Faculty of Arts

School of Social Sciences, Media and Communication

Digital Games
Cultures
DIGC201
Subject Outline: Autumn 2010
Credit Points 8
Pre-requisites 36cp at 100 level including
BCM101
Face- to- Face teaching hours 3

Lecturer Chris Moore

phone 4221 5459
e-mail chrism@uow.edu.au
office 19-2018
consultation times Thursday by email
appointment
for Arts Enquiries staff contact details
Arts Central timetable
room 19.1050 assignment coversheets
Monday–Friday, 8.30am–5.30pm handbooks
phone 4221 5328 assignment submission
www.uow.edu.au/arts administrative forms
fac_arts@uow.edu.au general information

NB: Arts Central is closed Tuesdays 10am-11am for a staff meeting

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Autumn Session 2010

DIGC201 – Digital Games Cultures

Week Week Beginning Lecture Tutorial

This week introduces the subject by placing

digital games in a framework for
understanding them at once as a family of
technologies, as a central part of the global
Introduction to creative economy, and as a dynamic
1 st
1 March Digital Games element of contemporary culture. Students
Cultures will be introduced to the 2010 DIGC Social
Research NING Network - a small scale
social network useful for supporting our
online blogging, research outcomes and e-
learning needs.

This week offers an approach to

understanding the history and aesthetics of
digital games, which shows that at all times
games need to be considered in relation to
The surrounding technologies and cultural forms.
2 8th March Archaeology of This week advances understanding about
Digital Games the interchange between games and other
media “ in terms of images and sounds,
narrative elements, technologies and
modes of consumption.

This week we focus on those digital games

that are played in public “ arcade games,
mobile games, and even games on
Facebook as well as experimental forms of
play including augmented-reality games. We
consider how artists, activists and others
Game Spaces: have carried out rich experiments with
th games that blend digital and urban spaces.
3 15 March Place and The lecture will examine the history of the
Mobility commercial games industry predominantly
focussed on producing coin-op games for
public play before moving to examine
current and future games for mobile
devices and why these products have
become so important across multiple
technologies and industry sectors.

This week will look to the home games

console, now central to ecologies of
domestic media. This week will trace some
of the industrial and technological
trajectories of console gaming, from early
The Console successes like the Atari to new-generation
4 22nd March and the Living consoles. It will show how technologies and
games are integrated into home
Room entertainment systems and into the
‚jntertextual commodjtjes‛ of convergence
culture. It will consider key contemporary
console games and genres, and think about
how they relate to other texts and forms of
media consumption.
Autumn Session 2010 2
 st
1 Blog Task Assessment March 24.

Games have been integral to preparing the

way for domestic computing “ now they
are part of the rich landscape of digital
culture. This week will offer some insights
into the role of personal computers as a
PC Games and platform for gaming. It will then consider
5 29th March Gamers three very different forms of contemporary
gameplay that the digital network culture of
the internet has nurtured “ Massively
Multiplayer Online Games, Casual Gaming,
and Indie games.

5th April
MID SESSION
RECESS

The lecture this week will examine

collaborative and cultural forms of play that
use games as a starting point and
ingredient for further creative practice. The
lecture will cover the appropriation of in-
Appropriation game and game code content for the
and Play: Mods production of new game experiences,
6 12th April objects and texts and will focus on the
and Machinima evolution of digital game cinema called
‘Machjnjma’; the practjce of usjng game
footage as a raw material for new forms
of film, television and video.

Group Game Pitch Presentation

during Lab/Tutorial This week.

Games have long been a ‚bad oblect‛ for

sections of the media and policy makers.
Often construed as ‚chjldren’s medja‛,
games have been interrogated for the
Violent Media: ‘jmpact’ of thejr content, and in particular to
7 th
19 April jn ‘iot Coffee’ their depictions of interactive violence and
simulated se. This week will examine some
cases of panic and policymaking around
games, and show how they have often
attracted anxieties about a broader
transjtjon toward a ‚djgjtal culture‛.

We briefly explore issues of digital games

censorship before considering the role of
intellectual property for those who seek
employment in the games industry. The
lecture will consider the games industry as
8 26th April Censorship and an employment environment “ what can
Regulation game-workers expect, and what are the
rewards and pitfalls of this career path? We
will situate game design, distribution and
sales in the context of a global cultural
economy.

Autumn Session 2010 3

 The lecture this week considers digital
games in culturally specific context and
allows students to think through issues of
identity, nationality and gender in digital
Australian games playing cultures. We examine the
Games and activities of Australian gamers, games fans,
Gamers programmers, artists and journalists. We
look to the trajectory between casual
gamers and the ‘hardcore players and e-
sports competitors and make a closer
9 3rd May examination of the national industry and
ask who buys games and why? Are we
more like China, Japan and South Korea as
gamers or do we reflect the Western
audiences in the UK and US? Are games
‘gendered’ jn thejr marketjng, technologjes,
and production as much as their content? Is
there a connection between national
cultures and games that originate in
particular national contexts?

TBA
10 10th May Guest lecture 2nD Blog Task Assessment Due May
12.

Game Project Groups Presentations during lab/seminars.

th
11 17 May Presentations
(No Lecture)

Game Project Groups Presentations during lab/seminars..

th
12 24 May Presentations
(No Lecture)

Short concluding seminar.

