Computer Games Theory and Practice 2007

- fill out questionnaire
- introductions
- curriculum
- expectations
- blog
- resources
- Andy: Personal History of Video Games
- assignment (see separate posting)

- Any issues with blogging?
- Student work presentations - 5 mins each
- Discuss - "Games the Extensions of Man"
- Class Resources and Themes
- Andy Cox - Personal History of Video Games - Part 1
- Show and Tell Assignment

- Comments on McLuhan blogs

- Show and Tell items

- Andy's Show and Tell: http://www.gizmoz.com

- Andy: Personal History of Video Games Part II

- Class plays classic arcade games using MAME32
Download ROMs here: http://www.twcdc.com/games/2006/09/roms_for_use_with_mame32.html

- Requirements for mid-term project

- Assignments: reading and blog idea for mid term project

- Plan for Monday's class

- Assignments and blogging

- Gaming Consoles

Magnavox Odyssey, 1972

Nintendo Famicon, 1983

Nintendo 64, 1996

Nintendo Wii, 2006

- Nintendo and Shigeru Myamoto

- Use MAME to play Donkey Kong from 1981.
Download ROM here

- Then use Project64 to play Donkey Kong consol version from 1999.
Download ROM here

- Discuss games in relation to reading: "Abstraction in the Video Game"

- Interview with Nolan Bushnell, founder of Atari

- Demos of games from last week (if possible / time available): Grand Theft Auto, Myst, Doom, Half Life

Play Indigo Prophecy.

During class blog a review of the game which is to include at least the following:

- a general description of the game
- a discussion of the likely difference between playing this story, or reading it in a book or seeing a movie of it. You might want to reference Espen Aaseth's idea of ergodic literature
- a discussion of the game in relation to at least two of its ancestors (for example, Adventure, King's Quest I, Zelda)
- at least two properly sized screenshots (either max of 480 pixels wide or bigger in a popup window)

It's up to you how you approach this. You cold play the game solidly for two hours then spend an hour writing about it. Or, you could write about it as you play it. Either way, I suggest you make some notes as you play.

- Mid Term Presentation Debrief and (belated) Powerpoint tips
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLpjrHzgSRM&mode=related&search=

- Halloween video game feature film (TBA - Tron? Stay ALive? Resident Evil?)

Continue with 3D GameStudio tutorials.

Today, you likely will complete Tutorial #1, and be ready to move on to something more substantial.........

Download Tutorial #2

- Watch Monday's episode of X-Play

- Anatomy of the main 3DGS script

- Continue with 3DGS Tutorials

- Reminder: blog idea for final project by Friday. I will be looking at the ideas over the weekend and you will each present briefly to the class on Monday.