06.008.0661 Projektwoche: Ü Video Games and Memory Culture (MA) (Gute Englisch-Kenntnisse erforderlich)

Lehrende/r: Lydia Kleinstück

Veranstaltungsart: Projektveranstaltung

Anzeige im Stundenplan: 06.008.0661

Credits: 3,0

Unterrichtssprache: Englisch

Min. | Max. Teilnehmerzahl: - | 20

Prioritätsschema: Senatsrichtlinie zzgl. Bevorzugung höherer Fachsemester
Zulassung gemäß Richtlinie über den Zugang zu teilnahmebeschränkten Lehrveranstaltungen vom 07. März 2007.

Nähere Informationen hierzu entnehmen Sie bitte www.info.jogustine.uni-mainz.de/senatsrichtlinie

Über die Senatsrichtlinie hinaus werden bei der Platzvergabe für diese Veranstaltung Studierende höherer Fachsemester bevorzugt berücksichtigt.

Voraussetzungen / Organisatorisches:
You do not have to be a video game enthusiast to attend this class.

 

Anwesenheitspflicht:
Regular attendance is strongly encouraged. We will play and discuss most games in class.

Inhalt:
Video games have been a part of popular culture for over 50 years now – and developers and game designers have always been drawing from real historical events for their games' plots and settings. This project introduces the class to video game analysis with a focus on memory culture (“Erinnerungskultur”).

We will begin by asking some important questions: What is memory culture? How are history and memory referenced in video games? Can video games ever present an authentic historical picture – and should they? Why do video games feature certain historical events and leave out others? How do developer location and language influence video game memory content? Can the localization of historical video game content be used for manipulation or propaganda? 

During the week, we will refer to concepts of cultural memory and establish a theoretical basis of video game analysis. We will cover historical events and their representations in various video game genres (like first-person shooters, strategy games, point-and-click adventures). Other topics will include the localization of video games and its impact on players and pop culture. During the week, students will apply their knowledge by playing and analyzing selected games based on their representations of memory culture. 
We will play some games in class, other games, you will have to play on your own time or watch “Let’s Play” videos in order to be able to discuss them.

On Friday, students will need to present a (virtual) poster/game analysis on a video game of their choice as it pertains to memory culture. The final projects could be presented as a walk-by exhibition on the FTSK campus.

Empfohlene Literatur:
We will use excerpts from these books to guide us through the week. All texts can be accessed online via UB Mainz. Subject to change. Additional material will be handed out in class or uploaded on Moodle.

• Egenfeldt-Nielsen, Simon, Jonas Heide Smith, and Susana Pajares Tosca. Understanding Video Games: The Essential Introduction. Fourth edition. New York, NY: Routledge, 2020. Print.
  
• Erll, Astrid. Kollektives Gedächtnis und Erinnerungskulturen: Eine Einführung. 3., aktualisierte und erweiterte Auflage. Stuttgart: J.B. Metzler Verlag, 2017. Print.
  
• Fernández-Vara, Clara. Introduction to Game Analysis. Second edition. New York, NY: Routledge, 2019. Print.
  

Zusätzliche Informationen:
Our in-class languages will be English and German.
 

Digitale Lehre:
In-person class.