CMS.300 | Fall 2011 | Undergraduate

Introduction to Videogame Studies

Assignments

Written Assignment 3

This is an extended version of Assignment 2, where you elaborate on your argument from the first paper. You have to demonstrate that you understand the theory and how to apply it to the game, showing that you’re an expert both on the game and on the theoretical aspects that are relevant to your discussion. It may be the case that, in playing the game in more depth, you realize your initial assumptions are challenged—rebating or qualifying your previous work is a perfectly valid paper. You cannot take the previous assignment and paste in a couple more paragraphs—that will be an instant F.

Both assignments will evaluate your capacity to analyze the specific aspects of the game that you advance in the first paper, and providing novel insight on the game, i.e. your reader should learn something new about it.

For this assignment, expand and strengthen your argument by providing examples from gameplay, as well as discuss them using the conceptual frameworks from the class.

To write this assignment, you should have completed the game. If your game does not have an end state (e.g. MMOs or online modes of certain games), or is too long to finish within the given time frame, please talk to the instructor to negotiate what means to “finish” your game.

Your extended analysis should be between 1500-1700 words, double spaced in 12 point standard fonts (Times, Arial, etc.), and submitted in one of the following standard formats: .doc, .pdf or .rtf.

The grade of the assignment is broken down as follows:

  • Relevance (20%) - Providing a thesis statement which aims at generating insight on the game, and expanding on it. Superfluous retellings of plot, mere context descriptions, or disconnected pieces of data on the game usually indicate that you’re not analyzing the game but just rambling about it.
  • Organization (20%) - Your assignment should be well structured. Again, having an introductory paragraph and thesis statement and a conclusion are basic expectations in an assignment of this sort.
  • Discussion (20%) - How well you construct and support the argument that you want to make about the game. This usually entails (among other things): defining your terms (particularly when you’re borrowing them from the readings), including specific examples from the game(s), using the theories covered in class as support or contrast to your argument, and using counter-arguments to strengthen your discussion.
  • Clarity (20%) - How well you write your paper. Be concise and intelligible, with proper grammar and spelling. Please proofread your paper before handing it in.
  • References (20%) - Include your references at the end, including in-text citations. Use whichever citation format you prefer, just make it possible for your reader to find your sources. Include the URLs of webpages you may cite. The references must also include the game(s) you talk about, following the following model: Developer, Game Title. Publisher, Platform (Year).

Course Info

As Taught In
Fall 2011
Learning Resource Types
Lecture Notes
Written Assignments