Thursday, October 30, 2003
Guidelines for Writing Assignment #3: Play and Games Go to the Movies
For this writing assignment, you will submit two close readings, each of a different film that you have already selected and screened. Each close reading is a completely separate essay, with its own title, introduction, thesis and conclusion. Each close reading should be approximately 2.5 pages in length, double-spaced, 12 point font with 1 inch margins all around.
In each essay, you will analyze the role of play and games in a single film. You should be particularly attentive to the literal games and play that appear in the narrative and/or dialogue. You can also reflect metaphorically on how the various characters’ relationships, interactions or challenges in the film could be viewed as a kind of play or game. You may also consider the overall playful structure, style or experience of watching the film, if you feel it is relevant.
In your discussion of each film, you are required to work closely not only with the film text, but also with a theoretical text from our syllabus (e.g., Oriard, Apter, Schechner, Selden, etc.). Use appropriate quotations from the theoretical text to explain and support your interpretation and analysis of the film.
First draft of BOTH essays is due Friday, November 14 for a Peer Review Workshop.
NOTE: Final drafts will be posted on www.avantgame.com on a special “Play and Games Go to the Movies” page, with the following introduction to our collection of essays, so that other students and film fans can read our work. Because we will be sharing these essays with the public, do not assume that your reader has any knowledge whatsoever of the play theories we have been discussing. You will need to introduce your sources and key terms accordingly. You may assume, however, the reader has seen the film. DO NOT give plot summaries or character backgrounds.
You may find that reading my first draft of an introduction below, which I have written to go along with our collection of close readings, will help you think about the tone and purpose of your essays for this writing assignment.
INTRODUCTION
Film is a playful medium from start to finish. The screenwriter engages in word play and carefully attends to (or perhaps skillfully manipulates) the given rules of a genre. The costume, makeup and set designers’ subjective mind play helps them to imagine the fictional world of the film and then bring it to life in tangible forms. The director crafts the look and feel of a film by experimenting playfully with different approaches to shots and scenes. The actors, of course, play their parts, and the audience plays along by suspending disbelief. Special effects or strong performances can turn a film into a particularly intense kind of vicarious play, as moviegoers experience the characters’ physical and emotional roller coaster rides. Even the language we use to describe the method of delivering the cinematic experience is steeped in playful terminology: We ask each other, "What's playing?" at our local theater or where a particular film is playing; the projectionist plays the finished product on the screen for us, or we play the DVD at home.
For such a playful medium, then, it should come as no surprise that play and games have come to be such a prevalent theme and subject matter in contemporary cinema. From our most critically acclaimed, award-winning films to the biggest box-office smash, popcorn flicks, games and play pop up everywhere. They show up in plots and metaphors, dialogue and action, making arguments about the kinds of games we play as a society, about the theatricality and high stakes of our everyday play, and about the many functions of formal games as tools to help us express ourselves, to resolve conflicts, to explore our identities, to investigate each other, and to find meaning and passion in our own lives.
What follows is a collection of essays reflecting our thoughts on the way play and games have infiltrated the language, structure and substance of some our favorite films. Enjoy.
For this writing assignment, you will submit two close readings, each of a different film that you have already selected and screened. Each close reading is a completely separate essay, with its own title, introduction, thesis and conclusion. Each close reading should be approximately 2.5 pages in length, double-spaced, 12 point font with 1 inch margins all around.
In each essay, you will analyze the role of play and games in a single film. You should be particularly attentive to the literal games and play that appear in the narrative and/or dialogue. You can also reflect metaphorically on how the various characters’ relationships, interactions or challenges in the film could be viewed as a kind of play or game. You may also consider the overall playful structure, style or experience of watching the film, if you feel it is relevant.
In your discussion of each film, you are required to work closely not only with the film text, but also with a theoretical text from our syllabus (e.g., Oriard, Apter, Schechner, Selden, etc.). Use appropriate quotations from the theoretical text to explain and support your interpretation and analysis of the film.
First draft of BOTH essays is due Friday, November 14 for a Peer Review Workshop.
NOTE: Final drafts will be posted on www.avantgame.com on a special “Play and Games Go to the Movies” page, with the following introduction to our collection of essays, so that other students and film fans can read our work. Because we will be sharing these essays with the public, do not assume that your reader has any knowledge whatsoever of the play theories we have been discussing. You will need to introduce your sources and key terms accordingly. You may assume, however, the reader has seen the film. DO NOT give plot summaries or character backgrounds.
You may find that reading my first draft of an introduction below, which I have written to go along with our collection of close readings, will help you think about the tone and purpose of your essays for this writing assignment.
INTRODUCTION
Film is a playful medium from start to finish. The screenwriter engages in word play and carefully attends to (or perhaps skillfully manipulates) the given rules of a genre. The costume, makeup and set designers’ subjective mind play helps them to imagine the fictional world of the film and then bring it to life in tangible forms. The director crafts the look and feel of a film by experimenting playfully with different approaches to shots and scenes. The actors, of course, play their parts, and the audience plays along by suspending disbelief. Special effects or strong performances can turn a film into a particularly intense kind of vicarious play, as moviegoers experience the characters’ physical and emotional roller coaster rides. Even the language we use to describe the method of delivering the cinematic experience is steeped in playful terminology: We ask each other, "What's playing?" at our local theater or where a particular film is playing; the projectionist plays the finished product on the screen for us, or we play the DVD at home.
For such a playful medium, then, it should come as no surprise that play and games have come to be such a prevalent theme and subject matter in contemporary cinema. From our most critically acclaimed, award-winning films to the biggest box-office smash, popcorn flicks, games and play pop up everywhere. They show up in plots and metaphors, dialogue and action, making arguments about the kinds of games we play as a society, about the theatricality and high stakes of our everyday play, and about the many functions of formal games as tools to help us express ourselves, to resolve conflicts, to explore our identities, to investigate each other, and to find meaning and passion in our own lives.
What follows is a collection of essays reflecting our thoughts on the way play and games have infiltrated the language, structure and substance of some our favorite films. Enjoy.
Tuesday, October 28, 2003
Collective Play #3: Trick AND Treat
R1A Theater & Games 10.31.03
Facilitator: Jane McGonigal
TRICK AND TREAT
Are you tricky enough to earn your Halloween treat? In Trick AND Treat, you'll join forces with your classmates to show off each other's hidden talents. I pick the tricks, and you decide who performs each one. If your team can perform all of my favorite tricks before time runs out, you'll all win a candy-licous treat. But watch out -- just when you think you know the rules of the game, it might turn out that I have another trick up my sleeve...
Objective: To perform 16 tricks in 16 minutes or less.
Payoff: Halloween candy. Yay!
Number of players: 16 players (all on one team)
Abilities and skills required: Cooperation, communication, weird talents, quick thinking
Procedures:
When the game begins, players will receive a list of 16 different tricks chosen in advance by the facilitator. Players will have then have 10 minutes as a group to decide who will perform which trick. Players must write down who will perform which trick and submit a copy of this list to the facilitator at the end of the 10-minute strategy session. Immediately following this strategy session, the team will have a 10-minute practice session to prepare their performances. When the practice session ends, the 16 minutes of non-top tricks will begin!
Rules:
Each player must perform exactly one trick. That is, no one can sit out once the game has begun and no one can perform more than one trick.