13 31st May (No Lecture)

7th June STUDY RECESS

EXAMS
14th June PERIOD

28th June MID YEAR RECESS

Public Holidays during session: NB: No classes are run on public holidays
nd
Friday 2 April – Good Friday
rd
Saturday 3 April – Easter Saturday
th
Monday 5 April – Easter Monday
th
Monday 26 April – Anzac Day holiday
th
Monday 14 June – Queens B’Day holiday

Autumn Session 2010 4

Subject Description

This subject investigates the emergence of digital games cultures through an industrial analytical
approach and from the perspective of the player. With critical attention to the examination of games
production and appropriative play practices, the subject encourages the acquisition of industry and
academic research skills, project management capacity and creative digital literacies through a
collaborative group based game design project and conceptualise developing game scenarios. Students
will blog weekly about their research into the various sectors of the national and international digital
games industries.

Assessment Summary

Assessment Length Due Date Weighting

1.Blog posts 300 words Week 4 – March 24 10%

500 words Week 10 – May 12 20%
2. Group Games Pitch 5-10 minutes Week 6 – April 15 10%
3. Group Games Project 15-20 minutes Weeks 11/./12 – May 25%
Presentation 19, May 26
4. Group Dossier 1500 Week 14 – June 9 25%
5. Participation NA Weekly 10%

Class Contact Details

Formal class times and locations are available from the University‟s home page Please note that
tutorial times on the timetable are provisional.
Modes of delivery: 1 hour lecture and 2 hour computer lab seminar (including lecture and workshop)
once per week run. Both the Lecture and the Lab are compulsory.
Contact details for the subject co-ordinator can be found on the title page. Contact details for any other
staff teaching the subject will be announced in Week 1.
Consultation times will be announced in Week 1.
Students should have enrolled in tutorials via SOLS before the start of session.
Those with time tabling difficulties should see the Subject Co-ordinator.

Subject Requirements

Attendance

This subject requires an 80% attendance to all lab/seminars AND lectures unless this is unavoidable on
medical or compassionate grounds and evidence of this is provided through SOLS. Attendance that falls
below the 80% requirement, irrespective of the cause, may require you to complete additional written work
to complete the subject. If in doubt, consult either the subject co-ordinator or your tutor.

Autumn Session 2010 5

 Completing the subject
To complete the subject student must meet the minimum attendance requirement for lab/tutorial
AND lectures in this subject. Attendance to lectures and tutorial is not optional. Attendance to
lectures is necessary in order to complete the weekly blogging task.
Significant group work is required in this subject and students should be prepared to work
productively and contribute regularly and consistently to the group project both in the classroom
and online.
Completing the subject: All assignments must be completed in order to fulfil the requirements of
the subject and be eligible to pass the subject.
Extensions for written work: Extensions are only given for extenuating circumstances and must
be accompanied by evidence and appropriate documentation and online application.
Penalty for late submission of work: Late work (i.e. any work required for assessment that has not
been given an extension) will be subject to a 10% penalty per day. The penalty is applied to the
original mark awarded. Work submitted after seven calendar days will not be marked and will be
given a mark of 0.
There is an extensive and shared online component to the subject and it is the expectation that
students will make their work available for others to see and discuss. Regular discussions and
discussion boards will be in place and students will be expected to contribute regularly in these
online.
Failure to meet these requirements can lead to a technical fail in the subject.

Textbook and Subject Reader Information

See weekly tutorial guide from page 10 for weekly readings and sources. These reading should be
examined before the relevant lecture and seminar. The recommended readings are not intended as an
exhaustive list – students should use the Library catalogue, databases and wider research techniques to
locate additional resources.

Learning Outcomes / Graduate Qualities

Because this is a subject that analyses games, there is an expectation that students will be accessing
online and console-based games as appropriate – both during the lab/seminars and online. The beginning
of the subject will determine the available resources that students possess and what they will need to
complete the subject. Because there is extensive work done in labs for the subject, attendance is
necessary to collaborate with others and build a knowledge community. The objective of the subject is
also to share and thereby accumulate knowledge and insight.

Autumn Session 2010 6

As part of the digital communication specialisation there are overall objectives that this subject works to:

1. To develop new media literacy so that students can understand, engage and participate in the
various forms of new media and to move students from consumers to producers in both their
approach to digital media and in their actions.
2. To develop the collaborative practice of new media and digital communication in their work and
in their future endeavours.
3. To make them aware of how change develops and its institutional organisation and to work to
effect change.
4. To realise the participatory potentials of new media forms, but also recognise the economic
and cultural powers which reform these forms of participation into consumer capitalism.
5. To encourage students to develop an electronic portfolio (a digital and internet presence)
throughout their career in the digital communication specialisation to assist them into their future
careers.
6. To foster links with the program and the industry itself.

Faculty Graduate Qualities

Informed - Have a sound knowledge of an area of a disciplinary study or interdisciplinary area of study
offered by the Faculty of Arts through its majors with an understanding of its current issues, their contexts
and developments over time.

Independent Learners - Engage with new ideas and ways of thinking, enquiry and critical analysis of
issues and research through a sequence of subjects that culminates in the ability to reflect broadly on their
field of study. Acknowledge the work and ideas of others.

