Digital Play – Virtual Worlds, Virtual Communities HA&S 251 E Fall 2006
TTh 1:30-3:20 MGH 271 Instructor: Wanda Gregory Email: wgregory@u.washington.edu TA: Donna Fontaine Email: donna@hitl.washington.edu Office Hours: by appointment Course Description: The ten billion dollar video game industry is now the second largest segment of the entertainment industry in the United States, outperforming film and book publishing. The launch of Halo2 alone brought in $125 million dollars in a single day rivaling blockbuster movies. The massively multiplayer game (MMO) World of Warcraft sold 250,000 copies in November of 2004—the most successful PC game launch in history. This game continues to grow with over 6 million subscribers. Today we have players spending thousands of dollars on virtual characters and digital items on eBay and sweatshops are being established in developing nations to service this micro-economy. Games have and will continue to become a major part of our culture today and a key component of the ever-growing digital entertainment industry. Drawing on a wide variety of examples and disciplines, this class will look at the video game industry with particular emphasis on game worlds and virtual worlds such as World of Warcraft and Second Life. Topics include: overview of the game business, video game aesthetics and design, narrative and character development, visual design, along with the sociological and psychological dimensions of games, play, identity and community. The class will be a combination of lecture, guest presentations, case studies, readings, and exploration of MMOs, virtual communities along with participation in team projects. Aim of the Course: • Understand important aspects of online interactions • Understand the social design considerations in creation of online communities • Participate and analyze community elements within multiplayer games • Understand the issues that challenge MMO and community designers • Participate as a team in the process of designing a game including brainstorming, concept development, documentation and presentation of a pitch to experts from the game industry • Play and analyze games in terms of topics explored in the readings • Read and discuss class materials on the nature and aesthetics of online games Assignments will include: • Weekly readings • Weekly updates to class blog • 3 response papers (2-3 pages) based on weekly readings • 1 game review paper (3-5 pages) • Team project – creation of game concept, design doc and presentation • All students must participate in some multiplayer space (an MMOG, XboxLive, Second Life, etc.). Team Project – Game concept, pitch, design document and group presentation Students will work in teams to create a game concept, pitch and design document. The team will submit a one-page summary in week 5 for class review and suggestions. In week 10, teams will present their game concept, and design to a panel of industry experts. More information on this as quarter progresses.
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Class Game Weblog Students will be asked to participate in the class blog discussing their experiences with games they’ve played throughout the quarter. The purpose of the blog is to practice critical thinking skills in relation to games, their structure and content. Doesn’t have to be formal. I just want you to start thinking about games. You might want to even try playing games you don’t like. Students can also use the weblog to discuss their own ideas about fun, creativity and game design. Papers: Four papers – 3 based on course readings (2-3 pages) and one game review (3-5 pages) Class Participation: Class discussion and participation is an important part of the course. A key aspect of games is engagement and interaction with other players. It should be the same in a class about games. Credit for assignments: Class participation (5%) Weekly blog participation (5%) Papers (40%) Group project (50%) Reading Requirements: Course package at RAM on University Way. (206) 632.6630 Suggested Books: • Theory of Fun for Game Design, by Ralph Koster • Between Play Worlds, by TL Taylor • Synthetic Worlds, by Edward Castronva • Designing Virtual Worlds, by Richard Bartle • Rules of Play, Eric Zimmerman and Katie Salen • The Game Design Reader, Ed. Eric Zimmerman and Katie Salen Useful Web Sites: Terra Nova The Escapist Magazine Nick Yee/Daedalus gateway Water Cooler Games Buzz Cut Gamasutra Game Girl Advance International Game Developers Association (IGDA) Penny Arcade Joystiq Kotaku Slashdot Games MMORPG.com
