76-238 Electronic Media Seminar – Videogames and their Influence W 6:30 - 9:30 BH 355 9 units

Instructor: Gregory Cato Office: Home Phone: 802-7756

Course Texts

Books Aristotle (1997). Poetics – Dover Thrift Edition. Dover Pub. Inc. Biocca, Frank, Mark R. Levy (1994). Communication in the Age of Virtual Reality. Lawrence Erlbaum Assoc. (Out of Print) Campbell, Colin (1987). The Romantic Ethic and the Spirit of Modern Consumerism. B. Blackwell. (Out of Print) Cassell, Justine (Ed.), Henry Jenkins (Ed.) (1998). From Barbie to Mortal Kombat : Gender and Computer Games. MIT Press. Cherney, Lynn (Ed.), Elizabeth Reba Weise (Ed.) (1996). Wired Women : Gender and New Realities in Cyberspace. Seal Press. Corrigan, Timothy. (1998). A Short Guide to Writing about Film. Longman. Croteau, D. (1997). Media/Society: industries, images, and audiences. Pine Forge Press. Deibert, Ronald J. (1997). Parchment, Printing, and Hypermedia: Communication in World Order Transformation. Columbia University Press. Herz, J.C. (1997). Joystick Nation: How videogames ate our quarters, won our hearts, and rewired our minds. Little, Brown. Laurel, Brenda (1993). Computers as Theatre. Addison-Wesley Pub. Co. Morse, Margaret (1998). Virtualities: Television, Media Art, and Cyberculture. Indiana University Press.

Journals Biocca, F. (1992). Communication within virtual reality: Creating a space for research. Journal of Communication, 42(4). 5-97. Brown, N. L., Brown, S. L., Brown, R. M., Hall, L. R., Holtzer, R. (1997). Gender and video game performance. Sex Roles, 36, Nos. 11/12, 793-813. Bush, G. W. (1991). Like “a Drop of Water in the Stream of Life”: Moving Images of Mass Man from Griffith to Vidor. Journal of American Studies, 25, No. 2, 213-234. Dietz, T. L. (1998). An examination of violence and gender role portrayals in video games: Implications for gender socialization and aggressive behavior. Sex Roles, 38, Nos. 5/6, 425-442. Funk, J. B., Buchman, D. D. (1996). Children’s perceptions of gender differences in social approval for playing electronic games. Sex Roles, 35, Nos. 3/4, 219-231. Funk, J. B., Buchman, D. D. (1996). Playing violent video and computer games and adolescent self-concept. Journal of Communication, 46(2), 19-32. Funk, J.B., Buchman, D. D., Flores, G., Germann, J. N. (1999). Rating Electronic Games: Violence is in the Eye of the Beholder. Sex Roles, 30, No. 3, March, 283-312. Gailey, C. W. (1993). Mediated messages: Gender, class, and cosmos in home video games. Journal of Popular Culture, 27, 81-97. Gaines, J. (?). Fabricating the female body. Griffiths, M. (1997). Computer game playing in early adolescence. Youth & Society. 29, No. 2, Dec., 223-237. Jacobson, D. (1996). Contexts and cues in cyberspace. Journal of Anthropological Research. 52, 461-479. Katz, P. A., Ksansnak K. R. (1994). Developmental aspects of gender role flexibility and traditionality in middle childhood and adolescence. Developmental Psychology, 30, No. 2, 272-282. Messaris, P. (1998). Visual Aspects of Media Literacy. Journal of Communication. Winter. Meyrowitz, J. (1997). Multiple media literacies. Journal of Communication. Winter. Miles, D. (1996). The CD-ROM novel Myst and McLuhan’s fourth law of media: Myst and its "Retrievals." Journal of Communication, 46(2), 4-32. Panelas, T. (1983). Adolescents and video games. Youth & Society. 15, No. 1, Sept., 51-65. Parks, M. R. (1996). Making friends in cyberspace. Journal of Communication, 46(1), 80-97. Parks, M. R., Roberts, L. D. (1998). ‘Making MOOsic’. Jornal of Social and Personal Relationships. 15(4), 517-537. Pettegrew, J. (1992). A Post-Modernist Moment: 1980’s Commercial Culture and the Founding of MTv. Journal of American Culture. 15(4), Winter, 57-66. Ryan, E. B., Anas, A. P., Hummert, M. L., Laver-Ingram, A. (1998). Young and older adult’s views of telephone talk. Journal of Applied Communication Research. 26, 83-98. Schwartz, H. (1998). Inter.Act.Exeunt: Are computer games interactive? The Communication Review. 2(4), 523-531. Scodari, C. (1993). Operation Desert Storm as “Wargames”: Sport, War, and Media Intertextuality. Journal of American Culture, 16(1), Spring, 1-6. Vered, K. O. (1998). Blue group boys play Incredible Machine, girls play hopscotch: Social discourse and gendered play at the computer. Digital Diversion: Youth culture in the age of multimedia. Weisband, S. Kiesler, S. (1996). Self disclosure on computer forms. Internet.