Problem Solvers - Take on challenges and apply the relevant skills required to respond effectively to the
central issues raised. Be flexible, thorough and innovative and aim for high standards.

Effective Communicators - Articulate ideas and convey them effectively using a variety of modes.
Engage collaboratively with people in different settings. Recognise how culture can shape communication.

Responsible - Understand how decisions can affect others, and make ethically informed choices.
Appreciate and respect diversity. Act with integrity as part of local, national, regional, global and
professional communities.

The Faculty Graduate Qualities can be found on the following website:

http://www.uow.edu.au/arts/current/FacultyGraduateQualities/index.html

Autumn Session 2010 7

Assessment Tasks – in detail

1: Weekly Blog Task

st nd
due: Weekly: 1 Review in Week 4, Wed March 24 by 8pm and 2 Review in Week 10, April
Wednesday 28 by 8pm)
weighting: Week 4: 10% + Week 10: 20%
length: Week 4: 300 words, Week 10: 500 words.

Each week students will construct a short blog post on the topic presented in the lecture
and discussed during the lab/tutorial time. Students will upload their blogs to the DIGC
Social Network Research NING site (to be introduced in Week 1) each week and are
expected to complete post by the following week (before the lecture).

In order to meet the participation requirements for this assessment task and in the subject
overall students must read and make constructive comments on at least three (3) separate
blogs of your peers each week. (This does not include commentary generated online in the
group projects). The blogs should feature a variety of primary, secondary and tertiary
sources, and should be fully referenced.

In Week 4 students will nominate their best post, with a short justification. Students will also
nominate their favourite post from someone else on the NING, and nominate the most
useful comment posted anywhere on the NING so far. Give a short justification for each
decision with regard to composition, research, critical inquiry and use of theory. (300
Words)

In Week 10 students will nominate their best three blogs post of the session, with a short
justification for each post. Students will also nominate their top three posts of others on the
NING, and nominate the three most useful comments posted on the site. Give a short
justification for each decision with regards to composition, research, critical inquiry and use
of examples. Short quotes only. (500 Words)

The highest standard of blogging practice will attempt to comment on the lecture, in-class
group work, weekly readings and make reference to further academic sources and
exemplification from your own research and experience. Each week should be considered
as a short reflective work, not a summary of the readings or lecture, but you can refer to key
terms, quotes, or review main points. The assessment will give you regular practice in
selective articulation and interpretive responses to the weekly materials and provide an
opportunity to contribute your own research findings.

Autumn Session 2010 8

 2: Group Game Design Proposal – ‘The Pitch’

due: due date Wednesday Week 6, April 15

weighting: 10%
length: 10 minutes

From Week 2 onwards students will work to collaboratively produce a digital game proposal
and present an industry style developers „pitch‟ during the lab/tutorial in Week 6.

The groups of 3-4 students will coproduce a 10-15 minute pitch outlining the idea for a
digital game and the shape of their final project.

The presentation should feature a range of visual and audio materials and research should
come from academic and industry sources, and original primary investigation.

The pitch should be accompanied by a short 500 word report posted to the NING site and
submitted via email detailing the outcomes intended for Week 13 deadline and the specific
roles of each member of the group.

Autumn Session 2010 9

 3: Game Design Group Presentation

due: during lab/tutorials on Wednesday Week 11 (May 19) and Wednesday Week 12 (May 26)
weighting: 25%
length: 15-20 minutes
In Weeks 11 and 12 the student groups will present on the final shape of their digital games
proposals detailing the individual research and production roles of the group members. The
presentation should include visual and audio materials and address the following elements of
the game (but are not limited to):

- Game description, including gameplay, platform, position in a genre, and

description of characterisation and visual design.
- Description of projected design and production process.
- Description of marketing and distribution plan, including target markets, retailers
and media campaign.

The presentation should touch on industry, user and academic research and should be
accompanied by complete reference list. Students will be involved in the peer assessment of
the group projects in Week 13.

4: Game Design
Weekly Blogs Group Dossier

due: Wednesday Week 13, June 2.

weighting: 25%
length: 1250-1500 words
The Group dossier should highlight the work of the group over the past 12 weeks, include all
research, references and links to text, images, audio and video materials, content collected
and linked to or embedded on the NING site.

5: Participation

due: During all lab/tutorials and lectures

weighting: 10%
length: NA
To meet the minimum standards of participation students must attend 80% of all lectures
and lab/tutorials, post the weekly blog task punctually and comment on the works of at
least three others in the cohort each week.

Autumn Session 2010 10

Tutorial Guide: DIGC201 Digital Games Cultures

Week 1 - Week beginning 1st March

Lecture: Introduction To Digital Games Cultures

This week introduces the subject by placing digital games in a framework for
understanding them at once as a family of technologies, as a central part of the
global creative economy, and as a dynamic element of contemporary culture.
Students will be introduced to the 2010 DIGC Social Research NING Network a small
scale social network useful for supporting our online blogging, research outcomes
and e-learning needs.

Note: Instructions on how to sign up to the DIGC Social Research NING group will be made available
during the lecture. An email invitation will be sent to your nominated email. Sign up to the NING in your
own time and write your first blog post.

