Round two of game presentations:

Chess (Lydia Bashaw and Dustin Ragsdale)
Life (Alan Shufelt and Michael Grote)
Tetris (Ben Aamot and Connor Healy)

Here’s the podcast.

Presentations started today, and a solid collection at that: Pong, The Sims and Dungeons & Dragons. Click here to listen.

Supplemental Handouts:

Pong (Holli Pierce and John Shufelt)
The Sims (Beverly Adams and Taylor Brandstetter)
Dungeons & Dragons (Michael Grote and Dustin Ragsdale)

Our game “canon” presentations will begin next Thursday. Here are your guidelines:

Presentations must…

1)…demonstrate the game. If your presentation is on a board, card or pen-and-paper game, be sure to bring the game and any essential equipment to class with you. If your presentation is on an electronic game, arrange with Trevor to get your computer or game console* hooked up to the in-class projector. Presentations that do not demonstrate the game will be assessed a 75% penalty.

2)…share some of the history and social reaction to your game. Research who created the game, who plays it, and why; if possible, investigate any literary connections to your game (i.e., is the game inspired by a particular author? Novel? Short story? Poem? Play? Film? etc.). Create a class handout that articulates what you found, and document your secondary sources in a short bibliography (MLA format, please). Presentations that do not include a course handout will be assessed a 50% penalty.

3)…be neither too short nor too long. Plan on leading the class discussion/exploration of your game for at least 20 minutes. Presentations that are not at least 20 minutes will be assessed a 25% penalty.

4)…be a group effort. You will be teamed up with at least one other person. Make the most of it by sharing duties and resources.

*Trevor has access to (and upon timely request is willing to provide) the following game consoles:
Sony Playstation
Sony Playstation 2
Sony Playstation Portable
Microsoft Xbox 360
Nintendo GameCube
Nintendo Wii
Nintendo 64
Nintendo DS

Here’s the schedule for game presentations, and I’ve posted the guidelines here. Everyone will be working within a small group.

April 12: group conferences (no presentations)

April 19: Pong (Holli/John S); Dungeons & Dragons (Michael/Dusty); The Sims (Beverly/Taylor)

April 26: Chess (Dusty/Lydia); Life (Alan/Michael); Tetris (Connor/Ben)

May 3: Call of Cthulhu (Trevor)

May 10: World of Warcraft (Nick/Alan); Civilization (Robert/John G); Monopoly (Kit/Jason)

May 17: Poker (Lydia/John S); Final Fantasy (Greg/Ted); Super Mario Brothers (Holli/Taylor)

May 24: Doom (Ken/Erik); Halo (Ted/Ken); Half-Life (Connor/Erik)

May 31: Grand Theft Auto (Greg/Beverly); Gauntlet (Matthew/Nick); Sonic (Gavin/John G)

June 7: Zork (Matthew/Robert); Legend of Zelda (Ben/Gavin); God of War (Kit/Jason)

click here to download (PDF)