Articles Ardai, C. (1997). A woman’s place: From Donkey Kong to Tomb Raider, how women’s roles have (and haven’t) changed. Computer Gaming World, Nov, 381. Ardai, C. (1997). Hollywood hooey: Why games should not try to be movies. Computer Gaming World, Oct, 304. Ardai, C. (1997). The death of science fiction: When bad things happen to good sci-fi games. Computer Gaming World, Aug, 219-222. Brown, B. (1998). That’s me in the middle. New Scientist, Sept. 26th, 30-31. Bruckman, A., et al. (1994). Approaches to managing deviant behavior in virtual communities. Proceedings of CHI. April 24-27th. Bruckman, A. (1996). Finding one’s own in cyberspace. Internet. Cirulis, M. (1997) What’s the deal with … killing reality?. Computer Gaming World, Sept, 298. Cirulis, M. (1997). What’s the deal with … psycho geeks?. Computer Gaming World, May, 250. Demaris, D., J. Lebkowsky, P. X. Nathan (1995). Allucquere Rosanne Stone interview for Mondo 2000. Mondo 2000. Duncan, T. (1999). More than plastic. Artbyte, Feb-March. Furger, R. (1998). Does shoot-‘em-up software lead to aggressive behavior?. CNN Interactive. Nov. 2nd. Grierson, B. (1999). Headrush. Adbusters. Spring, 25. Hamilton, R. (1997). Virtual idols and digital girls. Bad Subjects. No. 35, Nov. Hoffman, C., Hurst, E. (1997). Action figures have sex on our computers. Bad Subjects. No. 35, Nov. Jenkins, D. (1998). Interview with Toby Gard from Confounding Factor. Gamasutra. Oct. 23rd. Jenkins, H. (1997). Videogames are good for you!. Next Generation, May, 8-13,161-162. Locutus (1996). Identity, paranoia, technology. Internet. Moriarty, B. (1998). What have we learned about online gaming?. Next Generation, March, 10- 14. Next Generation Staff (1998). 20,000 Leagues: The Adventure Continues: Next Generation Alphas. Next Generation, Feb, 96-97. Rosenthal, S. (1993). Interview with Brenda Laurel. Mondo 2000. Smith, J. (1997). The most popular woman in the world!. Next Generation, Dec, 8-13. Sperry, B., D. Perry, P. Molyneux, J. Smith, D. Jones, D. Barben (1998). A Meeting of the Minds. Next Generation, Feb, 55-61. Wilson, J. (1997). Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Byte. Computer Gaming World, Nov, 27.

Games Twinsen’s Odyssey Chrono Trigger Tetris The Last Express Unreal Sanitarium Myst Starcraft The Neverhood Riven Carmen Sandiego Dungeon Keeper Half-Life Fallout Theme Hospital Theif Myth Diablo Ultima 4: Quest of the Earthworm Jim Final Fantasy 7 Avatar Full Throttle Super Mario Bros. Ultima 6: The False System Shock Mario 64 Prophet Civilization Legend of Zelda Ultima 7 Part 2: The Populous Metal Gear Solid Serpent Isle Sim City Bomberman Ultima 9 Interviews Mortal Kombat Wipeout XL Ultima Online Tomb Raider

Films The Battleship Potempkin Henry Fool Wallace and Gromit: The Wrong Trowsers (Short) The Nightmare Before Christmas Star Trek: First Contact

Bboard academic.english.76-238

Course Web Page http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/course/76-238 Web Pages - Informational Next Generation Online http://www.next-generation.com Gamasutra http://www.gamasutra.com GameGirlz http://www.gamegirlz.com Loonygames http://www.loonygames.com

Web Pages – Resources GameSpot http://www.gamespot.com The Adrenaline Vault http://www.avault.com Happy Puppy http://www.happypuppy.com

Grading 25% Class participation  15% attendance, 10% discussion  If you miss more than 2 classes without approval, you will receive a 0. 25% Reading responses  10 total, 3% each 30% Film/game critiques  3 total, 10% each 20% Final project

Potential Lecturers - Academics, the Industry, and the Press J.C. Herz (A) Jeanne Funk (A) Brenda Laurel (A/I) Purple Moon Frederick Raynal (I) Adeline; Twinsen’s Odyssey, Relentless, Alone in the Dark series Jordan Mechner (I) Smoking Car Productions; Last Express, Prince of Persia series Richard Garriott (I) Origin Systems; Ultima series Peter Molyneux (I) Bullfrog, LionHead; Populous, Dungeon Keeper, Theme Park, Theme Hospital Brian Moriarty (I) Interplay, MPlayer Neil West (P) Next Generation Johnny Wilson (P) Computer Gaming World

Schedule

Week 1 Introductions / Definitions / History Jan 13th Readings: Joystick Nation – Up to chapter 9 Handout – The Vision of Virtual Reality Handout – A Short Guide to Writing about Film

Week 2 Introduction to Media Analysis Jan 20th Viewing: The Battleship Potempkin

Readings: Joystick Nation – Finish Computers as Theatre – Forward, Chapter 1 Handout – Dramatic Structure Handout – Notes on Plot, Character, Conflict, Acting Handout – Are Games Interactive?