Tutorial No Lab/Tutorials in Week 1

Blog Topic
Post an introductory message about yourself and about your gaming history and current gaming practices.
Tell us about the digital games you play, like or dislike. Don‟t worry if you don‟t play games regularly –
what was the last game you tried or watched someone else play? Have you fallen victim to Farmville or
Bejewelled on Facebook, are you a Solitaire or Minesweeper procrastinator, have you enjoyed a Guitar
Hero effort or play tested a friends‟ Nintendo Wii? Or are you are „hardcore‟ World of Warcraft fanatic?

Reading
Egenfeldt-Nielsen et al, 2008 Chapter 3, 'What is a game?' Understanding Video Games The Essential
Introduction (Egenfeldt-Nielsen, Simon, Heide Smith, Jonas, Pajares Tosca Susana) p22-44. (Library e-
reading)

Kerr Aphra, Kucklich Julian, Brereton, Pat 2006, 'New media - new pleasures?' International Journal of
Cultural Studies, vol. 9, no. 1, pp.63-82.

Williams, Dmitri, Yee, Nick, and Caplan, Scott 2008, 'Who plays, how much and why?
Debunking the stereotypical gamer profile', Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication vol.
13 pp.993-1018.

Autumn Session 2010 11

Week 2 - Week beginning 8th March
Lecture: The Archaeology of Digital Games

This week offers an approach to understanding the history and aesthetics of digital games,
which shows that at all times games need to be considered in relation to surrounding
technologies and cultural forms. This week advances understanding about the interchange
between games and other media “ in terms of images and sounds, narrative elements,
technologies and modes of consumption.

Tutorial
After playing and discussing a range of online games genres, students will use the web to investigate and
write a brief summary of the history of one form or genre of digital games. Students will then form groups
to begin working on their ideas for the major game design project.

Blog Task
With reference to the lecture, group discussion and the reading this week discuss your personal interest in
the games industry and about the type of game you might be interested in developing. Vary your response
from the general to the specific, use the link feature to add hyperlinks, audio and video to exemplify your
discussion. What research, creative and production skills and interests can you bring to the group project?

Reading
Malaby, Thomas 2007, „Beyond Play: A New Approach to Games‟ Games and Culture, no. 2, p.95.

Wilson, Jason 2008, „Participation TV‟: Videogame archaeology and new media art.‟ In Jason
Wilson and Melanie Swalwell. (Eds) The pleasures of computer games: Theory, history,
aesthetics. Jefferson, NC: McFarland. (Library e-reading)

Autumn Session 2010 12

Week 3 - Week beginning 15th March
Lecture: Space, Place and Mobility
This week we focus on those digital games that are played in public “ arcade games,
mobile games, and even games on Facebook as well as experimental forms of play
including augmented-reality games. We consider how artists, activists and others have
carried out rich experiments with games that blend digital and urban spaces. The lecture
will examine the history of the commercial games industry predominantly focussed on
producing coin-op games for public play before moving to examine current and future
games for mobile devices and why these products have become so important across
multiple technologies and industry sectors.

Tutorial
Students will interview one another on their personal game playing history and report their initial
discoveries on the NING. The week‟s research task will focus on locating sources of games, including
experimental and indie titles that require us to think about „game‟ spaces, both public and private, in
different ways. Some time will be devoted to the groups‟ preparation for the game „pitch‟.

Blog Task
Summarise your role in the group and your contributions and ideas to the project – what to do you think is
a feasible project management approach, what kind of project are you interest in developing – what do
you want to include in the pitch? What digital literacies and creative skills can you bring to the group? With
reference to one of the readings this week describe how your game is to be controlled and what this might
mean for the player‟s sense of space, location and sense of interaction online and off?

Reading
Hjorth, Larissa 2007, „The Game of Being Mobile: One Media History of Gaming and Mobile
Technologies in Asia-Pacific‟. Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New
Media Technologies, 13: 369-381.

Murphy, Sheila 2004, 'Live in Your World, Play in Ours: The Spaces of Video Game Identity',
Journal of Visual Culture, vol. 3, no.2, pp223-238.

Ornebring, Henrik 2007, „Alternative reality gaming and convergence culture: The case of Alias‟,
International Journal of Cultural Studies, vol. 10, no. 4, pp. 445-462.

Wark, Mackenzie 2007 'Allegory' Gamer Theory, Harvard University Press, Cambridge.
(Library e-reading)

Autumn Session 2010 13

Week 4 - Week beginning 22nd March
Lecture: The Console and the Living Room
In this week the lecture will look to the home games console, now central to ecologies of
domestic media. We will trace some of the industrial and technological trajectories of
console gaming, from early successes like the Atari to new-generation consoles. It will show
how technologies and games are integrated into home entertainment systems and into
the ‚jntertextual commodjtjes‛ of convergence culture. kt wjll consjder key contemporary
console games and genres, and think about how they relate to other texts and forms of
media consumption.

Tutorial
Group work is the focus this week as we discuss and revise our collaborative games projects. Individually
we will research the trajectory of one established games title. How does the production of serialised
content and the transformation of intellectual properties, like Grand Theft Auto, Call of Duty, or any of the
FIFA and EA titles, differ to the demands of other mediums including film, television and print – how do
games incorporate and transform innovations of these technologies?