Players CANNOT substitute an original trick for a trick on the list. However, it may be possible to "creatively interpret" a trick to improve a player's chances of performing it successfully.
Once the practice session starts, no changes in the list of who is performing which trick will be allowed. Players are committed to performing the trick they have chosen.
The tricks will be performed in the order they appear on the list.
All tricks must be completed by the end of 16 minutes, but there is no minimum or maximum time limit for each individual trick.
If a player fails to complete his or her trick successfully, he or she may re-attempt the trick up to two more times. At the end of 3 unsuccessful tries, the player must wait until all other tricks have been performed by the other players before trying again.
Roles of players: As members of the same team, all 16 players have equal roles. The team may choose, however, to appoint a scribe to keep track of decisions made by the group. The team may also wish to appoint a stage manager, who will announce each trick and make sure that each player is ready to perform at the right time, in the right order, with the right props (if any).
Props: The facilitator will provide a few objects that may be necessary for performing certain tricks, such as a deck of cards, a basketball, or chalk.
Setting: All tricks must be performed in either the classroom or the hall.
Happy Halloween! Please post your thoughts and strategies before we play; after we play, please post your thoughts and feedback!
R1A Theater & Games 10.31.03
Facilitator: Jane McGonigal
TRICK AND TREAT
Are you tricky enough to earn your Halloween treat? In Trick AND Treat, you'll join forces with your classmates to show off each other's hidden talents. I pick the tricks, and you decide who performs each one. If your team can perform all of my favorite tricks before time runs out, you'll all win a candy-licous treat. But watch out -- just when you think you know the rules of the game, it might turn out that I have another trick up my sleeve...
Objective: To perform 16 tricks in 16 minutes or less.
Payoff: Halloween candy. Yay!
Number of players: 16 players (all on one team)
Abilities and skills required: Cooperation, communication, weird talents, quick thinking
Procedures:
When the game begins, players will receive a list of 16 different tricks chosen in advance by the facilitator. Players will have then have 10 minutes as a group to decide who will perform which trick. Players must write down who will perform which trick and submit a copy of this list to the facilitator at the end of the 10-minute strategy session. Immediately following this strategy session, the team will have a 10-minute practice session to prepare their performances. When the practice session ends, the 16 minutes of non-top tricks will begin!
Rules:
Each player must perform exactly one trick. That is, no one can sit out once the game has begun and no one can perform more than one trick.
Players CANNOT substitute an original trick for a trick on the list. However, it may be possible to "creatively interpret" a trick to improve a player's chances of performing it successfully.
Once the practice session starts, no changes in the list of who is performing which trick will be allowed. Players are committed to performing the trick they have chosen.
The tricks will be performed in the order they appear on the list.
All tricks must be completed by the end of 16 minutes, but there is no minimum or maximum time limit for each individual trick.
If a player fails to complete his or her trick successfully, he or she may re-attempt the trick up to two more times. At the end of 3 unsuccessful tries, the player must wait until all other tricks have been performed by the other players before trying again.
Roles of players: As members of the same team, all 16 players have equal roles. The team may choose, however, to appoint a scribe to keep track of decisions made by the group. The team may also wish to appoint a stage manager, who will announce each trick and make sure that each player is ready to perform at the right time, in the right order, with the right props (if any).
Props: The facilitator will provide a few objects that may be necessary for performing certain tricks, such as a deck of cards, a basketball, or chalk.
Setting: All tricks must be performed in either the classroom or the hall.
Happy Halloween! Please post your thoughts and strategies before we play; after we play, please post your thoughts and feedback!
Games Go to the Movies
We talked in class yesterday about the central elements to your upcoming analysis of play and games in two different movies. Note that plot summary is removed from the list for the writing assignment, as you shouldn't waste any space on plot unless you are going to unpack a very specific detail of the narrative (i.e., It is important to note that character x loses the first two games and wins the third: unpack, unpack, unpack...)
-Title
-Genre/year, (use the Internet Movie Database as a resource here to make sure you have the accurate information)
-Literal games and types of play that appear in the plot
-Philosophies and theories of play that influence your interpretation of the film
-Playfulness of the film at a meta-level: play with audience expectations, play with audience's ability to understand or track the narrative, playful approach to serious cultural or political issues, vicarious play for the audience in terms of experiencing thrills, parapathic emotions, etc.
In terms of framing your argument, you might want to think of each analysis as an answer to one or more of the following questions:--What does this film's use of literal games reveal to us about the more metaphorical games we play in everyday life?
--What does this film reveal to us about the flexibility or rigidity of game-life boundaries?
--What does the film's use of play and games reveal to us about the relationship between play and performance?
--What does this film's literal, metaphorical or meta games reveal to us about how audiences experience play as a fundamental aspect of the movie-going experience?
--If you have a different idea for a central question for your analysis, post it here.
Please use the comments section to tell us about one or two of the most interesting things you found in watching one of your films. What literal game surprised you the most? What philosophy of play are you most excited to have discovered in a film? Or, if you have any questions or need any help sorting out your ideas, post away...
We talked in class yesterday about the central elements to your upcoming analysis of play and games in two different movies. Note that plot summary is removed from the list for the writing assignment, as you shouldn't waste any space on plot unless you are going to unpack a very specific detail of the narrative (i.e., It is important to note that character x loses the first two games and wins the third: unpack, unpack, unpack...)
-Title
-Genre/year, (use the Internet Movie Database as a resource here to make sure you have the accurate information)
-Literal games and types of play that appear in the plot
-Philosophies and theories of play that influence your interpretation of the film
-Playfulness of the film at a meta-level: play with audience expectations, play with audience's ability to understand or track the narrative, playful approach to serious cultural or political issues, vicarious play for the audience in terms of experiencing thrills, parapathic emotions, etc.
In terms of framing your argument, you might want to think of each analysis as an answer to one or more of the following questions:--What does this film's use of literal games reveal to us about the more metaphorical games we play in everyday life?
--What does this film reveal to us about the flexibility or rigidity of game-life boundaries?
--What does the film's use of play and games reveal to us about the relationship between play and performance?
--What does this film's literal, metaphorical or meta games reveal to us about how audiences experience play as a fundamental aspect of the movie-going experience?
--If you have a different idea for a central question for your analysis, post it here.
Please use the comments section to tell us about one or two of the most interesting things you found in watching one of your films. What literal game surprised you the most? What philosophy of play are you most excited to have discovered in a film? Or, if you have any questions or need any help sorting out your ideas, post away...
Saturday, October 25, 2003
Halloween Collective Play
So, I've been brainstorming games for our Halloween class, and I've got a few ideas, but I'd like to know if you guys have any favorite Halloween games or weird ideas for playful Halloween things to do. I have all sorts of evil ideas, like trick-or-treating all of the other classes in Wheeler. What do you think would happen if we knocked on classroom doors and said, in unison, trick-or-treat? Do you think we might actually get stuff? Would the students enjoy our interruption, or be annoyed? Do you think the holiday gives us the right to playfully interfere with other classes, or would we just make everyone mad? Would you guys be too embarrassed or feel bad about doing such a thing, or could we summon the Power of Play to give us the authority and agency to do something completely unexpected and social rule-breaking? I'd like to know how game you guys are to do something a little crazy, or if you'd rather stick to the boundaries of our classroom; of course, I will completely respect anyone's desire to opt out no matter what we do.
