Advanced Game Theory

Teacher: T.L. Taylor (tltaylor@itu.dk) (office: 4B10, phone: 7218 5035).

Description & Goals: This theory course seeks to promote methodological thinking. Through careful examinations of crucial game concepts and close analyses of one or more games, participants will learn to understand game elements and their function. Game analysis can mean many things, and the participants will chose their own tools from among many possible ones, depending on the purpose of the analysis. The course aims to let the students develop a critical vocabulary and a set of tools that support their critical examination of the games or game elements which should be useful to game designers, game critics, researchers, and anyone who wants to develop a finer sense of how games achieve their goals.

The course will make the participants familiar with some of the cutting edge issues in current computer game theory:

* What is the relationship between theory and practice; can theory influence game design?
* Understanding games a whole; comprised of part technology, part artwork, and part social convention and interaction.
* What does it mean to analyse games?
* How might we consider the role of play?
* How is the social a key component in a theoretical understanding of games?
* How are emotions used in games?
* Is emergence a key concept?
* What is the relation between game structure and game content?

Practical goals of the course are that the student will have acquired a sense of the most important discussions and issues in the field of critical game theory. The student will be able to participate in a theoretical debate in the field. The student will be able to write a research-quality paper on a theoretical issue, critically applying game theories and concepts to solve a self-formulated research question. The student will be prepared to write a master's thesis in game theory and analysis.

Pre-requisites: This course builds directly on Computer Game Theory (MCST) / Game Theory (MGT), which must be completed as a requirement for enrollment. Guest students should speak with the teacher directly about non-ITU courses that might fill the prerequisite. The student should already have a basic understanding of the theoretical aspects of games and gaming. A keen interest in theoretical issues and concepts is a must. You are expected to take active part in the course, which will be run as a seminar with obligatory student presentations.

Format and Grading: Lectures, discussion, groupwork, classroom exercises. Final project is written work (without oral exam) that will comprise both an original research paper and documentation of assignments throughout the term. The language for the course is English (including all written materials).

Literature: Per the schedule below. Compendium can be purchased at the ITU Bookstore.

Course plan:

Aug 26 & 29 (week 35) - Player Conference

No class. Attend at least 4 hours of conference session and bring a one page review of a presentation to the Sept 2 session.

Sept 2 & 4 (week 36) - Introduction & Conference Review

Readings:

• None.

Lab: Portal (available on 360 in Library or via Steam in GameLab)

• Structure (S) - Group 1
• Aesthetics & Narrative (A) - Group 2
• Play (P) - Group 3

Note: Reading discussion led next week by Group 4.

Sept 9 & 11 (week 37) - Game Analysis Revisted

Readings:

• Konzack, "Computer Game Criticism"
• Consalvo & Dutton, "Game Analysis"
• Aarseth, "Playing Research"

Reading discussion led by Group 4.

Analysis discussion led by Groups 1, 2, 3.

Lab: Super Paper Mario (available on Wii in Library)

• S - Group 2
• A - Group 3
• P - Group 4

Note: Reading discussion led next week by Group 1.

Sept 16 & 18 (week 38) - Game Ontology

Readings:

• Elverdam & Aarseth, "Game Classification & Game Design"
• Wolf, "Genre and the Video Game"
• Apperley, "Genre and Game Studies"

Reading discussion led by Group 1.

Analysis discussion led by Groups 2, 3, 4.

Lab: Cloud (Available in lab) and You Have to Burn the Rope (Available online)

• S - Group 3
• A - Group 4
• P - Group 1

Note: Reading discussion led next week by Group 2.

Sept 23 & 25 (week 39) - Reconsidering Play

Readings:

• Huizinga, "Nature and Significance of Play as a Cultural Phenomenon"
• Henricks, "Max Weber and the Rationalization of Play"

Reading discussion led by Group 2.

Analysis discussion led by Groups 3, 4, 1.

