Video Game Paper Advice

[Youko]

Link to original post: [drupal=1277]Video Game Paper Advice[/drupal]



Some of you may not know that I am currently taking a "Video Games as Culture/Form" course at the University of Michigan. We recently got our final paper assignment and I was wondering if I could get your advice on it.

"The goal of this assignment is to take a broad issue within video game culture and analyze it through a specific example that is then supported by independent research. You should choose a video or computer game from the past five-six years to analyze."

Basically: Academically write about a video (or current) game that is from either the current or previous generation of consoles. No N64/PSX stuff.


Some of the academic topics that the game needs to support include:
Video games and colonialist metaphors
Gender and play in video games
Ludology (study of play) and gaming
Identification and one's player character
Agency in gaming
Emergent play and machinima
Emergent play and mods
Academic video game studies
Independent games movement
Immersive elements in video games
Immersion and game controllers
Gaming on non-gaming devices
Simulation in gaming
First-person shooters and immersion
Narrative in video games
Intellectual property and game elements
Community and MMORPGs
Independent/art games movement
Adaptations/translations between games and film
(Other topics as approved by the professor)



IN OTHER WORDS, I'm looking for your suggestions on games that would meet this criteria. I've got a couple in mind, but I was wondering what game you'd write on, if you were given this assignment. I will NOT write on Brawl or Melee because I want to actually learn something while writing this paper.

 

[finalark]

Link to original post: [drupal=1277]Video Game Paper Advice[/drupal]

Immersive elements in video games

Narrative in video games

Community and MMORPGs

First the first one I recommend some kind of open world game such as Oblivion or Fallout 3.

For narrative there's a number of RPGs you could choose, I recommend Final Fantasy XII personally. But Metal Gear Solid 4 works just fine (not an RPG but it's more or less a really long movie that you have to press a few buttons every now and then to get rolling).

I'm going to have to recommend the obvious choice for number three, World of Warcraft.

 

[ProBrawler]

The games in the Grand Theft Auto series have caused lots of debate! It may fit well into those criteria.

 

[Redson]

Something I think I can help with.

Half-Life in general for immersiveness.

Valve did stupendously with their work on the Half Life series. I'm talking about the expansion packs, as well. If you think about it, Half Life was one of the first series to actually add a real story into the First Person Shooter world. And Valve did just that- and they did it with flying colors. They managed to make a game where the storytelling was done completely from a first-person view, and keeping true to good First Person Shooter gameplay. Nothing was sacrificed.

Half Life 2 took what Half Life did, and multiplied it's excellence ten-fold. Easily, Half Life 2 is one of the greatest games in existence, according to many videogame reviewals. I ran through the game in a good seven hours, loving every minute of it. The characters were those you could get attached to, the story was original, and carried out in a wonderful way. Ravenholm was the epitomy of immersion. It sure scared the crap out of me when I was playing with my lights off, and two venom headcrabs jumped from the ceiling.

From Half Life 2, spawned one of the most creative games of it's time: Gmod. I don't know if there are any Gmod players out here on SWF, but it really does DEFINE art in a videogame. The concept was simple: Abuse the Half Life 2 Physics engine and make anything you wanted out of the props and a various assortment of tools. People have literally built huge, walking fortresses that encompass half of a map. From Gmod spawned Gmod RP, a separate gameplay type in Gmod that allowed the player to RP in the world. Stores, stats, and a various other assortment of RPG elements were included into a first person shooter. I believe that if Garry had supported it more, it could have been the best thing since Forum Based RP.

Half Life also has some scientific under/overtones in it that I believe are worth examining further.

As for Immersion via controls, I believe Red Steel did a fantastic job for the Wii. Though the game itself wasn't very good, it was one of the first games for the Wii to fully take advantage of the Wiimote's power- even if it was limited to simple diagonal, vertical, and horizontal swipes.

See World of Goo for independant games. I don't believe I can say anything except "Excellence" for that. Gish is also fantastic.

I hope I could help in some way. :D

 

[handsockpuppet]

I do not fully understand the assignment, but if you want a deep game with a lot of storyline and whatnot, there is only one video game you need. Bioshock. http://bioshock.wikia.com/wiki/BioShock_Wiki not only was it rated 10/10 by almost every critic, but people are still finding out about its numerous hidden storylines, allusions, and references.

