NKTA101 Knowledge of digital games (5 cr)

Study level:
Intermediate studies
Grading scale:
0-5
Language:
English, Finnish
Responsible organisation:
Department of Music, Art and Culture Studies
Curriculum periods:
2017-2018, 2018-2019, 2019-2020

Description

Content

Getting to know the most common digital game genres and types. Becoming familiar with the central digital game classics.

Completion methods

Game playing groupwork or individual essay.

Learning outcomes

The student is familiar with the central digital game classics, is able to apply acquired skills in analysing games and is able to interpret games in their historical and cultural contexts.

Additional information

Description of prerequisites

It is recommended that the student compltes first the course HTKA112 Pelin lumo.

Study materials

In addition to selected games, also the following books and texts:
Montfort, Nick, and Ian Bogost. 2009. Racing the Beam: The Atari 2600 Platform. Cambridge, MA, USA: MIT Press. Chapter 1. Available in Ebrary.

Saarikoski, Petri, and Jaakko Suominen. 2009. ”Pelinautintoja, ohjelmointiharrastusta ja liiketoimintaa: Tietokoneharrastuksen ja peliteollisuuden suhde Suomessa toisen maailmansodan jälkeen.” In Pelitutkimuksen vuosikirja 2009, toimittanut Jaakko Suominen, Raine Koskimaa, Frans Mäyrä, ja Olli Sotamaa. Tampereen yliopisto. http://www.pelitutkimus.fi/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/ptvk2009-02.pdf.

Wolf, Mark. 2012. “The Video Game Industry Crash of 1977”. In Wolf, Mark J P, ed. Before the Crash: Early Video Game History. Detroit: Wayne State University Press. Available in Ebrary.

There are many additional books on game history, and it recommended to use other source texts as well, especially Donovan (2010, see below).

Additional resources:
Donovan, T. (2010). Replay: The History of Video Games. East Sussex: Yellow Ant.
Keys, Bernard, and Joseph Wolfe. 1990. “The Role of Management Games and Simulations in Education and Research.” Journal of management 16(2): 307–36. http://jom.sagepub.com/content/16/2/307.short (June 16, 2014).
Kocurek, Carly A. 2012. ”The Agony and the Exidy: A History of Video Game Violence and the Legacy of Death Race.” Game Studies 12 (1). http://gamestudies.org/1201/articles/carly_kocurek.
Kuorikoski. 2015. Finnish Video Games: A History.
Lessard, Jonathan. 2015. ”Early Computer Game Genre Preferences ( 1980-1984 ).” Teoksessa DiGRA 2015: Diversity of Play. Lüneburg: DiGRA. http://www.digra.org/digital-library/publications/early-computer-game-genre-preferences-1980-1984/.
Pasanen, Tero. 2011. ”Artikkeli ’Hyökkäys Moskovaan!’”, Pelitutkimuksen vuosikirja 2011, toimittanut Jaakko Suominen, Raine Koskimaa, Frans Mäyrä, Olli Sotamaa, and Riikka Turtiainen, 1–11. Tampere: Tampereen yliopisto. http://www.pelitutkimus.fi/vuosikirja2011/ptvk2011-01.pdf.
Wolf, M. J. P. (Ed.). (2012). Before the Crash: Early Video Game History. Detroit: Wayne State University Press.Available in Ebrary.

Useful databases and encyclopediae:
Internet Game Database: https://www.igdb.com
Moby Games: https://www.mobygames.com/
Wikipedia: https://www.wikipedia.org/

Completion methods

Method 1

Select all marked parts
Parts of the completion methods
x
Unpublished assessment item