So, I've been brainstorming games for our Halloween class, and I've got a few ideas, but I'd like to know if you guys have any favorite Halloween games or weird ideas for playful Halloween things to do. I have all sorts of evil ideas, like trick-or-treating all of the other classes in Wheeler. What do you think would happen if we knocked on classroom doors and said, in unison, trick-or-treat? Do you think we might actually get stuff? Would the students enjoy our interruption, or be annoyed? Do you think the holiday gives us the right to playfully interfere with other classes, or would we just make everyone mad? Would you guys be too embarrassed or feel bad about doing such a thing, or could we summon the Power of Play to give us the authority and agency to do something completely unexpected and social rule-breaking? I'd like to know how game you guys are to do something a little crazy, or if you'd rather stick to the boundaries of our classroom; of course, I will completely respect anyone's desire to opt out no matter what we do.
Wednesday, October 22, 2003
PEER REVIEW #2:
Here's a sneak preview of the questions on your worksheet for Friday's Peer Review Workshop #2. Checking out these questions may help you analyze and improve your own draft.
PEER REVIEW WORKSHEET #2 R1A: Theater and Games
Part I. A Close Reading
THESIS: Please state the author’s thesis in your own words.
Does it need to be more clear, concise, specific or original? Point out specific problem areas, if any, and if necessary, offer specific suggestions for improvement.
EVIDENCE: What is the most convincing example or piece of evidence from the play text that the writer uses to support his or her thesis?
What examples or evidence from the play text failed to convince you, if any? What is missing from the close reading that, if added, might make this evidence better support the thesis?
What supporting citation from a theorist is most effective in this paper?
What supporting citation from a theorist needs more explanation or analysis to work in this paper, if any?
Overall, what questions, confusion or counterarguments do you have, if any, about the author’s argument or interpretation?
Part II. The Game
Do you understand how the game is played? What, if anything, is unclear about the game play?
What game elements (the name, objectives, rules, payoffs, e.g.) are most effectively explained?
What game elements, if any, are missing or need a more substantial explanation?
Any further suggestions or feedback on the game?
Part III. The Analysis/Explanation
In your own words, how does the game reflect the author’s thesis?
What is the most convincing point in the author’s explanation of the connection between the game and his or her thesis?
What, if anything, is unclear in the author’s explanation of the connection between the game and his or her thesis?
Here's a sneak preview of the questions on your worksheet for Friday's Peer Review Workshop #2. Checking out these questions may help you analyze and improve your own draft.
PEER REVIEW WORKSHEET #2 R1A: Theater and Games
Part I. A Close Reading
THESIS: Please state the author’s thesis in your own words.
Does it need to be more clear, concise, specific or original? Point out specific problem areas, if any, and if necessary, offer specific suggestions for improvement.
EVIDENCE: What is the most convincing example or piece of evidence from the play text that the writer uses to support his or her thesis?
What examples or evidence from the play text failed to convince you, if any? What is missing from the close reading that, if added, might make this evidence better support the thesis?
What supporting citation from a theorist is most effective in this paper?
What supporting citation from a theorist needs more explanation or analysis to work in this paper, if any?
Overall, what questions, confusion or counterarguments do you have, if any, about the author’s argument or interpretation?
Part II. The Game
Do you understand how the game is played? What, if anything, is unclear about the game play?
What game elements (the name, objectives, rules, payoffs, e.g.) are most effectively explained?
What game elements, if any, are missing or need a more substantial explanation?
Any further suggestions or feedback on the game?
Part III. The Analysis/Explanation
In your own words, how does the game reflect the author’s thesis?
What is the most convincing point in the author’s explanation of the connection between the game and his or her thesis?
What, if anything, is unclear in the author’s explanation of the connection between the game and his or her thesis?
Eminem and a legal rhyme
Okay, so this "Odd news" story struck me as interesting, and I'd love your help figuring out why. The basics: A Michigan state judge handed down a "rap ruling" in a libel suit against Eminem. According to the story, "Judge Deborah Servitto dismissed a case against Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Mathers III, last Friday. It had been filed by Deangelo Bailey, who sued over lyrics in the song 'Brain Damage' on Eminem's highly popular 'The Slim Shady Album.' In the song Eminem says Bailey harassed him and beat him up daily when they were kids at the same elementary school."
The judge's rhyme, according to another article in the Detroit News, went like this:
"The lyrics are stories no one would take as fact/They're an exaggeration of a childish act
Any reasonable person could clearly see/That the lyrics could only be hyperbole."
So, the first thing that occurred to me after I stopped laughing was that this was a pretty "playful" ruling. But there's something weird about making a legal ruling playfully, I think. Something about the power structure of a judge's relationship to the litigants that makes me wonder when and how playful rulings are (or aren't) appropriate. Does the possible frivolousness of the lawsuit make it okay? Or does every person deserve a serious "day in court"? What if I were to give you all "playful grades"? Would that be okay, because we're studying play and games, or would that be unfair to you? Thoughts?
Okay, so this "Odd news" story struck me as interesting, and I'd love your help figuring out why. The basics: A Michigan state judge handed down a "rap ruling" in a libel suit against Eminem. According to the story, "Judge Deborah Servitto dismissed a case against Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Mathers III, last Friday. It had been filed by Deangelo Bailey, who sued over lyrics in the song 'Brain Damage' on Eminem's highly popular 'The Slim Shady Album.' In the song Eminem says Bailey harassed him and beat him up daily when they were kids at the same elementary school."
The judge's rhyme, according to another article in the Detroit News, went like this:
"The lyrics are stories no one would take as fact/They're an exaggeration of a childish act
Any reasonable person could clearly see/That the lyrics could only be hyperbole."
So, the first thing that occurred to me after I stopped laughing was that this was a pretty "playful" ruling. But there's something weird about making a legal ruling playfully, I think. Something about the power structure of a judge's relationship to the litigants that makes me wonder when and how playful rulings are (or aren't) appropriate. Does the possible frivolousness of the lawsuit make it okay? Or does every person deserve a serious "day in court"? What if I were to give you all "playful grades"? Would that be okay, because we're studying play and games, or would that be unfair to you? Thoughts?
Monday, October 20, 2003
The Interpretive Game
PLEASE POST a TENTATIVE THESIS or GAME DESCRIPTION here by TUESDAY MIDNIGHT. Thanks!
For your second writing assignment, you will be asked to interpret one of two dramatic texts: either Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead or Neil Labute’s “A Gaggle of Saints”. Your interpretation will consist of three parts: 1) a traditional close-reading of the text; 2) a description of a game you invent based on your close-reading; and 3) a concluding analysis explaining the connection between your close-reading and your game. More specifically:
1. A two-page discussion of how one specific theory, image or idea of play and/or games functions in the dramatic text of your choice. There are many possible images, angles and play forms from which to choose your particular focus; please pick just one so that your discussion is clear, focused and specific. This discussion should involve substantial “close reading” of the text; that is, you should be frequently citing and unpacking specific language and action from the text. (General summary should be avoided at all costs.) It should also include a thesis statement addressing the central question you are asking. Please make appropriate specific references to, and citations of, our readings on play theory, theater and game studies (Apter, Schechner, Selden, Oriard, etc.) to support your discussion. EXAMPLE: The coin games in Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead express Stoppard's Maya Lila philosophy of play.
