Computer Games Theory and Practice

- Read "Games: The Extensions of Man" by Marshall McLuhan and post brief summary of the main points to your blog.

- Select an item or items of your work for a 10-15 minute presentation and discussion in class.

Your blogs will be ready for you to access by end of day Thursday, Sept 7.

Here are the ROMs (Read Only Memories), you'll need for MAME32 (Multi Arcade Machine Emulator). They are zipped files. Store them UNZIPPED in the ROMs directory specified in the MAME32 options.

Download Battlezone ROM

Download Space Invaders ROM

Download Star Wars ROM

On Wednesay bring in a tasty tidbit of information relating to computer games. The main criterion is that you find it interesting. The information can be from any media including print, web, tv. This is a regular Wednesday assignment. Also blog a couple of sentences describing the item and why you find it interesting. Provide a web link if applicable.

1. Abstraction in the Video Game
Read the handout. Then blog a few sentences on how the ideas apply to a classic video game that we have played in class, or to another video game with which you are familiar.

2. Mid Term Project
As shown in the curriculum, mid term project presentations will be on Monday October 23 and Wednesday October 25.

For your mid term project you select one video game that you play in depth over the next month or so. In this time you should become very familiar with the game, including its history, significance, technology, cultural relevance, etc and other applicable themes.

For the project your will create something that links the game with your major. As discussed in class, random examples might include: illustration of a new character for the game, analysis of the game's architecture or creation of a new architectural space for the game, analysis of the interface or creation of a new interface, sculpture using elements in the game as a starting point, etc, etc.

You will each have up to 20 minutes to present your project. Approximately the first half should be a demonstration and explanation of the game and your reactions to it. In the second part you will present your "something", which may be an object or an in-depth analysis, or a video, etc.

For Monday, September 8, please post preliminary ideas for your game, and why it interests you. We will discuss in class.

- Nintendo founded 1889 in Kyoto. Only made playing cards to about 1970's when diversified into toys. In mid 70's moved into arcade games.

- The legendary Shigeru Miyamoto employed in 1977, with a degree in industrial design.

- Nintendo's early 1980's arcade games included Radarscope (1980) and Donkey Kong (1981), designed by Miyamoto

- Some consider Donkey Kong to be the first video game with any significant narrative content. (see Chapter 3, Power Up - How Japanese Video Games Gave the World an Extra Life by Chris Kohler)
- Donkey Kong introduced Jump Man who went on to become Mario.

- Nintendo's first console release in 1983
- Called Nintendo Family Computer (Famicom) in Japan

- Released with ports of three of Nintendo's arcade hits - Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr. and Popeye.

Download Donkey Kong ROM for MAME

Download more ROMs for MAME

Some threads in the origins of first person shooter games. There are many more.

Also refer to my Half Life network.

Renaissance Perspective

Albrecht Durer, Artist drawing a nude with perspective device, 1525

From Brook Taylor, New Principles of Linear Perspective, 1719

Photography

View from the Window at Le Gras, Nicéphore Niépce, 1826

Subjective Cinema

The Lady in the Lake, 1947, watch clips

According to Alexander Galloway in Gaming - Essays on Algorithmic Culture, subjective shots are used in four general instances:
- Mental Affect, e.g. intoxication
- Detachment or distancing, e.g. disembodiment in Being John Malkovich
- Criminals and monsters, e.g. Alien

Alien, 1979, watch trailer
Lambert scene

- Machinic vision, e.g. Terminator and Robocop

Terminator 2, 1991, watch biker bar scene

Military and Flight Simulation

A321 Flight Simulator

The Institute for Creative Technologies - killing people one video game at a time

Computer Technology

Xerox Alto, 1973

Processor speed over time - Moore's Law

Vector Mathematics

view frustrum

Coordinate systems 17th century - Descartes. Vector mathematics beginning of the 19th century.

In later 80's and early 90's John Carmack spearheaded many developments in 3D computer graphics such as binary space partitioning used in Doom.

Doom, 1993

John Carmack's latest project is Rage, set for release, September 2011. View the trailer.

Read the introduction to From Sun Tzu to Xbox. Visit the America's Army web site at http://www.americasarmy.com/. Blog your views on the pros and cons of the use of comuter games by the military.

As a reminder, these are the assignments that should have been completed by 9/20/06:

- Blog summary of "Games: The Extensions of Man".
- Blog summary of your show and tell items for 09/13 and 09/20
- Blog how abstraction is used in a video game
- Blog game you propose to play as part of your mid term project

You can obtain details of all assingments by clicking on "Assignments" in the Category section of this blog.

I will most likely be going to this meeting of the International Game Developers Association. It's a great opportunity to hear from game developers in the industry.

UPCOMING IGDA SF MEETING & MIXER:
Tuesday, October 3 @ 7:30pm
Action Theater, 2nd floor of METREON
101 4th Street, San Francisco

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AUTOPSY: A Postmortem of CSI: 3 Dimensions of Murder PC
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For more info, visit www.igda.org/sf

Afterwards, join our speakers at LJs (2nd Floor, Metreon) for fun, drinks, and networking.

This event is free and open to the public.

Artistic and Subversive Uses of Computer Games

Find one interesting example of this type of game. They are generally non-commercial. There have been several major video game art exhibitions (one at Yerba Buena Center a couple of years ago), there are also links on the Resources page. If possible, play the game - some are online. Blog a description of the game, a screenshot, and your thoughts.

Also, blog a brief outline of your own idea for an artistic or subversive computer game.