Lab: Mass Effect (available on 360 in Library)

• S - Group 4
• A - Group 1
• P - Group 2

Note: Reading discussion led next week by Group 3.

Sept 30 & Oct 2 (week 40) - Quantitative and Experimental Methods. Guest lecturer: Jonas Heide Smith

Readings:

• Rumsey, "Statistics Gone Wrong" and "Tools of the Trade"
• Williams & Xiong, "Herding Cats Online"
• XeroxParc Play On Project @ http://blogs.parc.com/playon/ and/or Yee's Daedalus Project @ http://www.nickyee.com/index-daedalus.html

Reading discussion led by Group 3.

Analysis discussion: Groups 4, 1, 2.

Lab: Fifa 07(Available in library)

• S - Group 1
• A - Group 2
• P - Group 3

Note: Reading discussion led next week by Group 4.

Oct 7 & 9 (week 41) - Procedural Rhetoric & Literacy

Readings:

• Bogost, "Procedural Rhetoric" and "Procedural Literacy"

Reading discussion led by Group 4.

Analysis discussion: Groups 1, 2, 3.

Lab: No groupwork, but meet togehter to start discussing what paper topic you are considering for your final hand-in. Also, Margaret Robinson lecture Oct 2 @ 15:00.

Oct 14 & 16 (week 42) - Fall holiday - No classes - AoIR Conference @ ITU (16-19)

Oct 21 & 23 (week 43) - Games as Objects of Emotions. Guest lecturer. Olli Leino

Readings:

• Ravaja, et.al. "The Psychophysiology of Video Gaming
• Leino, "Emotions about the Deniable/Undeniable"
• Solomon, "Myth Six. Two Flavors of Emotion, Positive and Negative"
• Frome, "Reality, Representation, and Emotions Across Media"

No reading or analysis discussants.

Lab: Elite Beat Agents (Available in library)

• S - Group 2
• A - Group 3
• P - Group 4

Note: Reading discussion led next week by Group 1.

Oct 28 & 30 (week 44) - Cheating and Transgressive Play

Readings:

• Consalvo, "Gaining Advantage"
• Caillois, "The Corruption of Games"

Reading discussion led by Group 1.

Analysis discussion: Groups 2, 3, 4.

Lab: Defcon (Available in the lab via Steam)

• S - Group 3
• A - Group 4
• P - Group 1

Note: Reading discussion led next week by Group 2.

Nov 4 & 6 (week 45) - Playing Ethics. Guest lecturer: Miguel Sicart.

Readings:

• Sicart, "Digital Games as Ethical Technologies"
• Sicart, "How I Learned to Love the Bomb"
• McCormick, "Is it Wrong to Play Violent Videogames?"

Reading discussion led by Group 2.

Analysis discussion: Groups 3, 4, 1.

Lab: Final essay peer review session.

Nov 11 & 13 (week 46) - Criticism and Aesthetics. Guest lecturer: Simon Niedenthal

Readings:

• Kirkpatrick, "Between Art and Gameness"
• Niedenthal, TBA

Lab: Final essay peer review session.

Nov 18 & 20 (week 47) - Applied Ludology. Guest lecturer: Aki Järvinen

Readings:

• Järvinen, "Introducing Applied Ludology"
• Järvinen, article from Video Game Theory Reader 2

Lab: No groupwork. Helen Kennedy lecture Nov 20 @ 15:00.

Nov 25 & 27 (week 48) - Qualitative Research Methods

Readings:

• Fielding, "Ethnography"
• Fetterman, "A Wilderness Guide"

Lab: No groupwork. Work in Progress preparation.

Dec 2 & 4 (week 49) - Work in Progress Sessions

No class Dec 2.

See WiP page for full details and schedule for final class sessions.

Dec 9 & 11 (week 50) - Work in Progress Sessions

See WiP page for full details and schedule for final class sessions.

Dec 16 (week 51) - No class

Dec 17 - 15:00 - Hand-in (3 copies) due in exam office. Remember, there is no oral exam for this course.