2. A two-page description of a game that you invent based on your interpretation of your chosen dramatic text. You can invent a car game, a mobile game, a roleplaying game, a first person shooter game, a board game, a game show, a party game, a drinking game, an athletic game, a solitary game, a “dark play” game, a “deep play” game, a theater (actor training) game, a group therapy game, a scavenger hunt game, a Halloween game, or any other kind of game you can think of. (It must be a formal game, however, not a freeform play activity.) Your game description should include a general pitch: “Come play the fun/ exciting/ twisted/ outrageous/ daredevil/ etc. game of …., in which you and four friends/ your worst enemy/ a group of strangers/ etc.…. will match wits/ risk your lives/ discover secrets/ etc…” It should also include (in prose, not in a chart) a clear breakdown of the game elements, using either Elliot M. Avedon’s or Greg Costikyan’s schema for essential and recommended game elements. While you do not have to make or play this game in real life, you must describe it in sufficient detail that a reader (with access to the necessary materials, environment and co-players) would know exactly how to play the game. You may wish to write two or more different descriptions: One to attract players and one to attract an audience, for example, or two sets of rules: one for women and one for men, or two sets of guidelines for playing as a "good sport" vs. playing as a "good gamer", etc.
3. In the last page of your paper, you will explain how your game is connected to your close-reading of the dramatic text. Persuade the reader that the theories or ideas of play and/or games explored in the primary dramatic text are the same theories or ideas explored in your invented game. Imagine in this section you are answering the questions, "Where in the world did you come up with that crazy idea for a game?" and "What are you saying about the nature of play and games by designing such a game?" and "What would the playwright think about your game?"
PLEASE POST a TENTATIVE THESIS or GAME DESCRIPTION here by TUESDAY MIDNIGHT. Thanks!
For your second writing assignment, you will be asked to interpret one of two dramatic texts: either Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead or Neil Labute’s “A Gaggle of Saints”. Your interpretation will consist of three parts: 1) a traditional close-reading of the text; 2) a description of a game you invent based on your close-reading; and 3) a concluding analysis explaining the connection between your close-reading and your game. More specifically:
1. A two-page discussion of how one specific theory, image or idea of play and/or games functions in the dramatic text of your choice. There are many possible images, angles and play forms from which to choose your particular focus; please pick just one so that your discussion is clear, focused and specific. This discussion should involve substantial “close reading” of the text; that is, you should be frequently citing and unpacking specific language and action from the text. (General summary should be avoided at all costs.) It should also include a thesis statement addressing the central question you are asking. Please make appropriate specific references to, and citations of, our readings on play theory, theater and game studies (Apter, Schechner, Selden, Oriard, etc.) to support your discussion. EXAMPLE: The coin games in Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead express Stoppard's Maya Lila philosophy of play.
2. A two-page description of a game that you invent based on your interpretation of your chosen dramatic text. You can invent a car game, a mobile game, a roleplaying game, a first person shooter game, a board game, a game show, a party game, a drinking game, an athletic game, a solitary game, a “dark play” game, a “deep play” game, a theater (actor training) game, a group therapy game, a scavenger hunt game, a Halloween game, or any other kind of game you can think of. (It must be a formal game, however, not a freeform play activity.) Your game description should include a general pitch: “Come play the fun/ exciting/ twisted/ outrageous/ daredevil/ etc. game of …., in which you and four friends/ your worst enemy/ a group of strangers/ etc.…. will match wits/ risk your lives/ discover secrets/ etc…” It should also include (in prose, not in a chart) a clear breakdown of the game elements, using either Elliot M. Avedon’s or Greg Costikyan’s schema for essential and recommended game elements. While you do not have to make or play this game in real life, you must describe it in sufficient detail that a reader (with access to the necessary materials, environment and co-players) would know exactly how to play the game. You may wish to write two or more different descriptions: One to attract players and one to attract an audience, for example, or two sets of rules: one for women and one for men, or two sets of guidelines for playing as a "good sport" vs. playing as a "good gamer", etc.
3. In the last page of your paper, you will explain how your game is connected to your close-reading of the dramatic text. Persuade the reader that the theories or ideas of play and/or games explored in the primary dramatic text are the same theories or ideas explored in your invented game. Imagine in this section you are answering the questions, "Where in the world did you come up with that crazy idea for a game?" and "What are you saying about the nature of play and games by designing such a game?" and "What would the playwright think about your game?"
Sunday, October 19, 2003
UPDATE: Note: Please make sure you have picked movies which will give you something to write about not only on the "meta" side (playing with audience, i.e.) but also the diegetic side (literal games in the narrative of the movie). This is essential! You must ground your discussion in literal games or play forms. Thanks!
Updated movie list
Please pick two movies from this list to watch in the next 10 days, in leiu of the readings on the syllabus. Most are available at most Berkeley video rental stores; I especially recommend REEL on Shattuck Ave. If you pick a movie you've already watched, please watch it again. As you watch, take notes on both the literal games and playful behaviors that are central to the film's action, and theories or philosophies of play (sportsmanship vs. gamesmanship, Maya Lila, dark play, protective frames, power plays, etc.) that you feel are represented in the film.
The list is first come, first served, so sign up ASAP (in a comment) and please DO NOT duplicate anyone else's choice. You can, of course, pick a movie not on this list-- these are suggestions, but you can nominate a different movie, as long as you make a compelling case for its interesting use of games or play, literally or metaphorically. (Write a sentence or two justifying your choice when you sign up.)
Better Luck Tomorrow
Amelie
War Games
Fight Club
The Game
Existenz
Running Man
Charade
Quiz Show
Stunt Man
Rat Race
Clue
House of Games (or anything else by David Mamet-- Spanish Prisoner, Glengarry Glen Ross, State & Main, etc.)
Nine Queens
Brewster's Millions
Hell House
Flatliners
Any Given Sunday
Cruel Intentions (or any version/adaptation of Dangerous Liaisons)
Jumanji
Cyrano de Bergerac (any version/adaptation, including Roxanne)
The Return of Martin Guerre
The Big Lebowski (or any Coen brothers film, if you can make a good case for it)
The Running Man
Farewell My Concubine
The Truman Show
Chicago
Face Off
Gladiator
The Fast and the Furious
Escape from L.A.
Maverick
The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys
Ghost World
Shakespeare in Love
A Few Good Men
The Great Escape
Six Degrees of Separation
Eight Men Out
House on Haunted Hill
Stalag 17
Cabaret
Fisher King, Time Bandits, Brazil, or anything else by Terry Gilliam
Waiting for Guffman
Best in Show
A Chorus Line
Intacto
Topsy Turvy
Tootsie
My Little Eye
Updated movie list
Please pick two movies from this list to watch in the next 10 days, in leiu of the readings on the syllabus. Most are available at most Berkeley video rental stores; I especially recommend REEL on Shattuck Ave. If you pick a movie you've already watched, please watch it again. As you watch, take notes on both the literal games and playful behaviors that are central to the film's action, and theories or philosophies of play (sportsmanship vs. gamesmanship, Maya Lila, dark play, protective frames, power plays, etc.) that you feel are represented in the film.
The list is first come, first served, so sign up ASAP (in a comment) and please DO NOT duplicate anyone else's choice. You can, of course, pick a movie not on this list-- these are suggestions, but you can nominate a different movie, as long as you make a compelling case for its interesting use of games or play, literally or metaphorically. (Write a sentence or two justifying your choice when you sign up.)