It is about an underwater city that Andrew Ryan created. Andrew Ryan was an anarchist with similar beliefs as to Ayn Rand (if you notice "Andrew Ryan" has Ayn Rand's name mixed up in it). He started building it after WWI and it was functional in 1945. you (the main character. this is a fps, so you don't see his face (until later), but they reveal his name is Jack) are guided by a rebel named Atlas (reference to Atlas-shrugged) through the ruins of what was a utopia destroyed by a civil war between Frank Fountain (reference to Fountainhead) and Andrew Ryan, and the side effects of genetic splicing via plasmids. seriously, check the site, Bioshock probably checks off at least 5 of those things. It's for the PC, 360, and PS3.

 

[Skrah]

Wow I wish I had that for hw instead of math lol.

Anyways, what finalark is pretty much it, except the MGS part, which I want to strangle him for .

But yeah, RPG's normally have really deep stories. And for communities you could also try the Xbox Live.

 

[finalark]

I do not fully understand the assignment, but if you want a deep game with a lot of storyline and whatnot, there is only one video game you need. Bioshock.

WRONG! Bioshock wasn't a video game, it was a work of art. So yeah, Handsock's spot on for what you might be looking for.

And if you're looking for an "artistic" game I recommend you try out Okami for the PS2 or Wii.

 

[Jam Stunna]

I'd choose narrative in videogames, but that's because I like to write. As for what game I would choose, I'm not sure off the top of my head, but it would probably be about Zelda games and the huge step backwards Twilight Princess represented in terms of narrative, at least as far as Zelda games go.

 

[Redson]

I'd choose narrative in videogames, but that's because I like to write. As for what game I would choose, I'm not sure off the top of my head, but it would probably be about Zelda games and the huge step backwards Twilight Princess represented in terms of narrative, at least as far as Zelda games go.

I would have picked Windwaker. I don't know- The story just seemed to flow better, despite the sailing.

 

[Jam Stunna]

Well yeah, the paper would be about the problems with TP's narrative.

 

[Teran]

For immersion in video games, I'd look no further than Majora's Mask.

That game has an incredible depth of storyline, with a gargantuan multitude of different stories that weave and intertwine throughout the game.

The world is living and breathing, and events will unfold differently depending on what you've done during the course of the days (Molyneux should have played this game).

Not only that, but the characters feel genuine. Turn over every stone in Majora's Mask (which takes about 9000+ hours), and you'll discover hidden messages and a depth to the characters and stories that wasn't even necessary, but adds a whole new level of immersion.

All done in 2000 with limited graphics, MIDI sequences, and cartriges. Devs now have practically infinite possibilities compared to what MM's devs had, yet they fail to come close. Except maybe Bioshock (although that's not very comparable considering its vastly different themes).

Yes, as you can see, I really like MM, more that OoT. Blasphemy? o__O

 

[finalark]

Yes, as you can see, I really like MM, more that OoT. Blasphemy? o__O

Hey, I thought that Twilight Princess was better than OOT. Then again, there's a lot of games I thought were better than OOT.

Anyway, I have to agree with Teran. I kind of feel bad for forgetting about MM. That was a fairly deep game, especially for a Zelda title.

 

[handsockpuppet]

WRONG! Bioshock wasn't a video game, it was a work of art. So yeah, Handsock's spot on for what you might be looking for.

And if you're looking for an "artistic" game I recommend you try out Okami for the PS2 or Wii.

LOL

Okami was nicely drawn, considering they were using traditional Japanese art style. compared to some other games, however, I would not call it the most artistic (or maybe that style just wasn't my preference). The thing I liked most in that game was its gameplay, not its art and definitely not its story line.

 

[finalark]

LOL

Okami was nicely drawn, considering they were using traditional Japanese art style. compared to some other games, however, I would not call it the most artistic (or maybe that style just wasn't my preference). The thing I liked most in that game was its gameplay, not its art and definitely not its story line.

To be honest, I'm kind of on the fence of weather or not I like I like it's artistic style or not. I'll admit that's the style is really original, but I'm not sure if I like it or not.

I'm playing through the game for the first time now and I've heard that it has a really good story. Yeah... no. All it is is "save the world from evil dude." The only thing original about the story is that the main character is a god.

But the game play.... **** the game play is epic. The thing that I like so much about the game play is that I'm actually having fun when I'm playing it. You know, fun. That thing that you're supposed to be having while playing a game.