Class TA Kristina Drzaic (center) and students Kenny Peng (left) and Clara Rhee (right) examine a game for the Nintendo DS system. (Photo by Dr. Alice Robison.)
Instructor(s)
Dr. Alice Robison
MIT Course Number
CMS.998 / CMS.600
As Taught In
Fall 2006
Level
Undergraduate / Graduate
Course Description
Course Features
Course Description
This course is an introduction to the interdisciplinary study of commercial videogames as texts, examining their cultural, educational, and social functions in contemporary settings. Students play and analyze videogames while examining debates surrounding how games function within socially situated contexts. Readings include contemporary game theory (Gee, Squire, Steinkuehler, Jenkins, Klopfer, Zimmerman and Salen, Juul, Bartle, Taylor, Aarseth) and the completion of a contemporary commercial videogame chosen in consultation with the instructor.