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Course Schedule: This schedule may need to be adjusted as the quarter progresses (class with notice). Th Sep 28 Introductions and Course Overview Introduction to Video Game Industry, virtual worlds, multiplayer games Readings: Chick, T. Massively multiplayer online games. Gamespy’s series of articles about virtual environments. http://archive.gamespy.com/amdmmog/ MMORPG Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MMORPG. Bartle, R. Introduction to Virtual Worlds. Chapter 1 in Designing Virtual Worlds. Pitts, R. Secret Sauce: The rise of Blizzard, http://www.escapistmagazine.com/issue/63 Castronova, E. The User (Chapter 2), Synthetic Worlds Crawford, C. What is a game? (Chapter 1) http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/fac/peabody/gamebook/Chapter1.html “Game and Culture Journal”, current issue devoted to WoW , October 1 2006, Volume 1, No. 4 http://gac.sagepub.com/current.dtl Vinge, V. “True Names.” in True Names: And the Opening of the Cyberspace Frontier. Stephenson, N. excerpts from Snow Crash (pp 19-27, 35-45). Bantam edition. Koester, Online World Timeline http://www.raphkoster.com/gaming/mudtimeline.shtml
T Oct 3
Th Oct 5
Group Project discussion and brainstorming exercises
Guest Speaker: Cam Ferroni, CTO Marchex, former GM of Xbox Live Readings: Crawford, C. The Game Design Sequence (chapter 5) excerpt from online version of The Art of Computer Game Design http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/fac/peabody/gamebook/Chapter5.html IDGA Game Submission Guidelines (skim) http://www.igda.org/biz/submission_guide.php
T Oct 10
Legal Aspects of Online Communities and Games
Guest Speaker: Brian Lewis, general counsel, Cordance Inc. former Vice President, Business Development & General Counsel for Wizards of the Coast
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Readings: Jenkins, The Virtual World as a Company Town-Freedom of Speech in Massively Multiple On-line Role Play Games, “Journal of Internet Law”, http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=565181 Intellectual Property and the Video Game Industry, IGDA White Paper http://www.igda.org/ipr/IGDA_IPRights_WhitePaper.pdf (skim) Response Paper #1 Due Th Oct 12 Mind of the Player Readings: Lehman and Witty, Psychology of Play Activities (Chapters 1 & 2). Gee, “Semiotic Domains: Is Playing Video Games a “Waste of Time?” What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy. Salen and Zimmerman, Chapters 22 and 24 Rules of Play Yee, N. The Psychology of MMORPGs: Emotional Investment, Motivations, Relationship Formation, and Problematic Usage. Social Life of Avatars II. http://www.nickyee.com/daedalus/archives/02_04/Yee_Book_Cha pter.pdf Csikszentmihalyi, M. Chapters 3 & 4, The Flow Bartle, R. Players. Chapter 2 (125-174) in Designing Virtual Worlds Guest Speaker: Richard Bartle, author of the book Designing Virtual Worlds, virtual world pioneer and creator of the first MUD. Readings: Thurkle, Sherry. Aspects of the Self, chapter 7, Life on the Screen Donath, J., Identity and Deception in the Virtual Communities http://smg.media.mit.edu/people/Judith/Identity/IdentityDeception.h tml Donath, Judith, Being Real http://smg.media.mit.edu/papers/Donath/BeingReal/BeingReal.htm l Dahlen, C. I enjoy playing a girl, Escapist Magazine http://www.escapistmagazine.com/issue/30/315
Cognitive Aspects of Games
T Oct 17
Identity: Players and their Characters
Girl Power 2, Escapist Magazine http://www.escapistmagazine.com/issue/50 Bruckman, A. Gender Swapping on the Internet http://www-static.cc.gatech.edu/elc/papers/bruckman/genderswapping-bruckman.pdf Castronova, Chapter 2, Synthetic Worlds Bartle, R. Players. Chapter 2 (pp 174-245) in Designing Virtual Worlds
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Th Oct 19
Console Communities and the Player – Xbox Live Case Study
Guest Speakers: Larry Hyrb, “Major Nelson” and Christa Philips “Trixie” Xbox Live
Sites: www.majornelson.com www.xbox.com T Oct 24 Project Checkpoint
Th Oct 26
Casual Games
Guest Speaker: James Gwertzman, Director of Business Development, PopCap Readings: IDGA White Paper on Casual Games (skim) http://www.igda.org/casual/IGDA_CasualGames_Whitepaper_200 5.pdf
On Screens, but Not Store Shelves: Casual Games – NY Times, June 27, 2005
Varney, A., Attack of the Parasites, Escapist Magazine, http://www.escapistmagazine.com/issue/34/3 Response Paper #2 Due Guest Speakers: Rich Kaalaas, CEO True North Consultants/Scott Norris, Director of Online Media, Wizards of the Coast
T Oct 31
Visual Design Elements
What is the role of designers in the game design process? What goes into the graphical development of game IPs? What is the relationship between design and the game play and narrative design?
