Module: GDT4003-20 Critical Play

Level: 4

Credit Value: 20

Module Tutor: James Newman

Module Tutor Contact Details: j.newman@bathspa.ac.uk

1. Brief description and aims of module:

In this module, you explore, discuss and analyse key themes within game culture and  the games industry. In recent years, there has been a steady growth of research and  publications on game history. This covers specific platforms, game developers, and  game companies. However, while such a detailed interest in gaming’s past is  encouraging, the focus on big companies and franchises can result in the loss of  important local histories of other regions, players, markets and developers. Informed  by seminal work and current trends in game scholarship, this module seeks to reveal  'hidden histories' within game culture and history to provide a more nuanced, global  perspective. This approach to game histories encourages you to overcome dominant  discourses and develop critical and in depth knowledge in the field of games.  

Critical Play encourages you to think about who plays and makes games, who shape  which games are made, who games appear to be 'for', and why we get the games we  get. As such, you are encouraged to consider vital questions around representation,  inclusivity and diversity from both textual and contextual perspectives. You learn  about the different ways that games are used as an art form to express personal,  political and societal experiences, and about issues such as digital archiving biases in  preserving cultural artefacts. We think optimistically about the future, exploring how  we can work towards a more open and diverse culture that celebrates stories,  developers and players from all backgrounds. As part of this, you gain an ability to  analyse and critique a variety of games and practice discussing sensitive and  complex topics as a group. 

2.Outline syllabus

Outline syllabus 

● Game histories 

● Games as political/societal/personal expression 

● Analysing and critiquing games 

● Understanding games in wider cultural contexts 

● Archiving and bias in histories  

● Accessibility of video games 

● Diversity and representation in video games

3.Teaching and learning activities

Class Hours 

Seminars on key themes in game culture provide opportunities to develop knowledge  through tutor guided discussion and debate. In-class work includes research tasks,  group discussion, and creative tasks as a mode of practice-based research.  

Independent Learning 

You are required to pursue, through independent research, your own topic of interest  within game culture and game industries. 

Assessment Item 1:

• Assessment Type: Coursework

• Description: Curated exhibition plan and research document (4,000 words) 

• % Weighting: 100%