Blog Task
Make a rough account of all the devices for playing games in your home. Where is the most common
location for games playing in your house? How often does your household play games together? How has
family and home-orientated gaming experiences changed in your lifetime? Consult with two different
generations in your family for their perspective.

Reading
Barry Ip 2008, „Technological, Content, and market Convergence in the Games Industry, Games and
Culture, no. 3.

Aayama Yuko, Izushi Hiro 2003, Hardware gimmick or cultural innovation? Technological, cultural and
social foundations of the Japanese video game industry, Research Policy, 32, pp. 423-444.

Autumn Session 2010 14

Week 5 - Week beginning 29th March
Lecture: PC and Online Games and Gamers
Games have been integral to preparing the way for domestic computing “ now they are
part of the rich landscape of digital culture. This week will offer some insights into the role
of personal computers as a platform for gaming. It will then consider three very different
forms of contemporary gameplay that the digital network culture of the internet has
nurtured “ Massively Multiplayer Online Games, Casual Gaming, and Indie games.

Tutorial
Demonstration and discussion of PC games will be followed by an individual research task exploring the
impact of digital distribution on the PC games industry and look to some of the emerging future trends of
the industry.

Blog Task
Games Review: Students will imagine themselves in the role of a games journalist – play test and review a
game on a personal computer (PC, MAC, Notebook or Netbook etc) and provide a short game review.

Reading
Barry Atkins “What Are We Really Looking at?: The Future-Orientation of Video Game Play”
Games and Culture 2006 1 (2): 127-140.

Klastrup, Lisbeth 2007, 'Why Death Matters: Understanding Gameworld Experience', Journal of
Virtual Reality and Broadcasting, vol. 4, no. 3,

Moore, C. 2009, „Digital Games Distribution: The Presence of the Past and the Future of Obsolescence‟,
M/C Journal, vol. 12, no. 3.

Autumn Session 2010 15

Week 6 - Week beginning 12th April
Lecture: Appropriation and Play - Mods and Machinima
The lecture this week will examine collaborative and cultural forms of play that use
games as a starting point and ingredient for further creative practice. The lecture
will cover the appropriation of in-game and game code content for the production
of new game experiences, objects and texts and will focus on the evolution of
djgjtal game cjnema called ‘Machjnjma’; the practjce of usjng game footage as a
raw material for new forms of film, television and video.

Tutorial: Collaborative Games Proposal: ‘The Pitch’

The 5-10 minute presentation should feature a range of visual and audio materials and research should
come from academic and industry sources, and original primary investigation. The pitch should be
accompanied by a short 500 word report posted to the NING site detailing the project‟s outcomes intended
for Week 13 deadline and the specific roles of each member of the group.

Blog Task
In reviewing one of the presentations in class this week, provide constructive feedback and conduct a
peer assessment addressing your comments in line with the assessment criteria available on the NING.
What was the most appealing element of the pitch, what elements of the idea required further research
and planning?

Reading
Postigo, Hector. "Of Mods and Modders: Chasing Down the Value of Fan-Based Digital Game
Modification." Games and Culture 2 (2007): 300-13.

Berkeley, Leo 2006, 'Situating Machinima in the New Mediascape', International

Journal of Emerging Technologies and Society. Vol 4. no. 2, pp.65-80.
http://www.swinburne.edu.au/hosting/ijets/journal/V4N2/pdf/V4N2-1-Berkeley.pdf

Chan, Dean 2008 'Negotiating Online Computer Games in East Asia: Manufacturing Asian MMORPGS
and Marketing 'Asianess' p186 -196.

Autumn Session 2010 16

Week 7 - Week beginning 19th April
Lecture: Violent Media and Moral Panic in ‘iot Coffee’

Games have long been a ‚bad oblect‛ for sectjons of the medja and poljcy makers.
Often construed as ‚chjldren’s medja‛, games have been jnterrogated for the
‘jmpact’ of thejr content, and jn particular to their depictions of interactive violence
and simulated se. This week will examine some cases of panic and policymaking
around games, and show how they have often attracted anxieties about a
broader transjtjon toward a ‚djgjtal culture‛.

Tutorial
Student Online Debate – this week we will be using NING to produce an online debate over digital
game content. Four teams will be conducting the debate asynchronously with students arguing for and
against the inclusion of either violent and sexualised materials in video games.

Blog Task
Briefly summarise your main contribution to debate this week and review the arguments produced during
the seminar and reflect on which you consider stronger (can be from any group). Nominate the most well
researched and engaging argument from someone in your group – be sure to include a reference to their
blog post.

Reading
Galloway, Alexander 2006, 'Origins of the First-Person Shooter, Gaming Essays on Algorithmic Culture',
University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis. p39-69. (Library e-reading)

Bittanti, Matteo 2006, „From gunplay to gunporn: A technovisual history of the first-person
shooter.‟ URL: http://www.mattscape.com/images/GunPlayGunPorn.pdf

Klevjer, Rune 2006, „HC11: Genre blindness.‟ DIGRA Hardcore. URL:

http://www.digra.org/hardcore/hc11. Accessed 1/12/2006.

