 60% |
Audio or Video Recording | 40% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External