Asian American and Pacific Islander Studies 271 - Playing Video Games

In this course, we will consider “play” as a distinct mode of media consumption and video games  as a unique medium through which to encounter shared concerns of literary and media studies:  narrative, character development, rhetoric, morality, and identity. Along the way, this course will introduce students to key debates in the scholarly study of video games. For instance, some rhetoricians argue that role playing games are more immersive than traditional media because of their haptic and tactile elements, whereas others argue that they are procedural instruments whose rules actually stifle creativity and imagination. We will familiarize ourselves with such debates, while also paying attention to dynamics of class, gender, race, and sexuality. Apart from reading about games, this class will also ask students to play a variety of them (mobile, computer, and console) and write about them. The course will also ask students to consider television and filmic adaptations of games. Games to be covered in course materials include mainstream games such as: Baldur’s Gate, World of Warcraft, Pokémon GO, The Last of Us, and Call of Duty; and classic and indie games such as Papers please, Pong, Tetris, and Gone Home. 

Limited to 25 students. Five spots will be reserved for first years. Spring semester. Professor Coráñez Bolton.

How to handle overenrollment: Priority will be given to English and Film and Media Studies majors, seniors, juniors, and, where appropriate, the availability and access to computer and console technology. Five spots will be reserved for first-year students.

Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: Emphasis on readings, oral presentations, group work, in-class examinations; visual, rhetorical, media and literary analysis