Better Luck Tomorrow
Amelie
War Games
Fight Club
The Game
Existenz
Running Man
Charade
Quiz Show
Stunt Man
Rat Race
Clue
House of Games (or anything else by David Mamet-- Spanish Prisoner, Glengarry Glen Ross, State & Main, etc.)
Nine Queens
Brewster's Millions
Hell House
Flatliners
Any Given Sunday
Cruel Intentions (or any version/adaptation of Dangerous Liaisons)
Jumanji
Cyrano de Bergerac (any version/adaptation, including Roxanne)
The Return of Martin Guerre
The Big Lebowski (or any Coen brothers film, if you can make a good case for it)
The Running Man
Farewell My Concubine
The Truman Show
Chicago
Face Off
Gladiator
The Fast and the Furious
Escape from L.A.
Maverick
The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys
Ghost World
Shakespeare in Love
A Few Good Men
The Great Escape
Six Degrees of Separation
Eight Men Out
House on Haunted Hill
Stalag 17
Cabaret
Fisher King, Time Bandits, Brazil, or anything else by Terry Gilliam
Waiting for Guffman
Best in Show
A Chorus Line
Intacto
Topsy Turvy
Tootsie
My Little Eye
More on Neil Labute
Here are some useful links on Labute and his work... feel free to comment on anything you read here or in the linked articles.
Who's Afraid of Neil Labute? An interview with and profile of the playwright/screenwriter. Includes really revealing stuff, like:
"While at BYU, he wrote a play called Gaggle of Saints, which dealt with Mormon subjects. 'I got the idea from the beauty of a flock of geese, ' he said. 'When you see them from afar in a field, they look great, but if you go out in the field, it's covered with shit. The geese are looking at that shit saying, where did that come from? There is a lot of absurdity sometimes, not just in Mormonism but often in other religions that want to pretend that no bad happens in their church, rather than taking care of what bad does happen. I think there has to be that willingness to say, 'Hey, that's our mess. Now what can we do with it.' They're just people.' "
Interview: 'Bash' Director Marc Shaw
Read one director's take on Labute's "Gaggle of Saints," including the following provocative statement:
"I don't think the play has an obvious message. You have to draw from it. It's like the elevator doors that open, and then they close, and you think, 'Wow, what did I just see?' "
Here are some useful links on Labute and his work... feel free to comment on anything you read here or in the linked articles.
Who's Afraid of Neil Labute? An interview with and profile of the playwright/screenwriter. Includes really revealing stuff, like:
"While at BYU, he wrote a play called Gaggle of Saints, which dealt with Mormon subjects. 'I got the idea from the beauty of a flock of geese, ' he said. 'When you see them from afar in a field, they look great, but if you go out in the field, it's covered with shit. The geese are looking at that shit saying, where did that come from? There is a lot of absurdity sometimes, not just in Mormonism but often in other religions that want to pretend that no bad happens in their church, rather than taking care of what bad does happen. I think there has to be that willingness to say, 'Hey, that's our mess. Now what can we do with it.' They're just people.' "
Interview: 'Bash' Director Marc Shaw
Read one director's take on Labute's "Gaggle of Saints," including the following provocative statement:
"I don't think the play has an obvious message. You have to draw from it. It's like the elevator doors that open, and then they close, and you think, 'Wow, what did I just see?' "
Friday, October 17, 2003
Games in the news this weekend
A couple of interesting news stories popped up today:
An ugly game....
In an NY Times editorial, Bob Herbert discusses the latest twist on the traditional board game, Monopoly. It's called "Ghettopoly," an it's generating a lot of controversy. An excerpt from Herbert's editorial:
"Ghettopoly is a board game, based on Monopoly, and it has a lot of people fired up.
Marches and protests by people denouncing the game as racist have distributors running for cover. Yahoo and eBay have blocked the sale of the game on their sites, and the Urban Outfitters chain has stopped selling it in stores.
People are outraged -outraged!- that a game would portray inner-city blacks as pimps and hustlers and ho's.
Kweisi Mfume, president of the N.A.A.C.P., has threatened to boycott sellers of Ghettopoly, which he described as 'demeaning, repugnant and reprehensible, to say the least.'
For the record: Ghettopoly is without question an ugly game that promotes disgusting racial stereotypes. It presents blacks as murderous, thieving, dope-dealing, carjacking degenerates. Instead of the familiar Monopoly pieces, like top hats and thimbles, Ghettopoly players get to move around the board as pimps, machine guns and rocks of crack cocaine."
What do you think? Are inner city problems "fair game" for our entertainment? Who do you think is the audience for Ghettopoly? Would you play it?m Are there any potential benefits from making a game like this, or is it inexcusable?
Playing with your fears...
In the article Video Games Can Calm Your Fears, Wired reports on new studies that suggest virtual simulations are as effective in curing phobias and treating anxieties as traditional therapy. An excerpt from the article:
"The researchers found that PC games that allow users to construct and change game environments, used with a headset that lets wearers simulate virtual reality, were just as effective at stimulating phobic responses as dedicated simulation machines that can cost four times as much.
People with phobias are often treated with exposure therapy, where they gradually spend more and more time in settings that scare them in an effort to reduce the fear response and get them to relax and get over their fright.
The researchers used the game Half-Life to create a spider-laden environment for arachnophobic people, and Unreal Tournament to simulate heights for acrophobics and tight spaces for claustrophobics. "
Do you buy it? What fear would you maybe try treating through a video game? Do you think that playing games, in general, may be a way of dealing with our everyday fears or anxieties?
A couple of interesting news stories popped up today:
An ugly game....
In an NY Times editorial, Bob Herbert discusses the latest twist on the traditional board game, Monopoly. It's called "Ghettopoly," an it's generating a lot of controversy. An excerpt from Herbert's editorial:
"Ghettopoly is a board game, based on Monopoly, and it has a lot of people fired up.
Marches and protests by people denouncing the game as racist have distributors running for cover. Yahoo and eBay have blocked the sale of the game on their sites, and the Urban Outfitters chain has stopped selling it in stores.
People are outraged -outraged!- that a game would portray inner-city blacks as pimps and hustlers and ho's.
Kweisi Mfume, president of the N.A.A.C.P., has threatened to boycott sellers of Ghettopoly, which he described as 'demeaning, repugnant and reprehensible, to say the least.'
For the record: Ghettopoly is without question an ugly game that promotes disgusting racial stereotypes. It presents blacks as murderous, thieving, dope-dealing, carjacking degenerates. Instead of the familiar Monopoly pieces, like top hats and thimbles, Ghettopoly players get to move around the board as pimps, machine guns and rocks of crack cocaine."
What do you think? Are inner city problems "fair game" for our entertainment? Who do you think is the audience for Ghettopoly? Would you play it?m Are there any potential benefits from making a game like this, or is it inexcusable?
Playing with your fears...
In the article Video Games Can Calm Your Fears, Wired reports on new studies that suggest virtual simulations are as effective in curing phobias and treating anxieties as traditional therapy. An excerpt from the article:
"The researchers found that PC games that allow users to construct and change game environments, used with a headset that lets wearers simulate virtual reality, were just as effective at stimulating phobic responses as dedicated simulation machines that can cost four times as much.
