Module Descriptors
MILITARY GAMES DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT
GAME60431
Key Facts
School of Computing and Digital Technologies
Level 6
15 credits
Contact
Leader: Stephen Webley
Email: S.J.Webley@staffs.ac.uk
Hours of Study
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities: 24
Independent Study Hours: 126
Total Learning Hours: 150
Assessment
- COURSEWORK weighted at 100%
Module Details
ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENT DETAILS
Written assignment and associated practical work 100% assessing learning outcomes 1 to 3, equivalant to 4,000 words
The assignment will consist of three parts.
1) Demonstrating an understanding of the inherent relationship between War, Militainment, the military industrial complex, the entertainment industry, and market capitalism. This should include a discussion on any ethical implications.
2) Evaluating the military techniques involved in a historic military battle - and applying them to a Game setting.
3) Developing the Documentation for a Militainment Product and/or a serious military game/simulation.
The assignment will consist of three parts.
1) Demonstrating an understanding of the inherent relationship between War, Militainment, the military industrial complex, the entertainment industry, and market capitalism. This should include a discussion on any ethical implications.
2) Evaluating the military techniques involved in a historic military battle - and applying them to a Game setting.
3) Developing the Documentation for a Militainment Product and/or a serious military game/simulation.
INDICATIVE CONTENT
History of Military and Games
- The co-dependency of war, economies, and entertainment.
- The skills required to work with military based digital entertainment products and serious games and simulations.
- Serious games
- War Games
- Multiplayer & Military Games Design
- The Rise of Militainment
- Practical Military strategies
- Designing Militainment
- Ethics & Games Design
- The co-dependency of war, economies, and entertainment.
- The skills required to work with military based digital entertainment products and serious games and simulations.
- Serious games
- War Games
- Multiplayer & Military Games Design
- The Rise of Militainment
- Practical Military strategies
- Designing Militainment
- Ethics & Games Design
LEARNING STRATEGIES
2 hours per week interactive lecture
RESOURCES
The Internet
TEXTS
Joystick Soldiers (Paperback) by Nina B. Huntemann (Editor), Matthew Thomas Payne (Editor). Paperback - 6 Aug 2009
Virtuous War: Mapping the Military-industrial-media-entertainment-network by James Der Derian. Paperback - 28 Jan 2009
From Sun Tzu to Xbox: War and Video Games by Ed Halter. Paperback - 10 May 2006
The Ethics of Computer Games by M Sicart. Hardcover - 2 Jun 2009
On War by Carl von Clausewitz, translation by P. Paret & M Howard. Hardcover - 20 May 1993
Wired for War by P W Singer. Paperback - 29 Dec 2009
Theatres of War: The Military Entertainment Complex by T Lenoir & H Lowood
Available at http://www.stanford.edu/dept/HPST/TimLenoir/Publications/Lenoir-Lowood_TheatersOfWar.pdf
Ethics and Game Design by K Schrier & D Gibson. Hardcover - 15 Mar 2010
Waging War Without Warriors? by C Coker. Paperback - 30 Sep 2002
The Future of War by C Coker. 2 Sep 2004
The Warrior Ethos by C Coker. Paperback - 19 April 2007
Persuasive Games by I Bogost. Hardcover - 3 Aug 2007
Wargames Handbook by J F Dunnigan.Paperback- 20 Dec 2000
Virtuous War: Mapping the Military-industrial-media-entertainment-network by James Der Derian. Paperback - 28 Jan 2009
From Sun Tzu to Xbox: War and Video Games by Ed Halter. Paperback - 10 May 2006
The Ethics of Computer Games by M Sicart. Hardcover - 2 Jun 2009
On War by Carl von Clausewitz, translation by P. Paret & M Howard. Hardcover - 20 May 1993
Wired for War by P W Singer. Paperback - 29 Dec 2009
Theatres of War: The Military Entertainment Complex by T Lenoir & H Lowood
Available at http://www.stanford.edu/dept/HPST/TimLenoir/Publications/Lenoir-Lowood_TheatersOfWar.pdf
Ethics and Game Design by K Schrier & D Gibson. Hardcover - 15 Mar 2010
Waging War Without Warriors? by C Coker. Paperback - 30 Sep 2002
The Future of War by C Coker. 2 Sep 2004
The Warrior Ethos by C Coker. Paperback - 19 April 2007
Persuasive Games by I Bogost. Hardcover - 3 Aug 2007
Wargames Handbook by J F Dunnigan.Paperback- 20 Dec 2000
LEARNING OUTCOMES
1. DEMONSTRATE AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE ISSUES, NARRATIVE, STRATEGIES, COMMUNITY AND SERVICES INVOLVED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF MASSIVELY MULTIPLAYER ONLINE GAMES (MMOG).
[Knowledge and Understanding]
2. ADDRESS THE PROBLEMS FACED IN THE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF A MULTIPLAYER ONLINE GAME INCLUDING NARRATIVE, ENVIRONMENT AND GAMEPLAY.
[Problem Solving]
3. CRITICALLY EVALUATE THE COMMUNITY AND SERVICE STRATEGIES OF DIFFERENT MASSIVELY MULTIPLAYER GAMES.
[Reflection]
4. DEMONSTRATE CRITICAL AWARENESS AND SYSTEMATIC UNDERSTANDING OF KEY ASPECTS AND LEVELS OF MEANING WITHIN MMOG NARRATOLOGY.
[Analysis]
5. COMMUNICATE THE RELEVANCE OF GROUP NARRATIVE WITHIN MMOGS.
[Communication]
[Knowledge and Understanding]
2. ADDRESS THE PROBLEMS FACED IN THE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF A MULTIPLAYER ONLINE GAME INCLUDING NARRATIVE, ENVIRONMENT AND GAMEPLAY.
[Problem Solving]
3. CRITICALLY EVALUATE THE COMMUNITY AND SERVICE STRATEGIES OF DIFFERENT MASSIVELY MULTIPLAYER GAMES.
[Reflection]
4. DEMONSTRATE CRITICAL AWARENESS AND SYSTEMATIC UNDERSTANDING OF KEY ASPECTS AND LEVELS OF MEANING WITHIN MMOG NARRATOLOGY.
[Analysis]
5. COMMUNICATE THE RELEVANCE OF GROUP NARRATIVE WITHIN MMOGS.
[Communication]
Web Descriptor
This module examines military based games and simulations. Students will study what it means to design, play and market military based games and how they have changed not just our understanding of conflict but how they have changed warfare in the 21st century. Military based games are not only the most popular of games on the market but are also now used as military training tools. We will examine how games are now replacing traditional simulations and table-top wargames for military training, and study how they have been used to model nuclear warfare, and now cyber warfare, and what this may mean for games design in general.