In HNRS 353-002 we will study the cultural significance of videogames from a number of critical perspectives. As products of a complicated network of social, economic, and technological forces, videogames are dense objects, deeply layered with multiple meanings and hidden histories. Whether we consider early arcade games like Pac-Man or the latest blockbusters like Skyrim, we find that videogames reveal much about our cultural values, hopes and anxieties, and assumptions about the world. We will examine a range of games this semester as we strive to understand both their narrative and formal aspects. At the same time we will map connections between videogames and their broader social contexts—how games are designed and manufactured, who plays them and where, and in what ways videogames can be more than entertainment.

HNRS 353 fulfills George Mason’s general education synthesis course requirement. Broadly speaking, synthesis courses are meant to expand your ability to master new material, think critically, and develop life-long learning skills. Synthesis courses also emphasize effective oral and written communication, and incorporate perspectives from multiple disciplines.

This class is not a history of videogames. Such classes exist and they usually begin by looking at the first videogames from the 1960s and early 70s and then tracing the development of videogames through the Atari and Nintendo years of the late 70s and 80s, and into graphic-intensive, visually-realistic games on modern consoles like the PlayStation and Xbox.

HNRS 353-002 takes a different approach. We might call it an “archaeological” approach, for we will begin with recent games and “dig” our way deeper through different layers of time and technology. We will excavate each layer by focusing on a single game or a pair of games as case studies. We will conclude the semester by coming full circle, studying contemporary indie games and the social and economic context of the indie game movement.

The four archaeological layers (and case studies) are as follows:

• Millennial Games: Portal (2007)
• Recent Past: Quake (1996) and Civilization II (1996)
• Distant Past: Super Mario Bros. (1985) and Tetris (1984)
• Ancient Past: Pac-Man (1980) and Zork (1980)

There are several caveats about these case studies. First, the measure of time as “recent,” “distant,” and “ancient” is purely subjective and not meant to suggest any kind of commonly accepted delineation between videogame eras. Second, these games are not necessarily the most representative or canonical games of their respective time periods; rather, they are influential (and technologically accessible) games that allow us to ask interesting questions about videogames and culture.

Portal requires a purchase (it is currently $9.99 on Steam, though it is often on sale for less). The other games can be played in a browser or through free downloads (we will experience Civ II through an open source version called FreeCiv). All of the games work on both Macs and PCs.

Students are responsible for verifying their enrollment in this class. The last day to add this course is Tuesday, January 29. The last day to drop this course with no tuition penalty is also Tuesday, January 29. After the last day to drop a class, withdrawal from HNRS 353 requires the approval of the dean and is only allowed for nonacademic reasons.

Students must use their MasonLIVE email account to receive important University information, including messages related to this class. Failure to check your MasonLIVE email every day may result in missed messages, which you are responsible for. See http://masonlive.gmu.edu for more information.

In addition, I encourage you to sign up to receive SMS messages from me, using a service called remind101. I will only send you a text message if class is cancelled or delayed (due to inclement weather, for example). You can register by texting the keyword @hnrs to 424-888-7974. I do not gain access to your phone number through this service (nor you to mine). Your regular text messaging charges will apply.

Mason is an Honor Code university; please see the University Catalog for a full description of the code and the honor committee process. The principle of academic integrity is taken very seriously and violations are treated gravely. What does academic integrity mean in this course? Essentially this: when you are responsible for a task, you will perform that task. When you rely on someone else’s work in an aspect of the performance of that task, you will give full credit in the proper, accepted form. Another aspect of academic integrity is the free play of ideas. Vigorous discussion and debate are encouraged in this course, with the firm expectation that all aspects of the class will be conducted with civility and respect for differing ideas, perspectives, and traditions. When in doubt (of any kind) please ask for guidance and clarification.

Laptops and smart phones may be used in class but only for classroom activities such as note-taking. Messaging unrelated to class is not acceptable. The use of music players and portable game systems during class is also unacceptable. I may occasionally ask you to turn off all electronics.

Late arrivals or early departures from class are disruptive and should be avoided.

If you are a student with a disability and you need academic accommodations, please see me and contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS) at 993-2474.  All academic accommodations must be arranged through the DRC.

George Mason issues emergency warnings affecting the university community through its Mason Alert system. If you have not already signed up to receive email, page, or text message alerts, please do so at alert.gmu.edu.

Note that this syllabus is subject to change, depending on the direction and need of the class. None of the major assignments or readings will change, but I do reserve the right to alter deadlines and to add or subtract material from the syllabus if it makes pedagogical sense to do so.

Hook, William. DualShock 3 (2). 2008. 14 Jan. 2013. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/williamhook/2505466922/>.