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Presentation
Presentation
Video games have been around for more than half a century and are currently taking a prominent place in contemporary culture. In this sense, the curricular unit Video Games Criticism and Analysis will consist of an approach to the video game as a playful artifact with the purpose of playing, analyzing and critically it, regardless of its typologies, its genre / author, ratings, innovations, characteristics and platforms. Finally, to understand the importance of videoludic criticism for the artistic legitimation of its environment, as this is the only way to contribute to a more creative and mature evolution of the video game industry.
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Class from course
Class from course
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Degree | Semesters | ECTS
Degree | Semesters | ECTS
Bachelor | Semestral | 6
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Year | Nature | Language
Year | Nature | Language
1 | Mandatory | Português
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Code
Code
ULP2533-16933
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Prerequisites and corequisites
Prerequisites and corequisites
Not applicable
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Professional Internship
Professional Internship
Não
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Syllabus
Syllabus
1. From critical thinking to creative writing 1.1. What is the purpose for writing a critique? 1.2. Critique vs. review; 1.3. Critical thinking: how to develop? 1.4. What is creative writing? 1.5. Creative writing: how to develop? 2. The videogame critique 2.1. Context analysis 2.2. How to develop a critique? 2.3. How to evaluate a “good” critique? 3. General guidelines for videogame analysis 3.1. Playing a videogame before writing; 3.2. Types of videogames’ analysis (New Games Journalism); 3.2.1. Comparative analysis; 3.2.2. Interpretative analysis; 3.2.3. Historical analysis; 3.2.4. Case studies analysis; 3.3. Contextualization; 3.4. Videogames at a glance; 3.5. Formal elements of analysis.
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Objectives
Objectives
Students should acquire elementary notions of critical analysis of the various formal dimensions of the video game as a playful artifact. The aim is thus to promote students' ability to judge the value of video games, considering such competence as absolutely essential for the production of artifacts in their industry. At the end of UC, students should be able to: Recognize and distinguish the moment of analysis from the moment of critique; Play, analyze, interpret and criticize video games as a whole; Develop critical thinking and creative writing; Analyze a video game in relation to a genre and / or author; Know how to apply judgments on the basis of different aesthetic theories, bibliographical references, perspectives and knowledge; Know how to evaluate the content of a critique; Write texts and critical essays on videogames based on formal analysis guidelines.
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Teaching methodologies
Teaching methodologies
The classes are theoretical and practical, being the oral presentation of the syllabus by the teacher with occasional recourse to the projection of complementary audiovisual elements and discussion with students. Several practical exercises will also be performed using the activity of playing video games to consolidate knowledge. Continuous assessment is divided into the following components: Practical exercises in class and at home (critical analysis) individual, with presentation and discussion in the classroom (60%); Final group work of 2 students (critical essay) to a videogame with presentation in the classroom (40%); Attendance: students must attend to at least 70% of classes. Exam evaluation: Critical essay with a classroom presentation (10 minutes plus discussion) on a video game chosen from a list proposed by the teacher (100%).
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References
References
Carita, A. (2015). Pensar videojogos: Design, arte e comunicação. Edições Universitárias Lusófonas. Carita, A. (2023). A fotografia nos videojogos: Um ensaio fotográfico ao The Last of Us Part II. Lisbon Press. Consalvo, M., & Paul, C. A. (2019). Real games: What's legitimate and what's not in contemporary videogames. MIT Press. Juul, J. (2013). The art of failure: An essay on the pain of playing video games. MIT Press. Muriel, D., & Crawford, G. (2018). Video games as culture: Considering the role and importance of video games in contemporary society. Routledge. Nguyen, C. T. (2020). Games: Agency as art. Oxford University Press. Schell, J. (2019). The art of game design: A book of lenses (3rd ed.). CRC Press. Sharp, J. (2015). Works of game: On the aesthetics of games and art. MIT Press.
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Assessment
Assessment
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A avaliação contínua divide-se nas seguintes componentes:
Exercícios práticos de aula e em casa (análises críticas) individuais, com apresentação e discussão na sala de aula (60%);
Trabalho final em grupo de 2 estudantes (ensaio crítico) a um videojogo com apresentação na sala de aula (40%);
Assiduidade: frequência obrigatória a pelo menos 70% das aulas.Exame recurso/especial:
Ensaio crítico com apresentação na sala de aula (10 minutos mais discussão) de um videojogo de uma lista proposta pelo docente (100%).
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Mobility
Mobility
Yes