People with phobias are often treated with exposure therapy, where they gradually spend more and more time in settings that scare them in an effort to reduce the fear response and get them to relax and get over their fright.
The researchers used the game Half-Life to create a spider-laden environment for arachnophobic people, and Unreal Tournament to simulate heights for acrophobics and tight spaces for claustrophobics. "
Do you buy it? What fear would you maybe try treating through a video game? Do you think that playing games, in general, may be a way of dealing with our everyday fears or anxieties?
Spring 2004 Class: R1B Performance and Play
If you, or any of your playful friends, are looking to fulfill the R1B requirement this spring, you should know that I'll be teaching a section next semester called Performance and Play (see course description below). As with all R1B classes, the focus is on writing an original research paper (rather than the sort of close reading and analytical assignments we've been doing for R1A). So the R1B: Performance and Play class will allow you to develop a research topic looking at either play in performance (music, theater, political demonstration, e.g.) or performance in play (athletic performance, gamesmanship, virtuoso players, e.g.).
Theater R1B - Introduction to Dramatic Literature: Performance and Play: In this course, students will improve their research and writing skills as we investigate the connections between contemporary performance and play. How do actors, directors and audiences play in theatrical performances? How do we perform as players in games, sports and everyday life? We will explore these questions through critical readings, informal weekly writing assignments, and by attending, participating in and observing a series of games and live performances. We will also consider the special challenges of researching in the fields of theater and games, and members of this class will work towards a final research project on the play/performance topic of their choice. Prerequisites: 1A or its equivalent.
Instructor: Jane McGonigal, MWF 4-5, 258 Dwinelle, 4 units, CC# 88003.
If you, or any of your playful friends, are looking to fulfill the R1B requirement this spring, you should know that I'll be teaching a section next semester called Performance and Play (see course description below). As with all R1B classes, the focus is on writing an original research paper (rather than the sort of close reading and analytical assignments we've been doing for R1A). So the R1B: Performance and Play class will allow you to develop a research topic looking at either play in performance (music, theater, political demonstration, e.g.) or performance in play (athletic performance, gamesmanship, virtuoso players, e.g.).
Theater R1B - Introduction to Dramatic Literature: Performance and Play: In this course, students will improve their research and writing skills as we investigate the connections between contemporary performance and play. How do actors, directors and audiences play in theatrical performances? How do we perform as players in games, sports and everyday life? We will explore these questions through critical readings, informal weekly writing assignments, and by attending, participating in and observing a series of games and live performances. We will also consider the special challenges of researching in the fields of theater and games, and members of this class will work towards a final research project on the play/performance topic of their choice. Prerequisites: 1A or its equivalent.
Instructor: Jane McGonigal, MWF 4-5, 258 Dwinelle, 4 units, CC# 88003.
Wednesday, October 15, 2003
Power Plays
Today you had the opportunity to talk about how power plays function in everyday life, as well as in theater. Please fill me in on the highlights of the class: What point made the most sense to you? What moment in the improvisational play was most interesting, and why? Discuss! Also, I'd like to hear some thoughts on: How did what you discussed and improvised relate to our recent in-class readings and discussions? I'm thinking of Oriard and Stoppard here, but perhaps you see other connections, as well.
Today you had the opportunity to talk about how power plays function in everyday life, as well as in theater. Please fill me in on the highlights of the class: What point made the most sense to you? What moment in the improvisational play was most interesting, and why? Discuss! Also, I'd like to hear some thoughts on: How did what you discussed and improvised relate to our recent in-class readings and discussions? I'm thinking of Oriard and Stoppard here, but perhaps you see other connections, as well.
Sunday, October 12, 2003
Sportsmanship vs. Gamesmanship
In "The Game and the Nation," Michael Oriard explains the difference between sportsmanship and gamesmanship as follows: "good sportsmanship" requires abiding by the letter AND the spirit of the games' rules, whereas "good gamesmanship" rewards finding loopholes and strategies that subvert the spirit of the rules, even as players technically follow the rules.
In what games or activities do you aspire to good sportsmanship, and why? In what other games or activities do you aspire to good gamesmanship, and why? What factors influence your decision to be a good sport or a good gamer?
In "The Game and the Nation," Michael Oriard explains the difference between sportsmanship and gamesmanship as follows: "good sportsmanship" requires abiding by the letter AND the spirit of the games' rules, whereas "good gamesmanship" rewards finding loopholes and strategies that subvert the spirit of the rules, even as players technically follow the rules.
In what games or activities do you aspire to good sportsmanship, and why? In what other games or activities do you aspire to good gamesmanship, and why? What factors influence your decision to be a good sport or a good gamer?
Games as Metaphor
In "The Game and the Nation," Michael Oriard examines several factors that contributed to the sudden popularity of "games as metaphor" for business, politics, love, life and death at the turn of the 20th century.
At the turn of the 21st century, do you think games continue to be an important metaphor? If so, for who and how: artists, economists, writers, politicians, religious leaders, lovers, scientists, adventurers...? Where and for whom do you think games metaphors are most useful today? Why? How do you think we use games as metaphors differently now than we did at the turn of the 20th century? What changes in culture and society might be responsible for these differences? Please refer to one or more of Oriard's arguments or examples here.
In "The Game and the Nation," Michael Oriard examines several factors that contributed to the sudden popularity of "games as metaphor" for business, politics, love, life and death at the turn of the 20th century.
At the turn of the 21st century, do you think games continue to be an important metaphor? If so, for who and how: artists, economists, writers, politicians, religious leaders, lovers, scientists, adventurers...? Where and for whom do you think games metaphors are most useful today? Why? How do you think we use games as metaphors differently now than we did at the turn of the 20th century? What changes in culture and society might be responsible for these differences? Please refer to one or more of Oriard's arguments or examples here.
Friday, October 10, 2003
Alternate Ending: R & G Are Dead!
Amazing-- I polled the graduate students in my department, and although everyone has read and seen R & G Are Dead at least once, NO ONE had any idea there was a first edition with an alternate ending floating around. So I woudl say that we definitely stumbled onto quite an interesting discovery as a class today. Here's the text that you won't find in second and later editions:
ALTERNATE ENDING
(The BODIES are picked up: a peal of ordinance is shot off. A dead march begins and continues until the stage is empty except for the two AMBASSADORS.)
(Pause. They move downstage. They stop.)
AMBASSADOR: Hm....
2nd AMB: Yes?
1st AMB: What?
2nd AMB: I thought you--
1st AMB: No.
2nd AMB: Ah.
(Pause.)
1st AMB: Tsk tsk...
2nd AMB: Quite.
1st AMB: Shocking business.
2nd AMB: Tragic... (he looks in the direction of the departing corpses)... four... just like that.
1st AMB: Six in all.
2nd AMB: Seven.
1st AMB: No-- six.
2nd AMB: The King, the Queen, Hamlet, Laertes, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern and Polonius. Seven.
1st AMB: Ophelia. Eight.
2nd AMB: King, Queen, Hamlet, Laertes, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, Polonius, Ophelia. Eight.
(They nod and shake their heads.)
(Looks about.) Well... One hardly knows what to do...
(From outside there is shouting and banging, a MAN, say, banging his first on a wooden door and shouting, obscurely, two names.)
(The AMBASSADORS look at each other.)
1st AMB: Better go and see what it's all about....
(The other nods.)
(They walk off together. The TRAGEDIANS' tune becomes audible--far away.)
