Annotation
This video game course will analyze examples of particular game mechanics in relation to their respective aesthetics of how there are presented within each game. We will attempt to draw conclusions from the relationship between mechanics and aesthetics, their correlation and how they are supplementary to each other. Furthermore, a critique of each of the game’s ethics and ideological backgrounds is in order, to illustrate how certain alignments between mechanics and aesthetics shape and form meanings and messages the video games produce. The course will vary between commenting on parts of gameplay and reading articles and signature game studies texts. Should the situation arise, I would be more than happy to fit in your presentation if it is related to video games, be it a paper, a thesis or just a draft you are currently working on. The course will be concluded via exam, where we will discuss a game and/or article of your choice.
1. Introduction, basic of overview of aesthetics and game mechanics, definition
2. Reading Espen Aarseth on the fictional, the virtual and the real; what is the fiction in video games?
3. Historical strategy games, the 4X paradigm and its depictions.
4. Reading Sicart on procedurality; the ethics of video games.
5. Photorealistic games; the depiction of a painting.
6. Reading Juul: Half-real/Handmade pixels; other styles of visualization.
7. A trip to the past I: a clash between photorealism, pixels and full motion video.
8. Remediation; cases of imprinting and drawing inspiration from other media.
9. A trip to the past II: medievalism and representation of Dark Age.
10. An authority on both the Middle Ages and video games? The case of Johan Huizinga.
11. The inspiration from aesthetics and fiction combined. Deep-dive into Pentiment and The Name of the Rose.
12. Conclusion. Niche games that have escaped our radar. Closing remarks.