Kenyota, Gregory 2008, Thinking of the Children: The Failure of Violent Video Game Laws,
Fordham Intellectual Property, Media & Entertainment Law Journal, vol. 18, no 3. (available:
http://law.fordham.edu/publications/index.ihtml?pubID=200)

Autumn Session 2010 17

Week 8 - Week beginning 26th April
Lecture: Censorship and Regulation
We briefly explore issues of digital games censorship before considering the role of
intellectual property for those who seek employment in the games industry. The
lecture will consider the games industry as an employment environment: what can
game-workers expect, and what are the rewards and pitfalls of this career path?
We will situate game design, distribution and sales in the context of a global
cultural economy.

Tutorial
We will examine and discuss several forms of regulation connected to digital games, including censorship
and content regulation, intellectual property rights and End User License Agreements and Terms of
Service contracts and beyond. We will explore what rights the „user‟ has in the governance of user-
generated content.

Blog Task
Account for the types and forms of intellectual property rights and digital content that are likely to be
generated as your game is developed, from planning through to production. Give attention to what laws,
policies or cultural practices that will challenge the policing of your group‟s intellectual property.

Reading
Crawford Susan P. 2006, 'Who's in Charge of Who I am? Identity and Law Online', The State of Play Law,
Games, and Virtual Worlds (Jack M Balkin and Beth Simone Noveck), New York University Press, New
York. 198-216. (Library e-reading)

Moore, C. 2005b, „Commonising the Enclosure: Online Games and Reforming Intellectual Property
Regimes‟, Australian Journal of Emerging Technologies and Society, vol. 3, no.2.

Humphreys, Sal, Fitzgerald Brian, Banks John, Suzor Nic 2005, 'Fan-based production for
computer games: user-led innovation, the 'drift of value' and intellectual property rights',
Media International Australia, no 114, pp.16- 29.

Herman, Andrew, Coombe Rosemary J., Kaye Lewis 2006, 'Your Second Life? Goodwill and the
performativity of intellectual property in online digital gaming', Cultural Studies, vol. 20 nos.
2-3, pp. 184-210.

Deuze, Mark, Chase Bowen Martin, and Christian Allen 2007, „The Professional Identity of
Gameworkers‟, Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media
Technologies (13), pp.335-353

Autumn Session 2010 18

 rd
Week 9 - Week beginning 3 May
Lecture: Australian Games and Gamers

The lecture this week considers digital games in culturally specific context and
allows students to think through issues of identity, nationality and gender in digital
games playing cultures. We examine the activities of Australian gamers, games
fans, programmers, artists and journalists. We look to the trajectory between
casual gamers and the ‘hardcore players and e-sports competitors and make a
closer examination of the national industry and ask who buys games and why?
Are we more like China, Japan and South Korea as gamers or do we reflect the
Western audiences in the UK and US? Are games ‘gendered’ jn thejr marketjng,
technologies, and production as much as their content? Is there a connection
between national cultures and games that originate in particular national
contexts?

Tutorial
Track down an Australian games developer, publisher, games magazine, distributor or retail company and
provide a short referenced encyclopaedic style article – be sure to check your research but do not use
Wikipedia at all during this part of the task.

Blog Task
Examine the Wikipedia entry for the company you selected – is there anything you can add? Find one
piece of information you can add then sign up to Wikipedia and make your changes – then document the
process on your blog. (Remember to do this task in the correct order – no peaking at Wikipedia first! )

Reading

Brand Jeffrey, Borchard Jill, Holmes Kym 2009, „Case Study: Australia‟s Computer Games Audience and
Restrictive Ratings System‟, Communications & Strategies, no. 73, pp. 67-79.

Turkle Sherry 1995, 'Chapter 10. Identity Crisis', Life on the Screen, Touchstone, New York. p.255-
(Library e-reading)

Autumn Session 2010 19

Week 10 - Week beginning 10th May
Lecture: Guest Lecture
Tutorial: TBA
Blog Task: TBA
Reading: TBA

Week 11 - Week beginning 17th May

Lecture: No Lecture “ Game Project Presentations Held in Lab/Seminar
Blog Task: In reviewing one of the presentations in class this week, provide constructive

feedback and conduct a peer assessment addressing your comments in line with the assessment
criteria. What was the most appealing element of the pitch, what elements of the idea require
further research and planning?

Week 12 - Week beginning 24th May

Lecture: No Lecture “ Game Project Presentations Held in Lab/Seminar
Blog Task: In reviewing one of the presentations in class this week, provide constructive

feedback and conduct a peer assessment addressing your comments in line with the assessment
criteria. What was the most appealing element of the pitch, what elements of the idea require
further research and planning?

Week 13 - Week beginning 30th May

Lecture: No Lecture
Tutorial: Conclusion and final preparation of the group project‟s game proposal project.

Autumn Session 2010 20

Email Etiquette: Consultation with your subject coordinator and/or teachers via
email

Your teachers receive many emails each day. In order to enable them to respond to
your emails appropriately and in a timely fashion, students are asked to observe basic
requirements of professional communication:

Consider what the communication is about

Is your question addressed elsewhere (e.g. in this subject outline or, where applicable, on the
subject‟s eLearning site)?
Is it something that is better discussed in person or by telephone? This may be the case if your
query requires a lengthy response or a dialogue in order to address. If so, see consultation
times above and/or schedule an appointment.
Are you addressing your request to the most appropriate person?

