Development of the Game Studies course continues in preparation for the Spring Semester at Taylor. One of the things Dr. Denning and I are working on currently is the course schedule for class lecture topics and textbook discussions. Pulling together a series of lecture topics on the subject of Game Studies is quite the puzzle. Most of these line up with topics with chapters in the textbook, but some do not and will take further research to develop the lectures and in class discussions. We are also working hard to integrate this course into the Systems curriculum, which is an added layer of complexity.

Currently planned class topics:

  • Introduction
  • Game Theory vs Game Studies vs Game Design
  • Intro to Game Theory
  • What is a Game?
  • Games as Systems
  • Game Analysis
  • History of Games
  • Game Characteristics
  • Audience
  • Faith and Gaming
  • Game Mechanics
  • Interfaces
  • Game Engines
  • Final Project Overview
  • Theme
  • Iterative Design
  • Gamers
  • Community
  • Team Dynamics
  • Production
  • Playtesting
  • Gamification
  • Game Industry
  • Publishing

Currently planned The Art of Game Design textbook discussion sections:

  • Chapters 1-4 – Game Design, Defining Games
  • Chapters 5-8 – Characteristics of Games
  • Chapters 9-11 – The Player
  • Chapters 12-14 – Game Mechanics
  • Chapters 15 – Interface
  • Chapters 16-18 – Story
  • Chapters 19-22 – Worlds
  • Chapters 23-24 – Multiplayer and Communities
  • Chapters 25-26 – Team Dynamics
  • Chapters 27-28 – Playtesting and Technology
  • Chapters 29-31 – Game Industry
  • Chapters 32-34 – Design Philosophy

If you have taught or participated in a similar course or have experience with this textbook, we would be very interested to hear your insights for a class lecture series. For those of you following along this blog series, even if you have not taken such a class, we would welcome your comments and questions. We are working hard to make this the best class that we can for our students.

Game Studies #7: Lecture Topics

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