What do you have to do to get the chance to teach a course like this? This site gives information on a course being taught by Aaron Delwiche at the University of Washington called "The Ethnography of Online Role-Playing Games." It's being taught out of the Communications department.
What's interesting to me is the course requirements: In lieu of a textbook, you are expected to purchase a copy of the Everquest Trilogy software (approximately $20 retail). You must also commit to a three-month subscription at the rate of $12.95 per month. Since the first month is free, the total expenditure for computer supplies is approximately $46.
I've been thinking more about using videogames in my classes instead of traditional "literary" type readings. However, I really don't know if I'd want to go with a commercial title instead of any of the numerous open source or public domain games out there. I guess it only makes sense to use Everquest in a course like this, but isn't there a wealth of online RPGs that are free and more representative of true "nerd culture" than Everquest? I'm thinking, of course, of MUDs.
As much as I enjoy playing videogames and discussing them, for some reason I have mixed feelings about requiring students to purchase a commercial videogame. What are your opinions? I'd really like to hear them.
Funny you should mention it...
Next Tuesday I'm supposed to have a meeting with the dean of academic affairs to discuss a course that I'm going to pitch as "Gaming Culture and Theory." I mentioned the possibility in passing during a meeting last month, and the dean contacted me the other day to follow up on it. The format will be a three-week course in May or January, so the "spend three months getting to know the culture of EverQuest" format just isn't going to work for me. I was thinking of historic units on pre-computer gaming, mainframe text gaming, and Myst, and then longer units on a socially-oriented "game" such as There.com and maybe Neverwinter Nights. (The actual games I choose for the contemporary units will depend, of course, on what's worth studying when I actually get around to teaching it... but the format seems a natural for late-night LAN parties. Oh, and blogging will definitely be involved.
(And they're going to *pay* me for it... probably less than what I would earn if I waited tables during that time, but still... somebody pinch me.)
As far as alternatives to EverQuest and similar commercial titles, isn't there a free, US-Military sponsored MMORPG? (I tried googling for it but I must not have used the right keywords.) And of course you probably know I can't pass up the chance to plug interactive fiction. With IF or MOO programming, students can experience game programming, which I find gives the literary/linear/not-too-thrilled-by-computers types a greater appreciation for interactive genres.
Dennis G. Jerz
Jerz's Literacy Weblog
America's Army
I think this is what you are looking for, although from what I understand, it's not an MMORPG but a first person shooter (have never tried it). Makes more sense that it would be a Quake/Unreal type game since the US military uses those those types of games in combat simulation exercises for practicing tactics. And I'm sure that students would have fun downloading it and then critiquing it. I'd be curious to know what elements of nationalism are being promoted within the game. Be interesting to know who the enemies are, too.
And I'm jealous. Sounds like a fun class for everyone :)
OK, not MMORPG
Yeah, that's it. MMO-Fragfest, then. :) Yes, studying it in conjuction with "September 12" and perhaps some more abstract depictions of violence (Space Invaders?) would be very interesting. As I recall, the ethnic identity of the enemy is random, and it is impossible to play as a bad guy; if you fight agaist a team of human players, you will always see yourself and your teammates as US soldiers, and the enemy will see themselves as US Soldiers. Makes me want to re-read Ender's Game... which wouldn't be a bad idea for the course, now that I think of it.
Thanks for the encouragement about the course... the last time I really went out on a limb with a radically new course plan, it bombed.
Dennis G. Jerz
Jerz's Literacy Weblog
encouragement
if you are integrating in playing the games as part of the critical analysis, the students will love it no matter what. it'll be the kind of course they can brag about to their friends and family that they are taking. i would suspect that i'll be a course that will have plenty of demand to be taught more than once :)
Games
What kind of texts are you considering? In the course of my research, I found the Video Game Theory Reader very helpful. Ender's Game would be a great novel, but how about some films? Last Starfighter springs to mind. There's a video out there somewhere about videogame violence; I haven't seen it yet.