Course Code: ARTS 2100
Academic Year: 2025-2026
Video games constitute one of the fastest growing areas in the entertainment industry. As a result, video games have had a profound effect on the evolution of popular culture and the common use of digital technology, increasingly changing the way that we tell stories and understand the world. This influence even expands to the realm of sports, with a professional gamer appearing on the cover of ESPN The Magazine. In this course, students will explore the history of video games, their associated cultural impact, and the future of their development. In addition to examining specific game narratives and exploring the theory behind their structures, students will spend time playing and watching their classmates play video games in order to understand gameplay and their storylines holistically. Just as you would not critique a movie without watching it, you cannot critique a game without playing it.