Specific email title/ header to enable easy identification of subject related/ student emails
Identify the subject code of the subject you are enquiring about (as your teacher may be involved
in more than one subject) in the email header. Add a brief, specific header after the subject
code where appropriate

Professional courtesy
Address your teacher appropriately by name (and formal title if you do not yet know them).
Use full words (avoid „text-speak‟ abbreviations), correct grammar and correct spelling.
Be respectful and courteous.
Allow 3 – 4 working days for a response before following up. If the matter is legitimately urgent,
you may wish to try telephoning the staff member (and leaving a voicemail message if
necessary) or inquiring at Arts Central, the Arts Faculty's Student and Staff Service
Centre : http://www.uow.edu.au/arts/current/artscentral/index.html.
Please ensure that you include your full name and identify your seminar or tutorial group in your
email so that your teachers know who they are communicating with and can follow-up
personally where appropriate.

A guide to eLearning „Netiquette‟ is available at:

http://www.uow.edu.au/student/elearning/netiquette/index.html

Autumn Session 2010 21

Codes of Practice, Rules and Guidelines

The University of Wollongong has in place codes of practice, rules and guidelines that define a range of
policy issues on both educational and student matters. Students must refer to the Arts Faculty Handbook
or online reference which contains a range of policies on educational issues and student matters. Some of
the policies relevant to the Arts Faculty are listed below:

Academic Grievance Policy (Coursework & Honours Students):

http://www.uow.edu.au/about/policy/UOW058653.html
Acknowledgement Practice/Plagiarism: http://www.uow.edu.au/about/policy/UOW058648.html
Code of Practice Teaching & Assessment: http://www.uow.edu.au/about/policy/UOW058666.html
Code of Practice Honours: http://www.uow.edu.au/about/policy/UOW058661.html
Code of Practice Students/Student Conduct: http://www.uow.edu.au/about/policy/UOW058664.html
Code of Practice – Practical Placements: http://www.uow.edu.au/about/policy/UOW058662.html
Course Progress Policy: http://www.uow.edu.au/about/policy/UOW058679.html
EEO Policy: http://www.uow.edu.au/about/policy/UOW058685.html
Human Ethics Research Guidelines: http://www.uow.edu.au/research/rso/ethics/human/index.html
Intellectual Property: http://www.uow.edu.au/handbook/generalcourserules/UOW028651.html
Non-Discriminatory Language Practice & Presentation:
http://www.uow.edu.au/about/policy/UOW058706.html
Occupational Health and Safety: http://www.uow.edu.au/about/policy/UOW016894.html
Academic Consideration Policy: http://www.uow.edu.au/about/policy/UOW058721.html
Student Conduct Rules and accompanying Procedures:
http://www.uow.edu.au/about/policy/rules/UOW060095.html

Conventions Governing Written Work

Consult the relevant School and Program on the Faculty of Arts website for the appropriate referencing
system used for this subject at

www.uow.edu.au/arts

OR

http://www.library.uow.edu.au/resourcesbytopic/UOW026631.html#electronic

Presentation
• assessments must be laid out in 1.5 line spacing (minimum) or in double spacing
• use A4 paper
• leave a margin of no less than 4 cm
• students are strongly encouraged to print on both sides of the paper
• all assessments should be word processed
• all assessments must be page numbered, including bibliographies or works cited (not including
coversheets or title pages).

Submission of Assignments: Wollongong Campus

To submit an assignment and for any student enquiries please go to Arts Central located in 19.1050.
Unless your tutor or lecturer asks you to do otherwise, submit all assignments by depositing them in one
of the three School slots opposite Arts Central (19.1050 in the Arts building. All essays for „ELL‟, „LING‟,
Japanese, French, Mandarin, Spanish, Italian & STS are to be placed in the SELP slot.
All assignments are to be submitted by 4.00pm on the due date. Any assignments handed in after
4.00pm will be considered late and will be stamped with the next day’s date.

Autumn Session 2010 22

All assignments deposited in the School slots must have a cover sheet attached. Ensure that all sections
are filled in including your tutor‟s name, the assignment question and sign the plagiarism declaration.
Coversheets can be found above the bench opposite Arts Central. You can also download a coversheet
from the Faculty‟s webpage at: www.uow.edu.au/arts/coversheets/index.html - Make sure you
download both pages.

PLEASE ensure that you include the name of your tutor on all work submitted to Arts Central; if
unsure consult the Subject Coordinator for clarification.

Receipts are not mandatory (you can just drop the assignment in the box if you wish), but if you want a
receipt for your assignment, please fill out the bottom section of the coversheet and ask the person to
whom you submit the piece of work to date-stamp it for you.

Students must keep a copy of all work/assignments handed in.

Assignments sent by fax or e-mail will not be accepted unless by prior agreement between the lecturer
and student.

Return of Assignments: Wollongong Campus

The University‟s Code of Practice Teaching and Assessment requires that at least one assignment be
assessed and returned before Week 9 of session.

Assignments submitted during session will be returned to you by your lecturer or tutor. Arts Central does
not hold any assignments during session.