Th Nov 2 IP Development and Narrative Play
Guest Speakers: Steve Conard, VP of Game Design, Hidden City Games and Rich Kaalaas, CEO True North Media
What goes into the development of IP (world development, plot, back-story, character development)
Readings: Poole, S. (2000). Never-ending stories (Chapter 5). In Triggerhappy: Videogames and the entertainment revolution. Jenkins, “Game Design as Narrative Architecture,” The Game Design Reader (pages 670-686) Rogers, “Playing Smart with IP,” Game Developer Magazine, June/July 2005 Costikyan, I have no words I must design, http://www.costik.com/nowords.html#What_is
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T Nov 7
Governance, Privacy Deviant Behavior
Guest Speaker: Melanie Creel, Community Manager, Wizards of the Coast
Th Nov 9
Online Economics In Games
Guest Speaker: John Doyle, Director of Development, NFS, EA Vancouver (tentative date) Readings: Castronova, E. The Economics of Fun: Behavior and Design (chapter 8) Synthetic Worlds Chinese Gold Farmers: Preview http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ho5Yxe6UVv4&eurl Doctorow, C. Anda’s game. Short story from Salon.Com November 15, 2004. http://dir.salon.com/story/tech/feature/2004/11/15/andas_game/ind ex.html?pn=1 Sites: WoW Auction House Ebay Second Life Xbox Live Marketplace Eve Online IGE.com
T Nov 14
Virtual Reality and User Interface Considerations
Guest Speaker: Prof. Thomas Furness, Founding Director of Human Interface Technology Lab, University of Washington, Professor of Industrial Engineering
Response Paper #3 Due Th Nov 16 Social Aspects of Games – Game Communities
Readings: Ducheneaut, Yee N., “Alone Together?” Exploring the Social Dynamics of Massively Multiplayer Online Games www.parc.xerox.com/research/publications/files/5599.pdf Yee, N. The Labor of Fun, “Games and Culture”, http://www.nickyee.com/daedalus/archives/001500.php Net Surfers Don’t Ride Alone” by Barry Wellman and Milena Gulia http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~wellman/publications/netsurfers/net surfers.pdf Kim, A. Nine Principles of Community Design Oldenburg, R. Chapters 1 and 2, The Great, Good Place
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T Nov 21
Social Aspects of Games - Between Play Worlds
Guest Speaker: TL Taylor, Author of Between Play Worlds, Associate professor, University of Copenhagen and Director for their Center for Computer Games Research Readings: Taylor, TL. Living Digitally: Embodiment in Virtual Worlds, http://www.itu.dk/~tltaylor/papers/Taylor-LivingDigitally.pdf
Th Nov 23
THANKSGIVING – NO CLASS
Game Review Paper Due ENJOY PLAY GAMES!!!
T Nov 28
Marketing, Branding and Business Considerations In game advertising, alternative reality games, branding and marketing of virtual worlds
Readings: Jenkins, H. Chasing Bees, without the hive mind, Technology Review, http://www.technologyreview.com/read_article.aspx?id=13561&ch =infotech
Schatz and Smith, “Designer Suits: Incorporating Marketing into Game Development” www.gamasutra.com/features/20051208/smith_01.shtml Hon, “The Rise of ARGs,” www.gamastura.com/features/20050509/hon_01.shtml
Taylor, TL. 'Whose Game Is This Anyway?'": Negotiating Corporate Ownership in a Virtual World http://virtual-economy.org/ Alternate Reality Games, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternate_Reality_Game Book, B. These bodies are FREE, so get one NOW!: Advertising and Branding in Social Virtual Worlds http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=536422
Th 30
Convergence of Media Final work on presentations
Guest Speakers: Peter Adkinson, CEO Gencon, Hidden City Games, founder and former CEO of Wizards of the Coast
T Dec 5
Class Presentations
Th Dec 7
Class Presentations
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