Week 3 Introduction to Dramatic Structure Jan 27th Lecture: Don Marinelli, Prof. of Drama, Co-Director of ETC.

Readings: Computers as Theatre – Chapters 2,3 Handout – The CD-ROM novel Myst and McLuhan’s fourth law of media

Assignment: Paper on a commercial. Due Feb. 5th 5pm under my office door, BH 145E.

Week 4 Media Analysis of Videogames Feb 3rd Viewing: Gauntlet, Super Bomberman, Chronotrigger

Readings: Computers as Theatre – Chapters 4, 7 Poetics Handout – Communication within virtual reality Handout – Mondo 2000 interview with Brenda Laurel

Week 5 Introduction to Communication / Dramatic Structure Discussion Feb 10th Readings: Handout – young and older adult's views of telephone talk (gone over in class) Handout – what have we learned about online gaming? Handout – approaches to managing deviant behavior in virtual communities Handout – making friends in cyberspace Handout – multiple media literacies Handout – visual aspects of media literacy Handout – making MOOsic (should be read after "making friends in cyberspace") Handout – finding one's own in cyberspace Handout – contexts and cues in cyberspace

Week 6 Games as Academically Viable / Cybersociety and Multiplayer Games Feb 17th Readings: Wired Women – A thousand aunts with modems by Elizable Weise Come in CQ by Ellen Ullman Closure was never a goal in this piece by Judy Malloy and Cathy Marshall We are geeks and we are not guys by L. Jean Camp The price of admission by Stephanie Brail Sex, Fear and Condescension on Campus by Donna M. Riley "So Please Stop, Thank you" by Michele Evard Coming apart at the seams by Shannon McRae

Asssignment: Game Paper I: Due 1st weekend in March .

Week 7 The Realities of a Diverse Online Environment / Introduction to Gender Feb 24th Viewing: Starcraft

Readings: From Barbie to Mortal Kombat - Chapters 1-3 Chapters 5,6 (you can skim the trivial bits)

Week 8 Women as Gamers March 3rd Viewing: Barbie Fashion Designer

Readings: From Barbie to Mortal Kombat – Chapters 11,14 Handout - Children's Perceptions of Gender Differences Handout - Mediated Messages Handout - Fabricating the Female Body (important)

Week 9 The object of my attention: An examination of representation in videogames March 10th Viewing: The Last Express

Readings: From Barbie to Mortal Kombat - Chapters 12,13 Handout - The kids are allright Handout - Virtual idols and digital girls Handout - Interview with toby gard Handout - Action figures have sex on our computers Handout - An examination of violence and gender role portrayals Handout - Developmental aspects of gender role flexibility and traditionality Handout – Playing violent video and computer games

Assignment: Game Paper II: Due Friday, April 9th

Week 10 Sex, violence, and all that other fun stuff March 17th Readings: Virtualities - Part One (chapters 1,2) (important) Handout - Adolescents and video games Handout - Computer game playing in early adolescence Handout - Self disclosure on computer forms

Week 11 Won’t somebody please think of the children? March 31st Viewing: Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Readings: Virtualities - Chapter 1 (re-read) Handout - Allucquere Rosanne Stone interview for Mondo 2000 Handout - Identity, Paranoia, Technology Handout - That's me in the middle

Week 12 Who is the I in me? April 7th Viewing: Half-Life, Ultima 4

Readings: Virtualities – Part Two (chapters 3,4,5) Handout – The romantic ethic and the spirit of modern consumerism

Assignment: Final Project: Due Friday, May 7th

Week 13 Societal Structure - Cause or Effect / Art’s place in the cyberworld April 14th Viewing: Alpha Centauri

Readings: Parchment, Printing, and Hypermedia – Introduction, Chapter 1, Part 2 (Chapters 5-8)

Week 14 The medium as the agent of change April 21st Readings: Handout – A Post-Modernist Moment Handout – Operation Desert Storm as “Wargames” Handout – Rating Electronic Games Handout – Headrush

Assignment: Come up with one question you’d like the group to answer next week

Week 15 Wrap - Up April 28th