Assignments submitted at the end of session will be held at Arts Central until the end of Week 3 of the
following session. After this time, assignments will be disposed of. Please take your student card with you
when collecting your work. During this period, assignments can be collected: Monday-Friday between
10:30am-12.30pm and 2:30pm-4.30pm.
If you cannot collect assignments personally during the allocated hours and have confirmed that
your assignment has been marked and returned to Arts Central, there are two options available:

Print off the Alternative Assignment Collection form from

http://www.uow.edu.au/content/groups/public/@web/@arts/documents/doc/uow062060.pdf
or collect a copy from Arts Central. Complete all information on the form (especially your signature)
and pass onto a family member or friend to collect the assignments on your behalf.
Drop off a stamped and self-addressed envelope any time to Arts Central and it will be mailed out.
Please mark your Subject Code/s on the back. Most Faculty of Arts assignments can be sent out this
way but allow enough space/postage for all your work in one envelope.

Academic Consideration

Students who miss a deadline, or fall below the minimum attendance requirements, or otherwise find their
work in the subject affected by illness or serious misadventure should lodge a formal request for Academic
Consideration via SOLS. The procedures for lodging a request are available at:
http://www.uow.edu.au/about/policy/UOW060110.html

Penalty for late submission of work:

Late work (i.e. any work required for assessment that has not been given an extension) will be subject to a
10% penalty per day. The penalty is applied to the original mark awarded. Work submitted after seven
calendar days will not be marked and will be given a mark of 0.

Autumn Session 2010 23

Plagiarism

Students are responsible for submitting original work for assessment, without plagiarising or cheating,
abiding by the University‟s policy on plagiarism as set out in the University Handbook under the
University‟s Policy Directory and in Faculty Handbooks and subject guides. Plagiarism has led to the
expulsion from the University.

For full details about the University‟s plagiarism policy see:

http://www.uow.edu.au/about/policy/UOW058648.html

Faculty Handbook

The Faculty issues a Handbook free of charge to all students enrolled in degrees administered by the
Faculty of Arts which can be picked up at Arts Central (19.1050). It contains information on the structure
of the Faculty‟s degrees, the majors/specialisations/strands offered, the more important University policies
and other matters that may affect your time as a student in the Faculty. An up-to-date version of the
handbook is also available in downloadable format on the Faculty of Arts website on the Arts Central
webpage: http://www.uow.edu.au/arts/current/artscentral/UOW018544.html

Grievance Procedures

The term "academic grievance" refers to a complaint by a student concerning an act, omission or decision
by a member of staff that adversely affects a student's academic experience. Some examples of a
grievance include the following:

failure to assess work in accordance with specified criteria;

administrative error in the collating or recording of marks;
failure to address requests for Special Consideration in accordance with the Special Consideration
Policy;
failure of a member of staff to adhere to General Course Rules or requirements of a relevant Code of
Practice;
failure to adhere to Faculty assessment or examination requirements.

The University and the Faculty of Arts have formal Student Academic Grievance Policies that are to be
used only after informal approaches have been made to the relevant staff member. If the informal
approach has an unsatisfactory outcome the student should follow the procedure outlined in the Faculty of
Arts Student Grievance Form.

This form can be downloaded from the UOW website or a copy may be obtained from Arts Central, Level
1, Building 19, Room 1050.

For more information: http://www.uow.edu.au/arts/current/stgrievance

Autumn Session 2010 24

Support Services

Both the Faculty and the University offer support services to its undergraduates.

Arts Central University Library, including the Faculty

Building 19 Room 1050 Librarian
phone: 02 4221 5328 fax: 02 4221 5341 Building 16
Mon – Fri: 8.30am to 5.30pm phone: 02 4221 3545
Email: fac_arts@uow.edu.au uba@uow.edu.au
www.uow.edu.au/arts
Student Support Adviser
Sub Dean Viv McIlroy
to make an appointment to see the Sub Dean, Mon & Tues Room 67.207
contact the Sub Dean‟s Assistant, Mark Hutchings, Wed, Thurs, Fri Room 19.1075
at Arts Central: Support, information and referral for all UOW
Location: 19.1050 students , especially:
Email: arts-subdean@uow.edu.au international students
Ph: 4221 4838 students with a disability
students on low incomes
Course Readers and Textbooks indigenous students
UniShop – Building 11 Email: vmcilroy@uow.edu.au
phone: 02 4221 8050 fax: 02 4221 8055 www.uow.edu.au/student/services/SSA/index.html
unishop.uow.edu.au
Learning Assistance
Student Administration Learning Resource Centre – Bld 11, 209 (level 3)
Student Central – Building 17 phone: 02 4221 3977
phone: 02 4221 3927 fax: 02 4221 4322 www.uow.edu.au/student/services/ld
e-mail: askuow@uow.edu.au
www.uow.edu.au/student Careers Service – Building 11
phone: 02 4221 3325
Woolyungah Indigenous Centre – Building 30 careers@uow.edu.au
phone: 02 4221 3776 fax: 02 4221 4244
www.uow.edu.au/wic/ Counselling Service – Building 11 (level 3)
phone: 02 4221 3445
StudentServices@uow.edu.au

Autumn Session 2010 25