Gaming scholarship

[looneymoon]

Hello people of TLS.

As a few of you may know, I'm currently doing a major in history for my undergraduate degree in arts. Being a completely blessed individual, my major's seminar class is focusing on the topic of history in relation to visual narrative (with an emphasis on comic books yes I get to read comic books for my major's seminar isn't that awesome???).

So as with all seminar classes, each student has to write a whopping 25-page paper in order to complete their degree. Bluh!!!! Except not bluh at all because of the topic I chose to write about!

In class we've spoken a lot about the neglect comic books get as a respectable literary/visual medium. For that reason I've decided to focus on another medium that often gets shafted out - video games!

The paper is really going to focus a lot on this idea of how games relates to visual studies. How gaming as an art form has allowed people's perspectives towards images and the self since its advent and growing popularity. It's only an idea so far, and I've only glanced at some research materials. But I think I have a start on something new and exciting! It's a flourishing field of study and I really hope I can contribute something worthwhile towards the literature.

So anyways, I posted this thread here because who better to share this with than all the amazing people I know on a gaming-oriented forum? If anyone is interested, I can post all the preliminary work and the process of writing this behemoth of a project. I can forward you towards articles and books and whatever research materials I maybe using (if you want me to send you any articles off online databases... just PM me because it's kind of not very legal for me to post them for free on a public forum........) Also give me ideas! I know there are scholarly types (hi Tres) around here and I could probably use a hand or two in putting this together properly.

So yeah. I'm writing up my proposal tomorrow. I'll post it after I email it to my prof if anyone is interested?

 

[Cookie Monster]

Yes, plz.

 

[Bex]

Just make sure that professors don't mistake what you post here for someone else's work otherwise you're in the shit for plagiarism.

I only know this because one of my coursemates posted the intro of one of her essays on wiki and got bollocked for it.

Great idea though, and best of luck for it.

 

[Ghost X]

25 page report, eh? Sounds nightmarish for someone like myself who likes to cite every bit of information I spew from legitimate and reputable sources in the small-ish reports I have to write from time to time (talking maybe 6 pages at most). Even the internet, in some cases, can feel very limited for information. God forbid I'll ever have to step foot in a library =p.

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

That sounds absolutely fascinating and right up my street. Please sign me up.
What's your college? It sounds like a place some of my students would be interested in. Or would that be giving too much away?
One thing though, I'm not clear what the focus of your thesis is. You wrote "allowed people's perspectives...." Allowed their perspectives to what?
Really, MLA needs to work out a way of citing collaborative online discussions.

 

[Hisako]

Posting research materials and sources =

posting your actual paper anytime close to the deadline on the Internet, even after date of hand-in = no-no


Compared to other media, I think videogames might have the short end of the stick in terms of established research and resources, so perhaps one way to get some big experience for your paper is to go around and try and find some face-time with a variety of people who work in the industry - although that sounds a lot easier on paper than it probably is in practice.


However, this is your thing and I think you're pretty damn intelligent enough for you to figure out these things, so

 

[Dana Scully]

Yes, plz.

 

[Alessa Gillespie]

in regards to the topic: some games that I think are very artful in their storytelling: ookami, loz: wind waker, shadow of the colossus.

games that tell a beautiful story, but maybe the art is subpar or not as stunning as previous titles: mother 3, earthbound/mother 2, any persona game, silent hill 2, fatal frame 2, metal gear solid 3,

i ran out of things i was thinking about.....

 

[Hisako]

Also, I think there needs to be a focus on what fundamentally makes video games stand out as a medium from other forms of art in general: interactivity. I think interactivity in games is probably what emotionally involves an audience and allows an experience that could be far beyond any comparable work which might be portrayed solely through film, or music, or writing.

 

[e.suna]

I'll just add my voice to the chorus that this is awesome and hell yes keep us posted!

 

[looneymoon]

I don't intend to put the entire paper up. Not until it's handed in a graded. I'll be posting preliminary work/ideas though. I can PM people the actual written work if they like?

I haven't quite focused down the topic yet. I'll be talking to my prof about it sometime next week hopefully.

As for the institution I attend, it's the University of British Columbia (that's in Canada!).

 

[Arianna]

I'll help what I can. Let me know.

 

[Tennyo]

You could always philosophize about how FFVII is an allegory for global warming and whether or not humanity is squandering the natural resources of the planet.

Whether or not you feel that way not withstanding.

 

[looneymoon]

For those of you interested

http://gamestudies.org/1102

 

[Ryushikaze]

You have a chance of getting published in the journal, Looney?

 

[looneymoon]

hahaha no no I just thought it'd be a nice thing to share.

That'd be super cool though.

 

[Ryushikaze]

Fair noof. You settled on your topic yet, or has that not yet been hammered home.

Or is it also hush hush?

Having gone through the horrors of stupidly long papers myself, I understand where you're coming from.

I ought to dig out some of my really old writing and plop them up here. Yes, I still have the files. Somewhere.

 

[HylianMogget]

Sounds really interesting! I'm a history major, as well, and am doing my seminar paper this semester, too, but I generally focus in medieval history so I'd imagine it's pretty different stuff . I'd definitely be interested in seeing how things are progressing.

 

[looneymoon]

Spoiler

As far as the topic goes, I've decided to focus on how PATHS act as the framework of gaming.

Basically I'm going to try and talk about how the presentation of options/control within a game makes the experience completely unique player to player, gaming session to gaming session. And how this relates to gaming as a storytelling medium.