Prospectus

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Game Analysis: Games and Cultural Analysis

Course
2021-2022

Admission requirements

Not applicable

Description

This 13-week course is dedicated to exploring the many aspects of one specific game series (The Elder Scrolls, Bethesda, 1994-), in relation to comparable games, within the context of the intermedial genre of fantasy. Students will learn to bring key concepts and analytic methods discussed in the first semester, and a range of more specific issues and concepts for this genre to bear on the TES-games, and learn how to develop this analysis into a critical reflection on the social role of these specific games, and the genre of RPG-(fantasy)-games as a whole, within a broader cultural and social context.

Course objectives

After this course, students have obtained:

  • an insight in the contemporary cultural and theoretical relevance of the intermedial genre of fantasy, and of the genre of RPG fantasy video games;

  • the ability to work with the concepts and insights obtained in the first semester to analyse a specific case study;

  • knowledge of a range of specific concepts and insights relevant for this specific genre;

  • the ability to engage in a well-informed cultural analysis of an aspect of the games series (fantasy, neomedievalism, landscape, space, religion, magic, database, identity, race, death, gender, sexuality, pleasure, counter-gaming, etc.), and to write a well-founded report of this analysis

Timetable

Visit MyTimetable.

Mode of instruction

Seminars

Assessment method

Assessment

Blog and presentation
Short paper
Exam (open questions)

Weighing

Blog and presentation 20%
Short paper 40%
Exam 40%

Resit

Resit option for all assignments

Inspection and feedback

How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organized.

Reading list

The reading list will be announced on Brightspace. Short essays that are not available on internet will be placed on Brightspace. Longer texts will be available on the “werkgroepenplank” (working group shelves) in the library.

Registration

Enrolment through uSis for classes, exams and final papers is mandatory.
General information about uSis is available on the website.

Contact

  • For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.

  • For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: Arsenaal

Remarks

For more information please check the website Film- en literatuurwetenschap of the study program Film and Literature Studies.