ASIAN 3315 - Game Studies and Japan

(crosslisted) SHUM 3325
(GB) (ALC-AS, LA-AS)

Spring. 3 credits. Letter grades only.

A. Campana.

Video games have become one of the major cultural forces of the world, far surpassing the size of the film and music industries combined. They have also been key to developments in digital culture and technology, with the full extent of their impact on contemporary society only beginning to be understood. For much of the history of digital games, the vast majority of popular works have come from Japan—Nintendo, Sony, Sega, Capcom, Namco, and other companies have defined the medium as we know it—yet this remains largely not reflected in the growing discipline of game studies. In this course, we will explore key works from throughout game history and game studies in relation to culture and media in Japan, through experiments in writing, gameplay, and other forms of critical media practice. (SC)