(The house lights come up untl they are as bright as the lights on the empty stage.)
THE END
Questions for you guys: What exactly is happening is this alternate ending? What do you make of the man banging on the door and shouting two names? What do you think Stoppard is trying to achieve with this ending, and why would you guess that he took it out? (Apparently, after the London National Theater Production but before Broadway.) Nobody writes about this ending because it doesn't exist anymore; let's give it some interpretation! I'll mull it over and post my own thoughts later this weekend.
Amazing-- I polled the graduate students in my department, and although everyone has read and seen R & G Are Dead at least once, NO ONE had any idea there was a first edition with an alternate ending floating around. So I woudl say that we definitely stumbled onto quite an interesting discovery as a class today. Here's the text that you won't find in second and later editions:
ALTERNATE ENDING
(The BODIES are picked up: a peal of ordinance is shot off. A dead march begins and continues until the stage is empty except for the two AMBASSADORS.)
(Pause. They move downstage. They stop.)
AMBASSADOR: Hm....
2nd AMB: Yes?
1st AMB: What?
2nd AMB: I thought you--
1st AMB: No.
2nd AMB: Ah.
(Pause.)
1st AMB: Tsk tsk...
2nd AMB: Quite.
1st AMB: Shocking business.
2nd AMB: Tragic... (he looks in the direction of the departing corpses)... four... just like that.
1st AMB: Six in all.
2nd AMB: Seven.
1st AMB: No-- six.
2nd AMB: The King, the Queen, Hamlet, Laertes, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern and Polonius. Seven.
1st AMB: Ophelia. Eight.
2nd AMB: King, Queen, Hamlet, Laertes, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, Polonius, Ophelia. Eight.
(They nod and shake their heads.)
(Looks about.) Well... One hardly knows what to do...
(From outside there is shouting and banging, a MAN, say, banging his first on a wooden door and shouting, obscurely, two names.)
(The AMBASSADORS look at each other.)
1st AMB: Better go and see what it's all about....
(The other nods.)
(They walk off together. The TRAGEDIANS' tune becomes audible--far away.)
(The house lights come up untl they are as bright as the lights on the empty stage.)
THE END
Questions for you guys: What exactly is happening is this alternate ending? What do you make of the man banging on the door and shouting two names? What do you think Stoppard is trying to achieve with this ending, and why would you guess that he took it out? (Apparently, after the London National Theater Production but before Broadway.) Nobody writes about this ending because it doesn't exist anymore; let's give it some interpretation! I'll mull it over and post my own thoughts later this weekend.
Wednesday, October 08, 2003
Making Heads or Tails of Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead
So many interesting questions, ideas and theories are coming up in class discussion this week about Tom Stoppard's playful adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet. Let's keep it going here on the blog. Toss out some ideas that you might be able to develop into a close reading for the next writing assignment, or ask a question about a line, image or stage direction that caught your attention. What playful reference did you find particularly interesting that we didn't get to discuss in class? Did someone say something in class you want to follow up on?
Also, to help you think about this play, here are some links to different genres of online analysis of R & G. They'll give you a sense of how others have interpreted the work. Feel free to let these writings inspire your own paper, but of course make sure to cite them properly if you borrow any of their ideas.
OUTLINE of dialogue and action related to theatricality in R & G
ESSAY on philosophical and religious themes in R & G
LECTURE on different texts and philosophies that inspired Stoppard's R & G (A.k.a. the "What the hell is Stoppard up to?" lecture)
The STORY of how Stoppard (and R & G) was discovered at Edinburgh in 1966
A BIOGRAPHICAL/career-spanning look at Tom Stoppar as master of word play and theatrical games
So many interesting questions, ideas and theories are coming up in class discussion this week about Tom Stoppard's playful adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet. Let's keep it going here on the blog. Toss out some ideas that you might be able to develop into a close reading for the next writing assignment, or ask a question about a line, image or stage direction that caught your attention. What playful reference did you find particularly interesting that we didn't get to discuss in class? Did someone say something in class you want to follow up on?
Also, to help you think about this play, here are some links to different genres of online analysis of R & G. They'll give you a sense of how others have interpreted the work. Feel free to let these writings inspire your own paper, but of course make sure to cite them properly if you borrow any of their ideas.
OUTLINE of dialogue and action related to theatricality in R & G
ESSAY on philosophical and religious themes in R & G
LECTURE on different texts and philosophies that inspired Stoppard's R & G (A.k.a. the "What the hell is Stoppard up to?" lecture)
The STORY of how Stoppard (and R & G) was discovered at Edinburgh in 1966
A BIOGRAPHICAL/career-spanning look at Tom Stoppar as master of word play and theatrical games
The Curious Interface: A Design Manifesto in Favor of Play
As I mentioned earlier this week, I'll be in Seattle soon for UbiComp 2003, an industry conference on "ubiquitous computing." By ubiquitous, they mean all the "portable" computers we now carry around with us everywhere and all of the "embedded" computers we're starting to put in previously low-tech spaces (think: the new digital movie "posters" in some movie theaters, Global Positioning System technology in cars, etc.) I'm doing a demo and running a game at the conference; part of the game is a manifesto on digital design and play. The manifesto is a bit outrageous, designed to shake up the primarily engineer and computer science crowd, but here it is... as you can see, it's heavily influenced by theories of play. Feel free to interpret, be confused, resist, etc... any thoughts are most welcome.
The Curious Interface:
A Design Manifesto in Favor of Play
Proclaimed by Jane McGonigal and Greg Niemeyer on behalf of the Avant Game movement
Ambiguous displays invite interpretation. Mysterious signals demand investigation. Curious interfaces provoke play.
OUR BELIEFS
We believe that clarity in design is not always an advantage.
We must insist, on the contrary, that there is currently a crisis of natural interfaces, frank labels and straightforward instructions.
We contend that our opportunities to engage digitally are increasingly limited and pre-determined by technologies that too clearly announce their intentions and capabilities.
We argue that the user who instantly understands the purpose and processes of a technology is compelled to respond in specific, directed ways.
We have observed that, once learned, these habits preclude user experimentation, modification and intervention.
We are concerned that as ubiquitous computers become more responsive to their users and environments, users are becoming less responsive to the environments in which our technologies are distributed or embedded.
We support ambiguity, multiplicity, and open-endedness in design, so that we perceive, rather than receive, our technologies.
We believe that designers have a responsibility to encourage exploratory play.
OUR DEMANDS
We call for more curious interfaces.
We ask for more freedom in interpreting the purposes of distributed systems.
We long for embedded sensors that we must fully sense in return.
We demand a stop to the “interfaceless” interface. If we can’t perceive the interface, we can’t play with it.
We propose that our digital domains become mysterious once again so that every user becomes a bold investigator, a wild interpreter and an inventive player.
OUR CALL TO ACTION
Subvert the unilateral authority of the designer!
Join us in thwarting the coercive power of clarity.
Fight with us against the tyranny of predetermined interaction patterns.
Work with us to free your users from the constraints of the illusion of “multiple choice”.
Let your users make meaningful choices instead.
Enable your technologies to surprise its users.
Enable your users to surprise the designers.
Help us teach smart environments how to play dumb now and again.
Join us in rejecting the clear interface, which we believe is merely a window to the designer’s intentions.
