Duration
30h Th
Number of credits
Lecturer
Björn-Olav Dozo, N...
Language(s) of instruction
French language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the first semester, review in January
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
As an extension of the course "History and Analysis of Video Game Practices" (COMU2149-1), which is offered to undergraduate students as part of the Popular Cultures minor and serves as an introduction to the study of video games as a cultural object at the university, this master's course takes the form of a research seminar and is also designed to support students who wish to write a Master's dissertation in the field of video games.
The course focuses on the history of video games, on the one hand by deconstructing the traditional, canonical history (American-centric, with a Western view on Japan, and focused on commercially successful video game hardware - popular game consoles), and on the other hand by proposing, depending on the year, probes that uncover non-hegemonic video game histories. Special attention will be paid to video game production in Belgium.
In addition to this historiographical shift in content, the course also aims to encourage students to reflect on the writing of history itself: is a written narrative the most appropriate form to report on material that involves sound, images, and interaction? Does a digital historiographic form have the same longevity as a printed book? These and other questions will feed into a collective process in which students will engage in supervised research on a topic defined in advance of the course.
This year, the seminar will be based in part on interviews with people working in the field of video game production in Belgium. This original material, necessary for writing a history of video games in Belgium, will be the first support of the course.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
Learn how to turn video game into an historical object.
Learn to problematize the classical history of video games.
Learn how to build a corpus of sources on a contemporary object.
Get examples of interviews with video game professionals.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
An interest in video games and their history is an advantage.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
Part of the sessions are ex cathedra. Another part involves attending interviews. A third is based on the pooling of collected sources.
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Face-to-face course
Course materials and recommended or required readings
Platform(s) used for course materials:
- eCampus
Further information:
Interviews with video game professionals are available on YouTube. The course platform is eCampus.
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- In-person
oral exam
Written work / report
Continuous assessment
Further information:
The exam consists of three parts.
1. Participation in course sessions and research into sources concerning the history of video games in Belgium.
2. A ten-page essay problematizing a question related to the course theme. The paper is to be submitted on eCampus as a PDF file.
3. An oral presentation of the work during the session.
Work placement(s)
Organisational remarks and main changes to the course
Contacts
Professor: Björn-Olav Dozo
bo.dozo@uliege.be
Association of one or more MOOCs
The MOOC entitled 'Introduction à la culture vidéoludique (P2)' is associated with this course.