Opt, instead, for an opaque interface, which will act as a mirror, reflecting different motives and modes of deployment with each user it engages.
When what surrounds us confounds us, when the computable tends toward the inscrutable, only then will users become strategic, resourceful, poetic actors. Through your design, implore your users: Be responsive!
As I mentioned earlier this week, I'll be in Seattle soon for UbiComp 2003, an industry conference on "ubiquitous computing." By ubiquitous, they mean all the "portable" computers we now carry around with us everywhere and all of the "embedded" computers we're starting to put in previously low-tech spaces (think: the new digital movie "posters" in some movie theaters, Global Positioning System technology in cars, etc.) I'm doing a demo and running a game at the conference; part of the game is a manifesto on digital design and play. The manifesto is a bit outrageous, designed to shake up the primarily engineer and computer science crowd, but here it is... as you can see, it's heavily influenced by theories of play. Feel free to interpret, be confused, resist, etc... any thoughts are most welcome.
The Curious Interface:
A Design Manifesto in Favor of Play
Proclaimed by Jane McGonigal and Greg Niemeyer on behalf of the Avant Game movement
Ambiguous displays invite interpretation. Mysterious signals demand investigation. Curious interfaces provoke play.
OUR BELIEFS
We believe that clarity in design is not always an advantage.
We must insist, on the contrary, that there is currently a crisis of natural interfaces, frank labels and straightforward instructions.
We contend that our opportunities to engage digitally are increasingly limited and pre-determined by technologies that too clearly announce their intentions and capabilities.
We argue that the user who instantly understands the purpose and processes of a technology is compelled to respond in specific, directed ways.
We have observed that, once learned, these habits preclude user experimentation, modification and intervention.
We are concerned that as ubiquitous computers become more responsive to their users and environments, users are becoming less responsive to the environments in which our technologies are distributed or embedded.
We support ambiguity, multiplicity, and open-endedness in design, so that we perceive, rather than receive, our technologies.
We believe that designers have a responsibility to encourage exploratory play.
OUR DEMANDS
We call for more curious interfaces.
We ask for more freedom in interpreting the purposes of distributed systems.
We long for embedded sensors that we must fully sense in return.
We demand a stop to the “interfaceless” interface. If we can’t perceive the interface, we can’t play with it.
We propose that our digital domains become mysterious once again so that every user becomes a bold investigator, a wild interpreter and an inventive player.
OUR CALL TO ACTION
Subvert the unilateral authority of the designer!
Join us in thwarting the coercive power of clarity.
Fight with us against the tyranny of predetermined interaction patterns.
Work with us to free your users from the constraints of the illusion of “multiple choice”.
Let your users make meaningful choices instead.
Enable your technologies to surprise its users.
Enable your users to surprise the designers.
Help us teach smart environments how to play dumb now and again.
Join us in rejecting the clear interface, which we believe is merely a window to the designer’s intentions.
Opt, instead, for an opaque interface, which will act as a mirror, reflecting different motives and modes of deployment with each user it engages.
When what surrounds us confounds us, when the computable tends toward the inscrutable, only then will users become strategic, resourceful, poetic actors. Through your design, implore your users: Be responsive!
Sunday, October 05, 2003
Mystery Quote: Do you know it?
Here's a riddle. The following statement was made by someone, somewhere, yesterday. By who, if you know, and more importantly, who and what is the person talking about? What's the relevance to our class... or, perhaps more importantly, what's the relevance of what we've been talking about in class to this real-world scenario?
MYSTERY QUOTE: “These “playful acts,” as he calls them, are CRIMES in the state of California, and if he doesn’t know the difference between a playful act and a crime, then we’ll teach him the difference!”
Here's a riddle. The following statement was made by someone, somewhere, yesterday. By who, if you know, and more importantly, who and what is the person talking about? What's the relevance to our class... or, perhaps more importantly, what's the relevance of what we've been talking about in class to this real-world scenario?
MYSTERY QUOTE: “These “playful acts,” as he calls them, are CRIMES in the state of California, and if he doesn’t know the difference between a playful act and a crime, then we’ll teach him the difference!”
Friday, October 03, 2003
Game and Play Goes to the Movies
I'm thinking about revising the syllabus a bit to incorporate some interesting movies that touch on some of the major game and play issues and theories we've been studying: deep play, dark play, theatrical play, pervasive play, role play... I'd love to get your thoughts on what movies might be interesting to include. We might be able to change one of the writing assignments to focus on a movie, as well. Here are some of the films I'm thinking of (and really recommend); some are obvious and well-known, some are a bit more obscure (and those I REALLY recommend, although a couple of 'em I think you can only get on boot-leg in the U.S. right now). If you don't recognize a film and want to find our more about it, trying looking it up in the Internet Movie Database.
What would you add to the list and why? If you've seen any of the films on this list, any thoughts about the kinds of play and games taking place? (some of them are less literally about games and play than others... I'm thinking metaphorically in a few cases... can you interpret?)
Better Luck Tomorrow
Amelie (Allen suggested this one, actually)
War Games
Fight Club
The Game
Existenz
Running Man
House of Games (well, really, anything by David Mamet)
Nine Queens
Brewster's Millions
Hell House
Flatliners
Any Given Sunday
Cruel Intentions
Intacto (this is on new release at Blockbusters, etc. right now and really crazy and creepy -- Rent it, rent it!)
Topsy Turvy
Tootsie
My Little Eye
Gerry
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (yes, there's a movie! Go ahead and rent it, but read the play, too -- there are some non-trivial differences that would be very interesting to discuss.)
I'm thinking about revising the syllabus a bit to incorporate some interesting movies that touch on some of the major game and play issues and theories we've been studying: deep play, dark play, theatrical play, pervasive play, role play... I'd love to get your thoughts on what movies might be interesting to include. We might be able to change one of the writing assignments to focus on a movie, as well. Here are some of the films I'm thinking of (and really recommend); some are obvious and well-known, some are a bit more obscure (and those I REALLY recommend, although a couple of 'em I think you can only get on boot-leg in the U.S. right now). If you don't recognize a film and want to find our more about it, trying looking it up in the Internet Movie Database.
What would you add to the list and why? If you've seen any of the films on this list, any thoughts about the kinds of play and games taking place? (some of them are less literally about games and play than others... I'm thinking metaphorically in a few cases... can you interpret?)
Better Luck Tomorrow
Amelie (Allen suggested this one, actually)
War Games
Fight Club
The Game
Existenz
Running Man
House of Games (well, really, anything by David Mamet)
Nine Queens
Brewster's Millions
Hell House
Flatliners
Any Given Sunday
Cruel Intentions
Intacto (this is on new release at Blockbusters, etc. right now and really crazy and creepy -- Rent it, rent it!)
Topsy Turvy
Tootsie
My Little Eye
Gerry
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (yes, there's a movie! Go ahead and rent it, but read the play, too -- there are some non-trivial differences that would be very interesting to discuss.)
Thursday, October 02, 2003
Brainstorming for Writing Assignment #2: The Interpretive Game
Here's a synposis of your second writing assignment (see hand-out for complete guidelines and recommendations). Feel free to use this blog space to brainstorm ideas with each other, test out a game pitch, or get help turning a central question into a thesis. Remember, writing is always best when conducted as a conversation!
The Interpretive Game
For your second writing assignment, you will be asked to interpret one of two dramatic texts: either Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead or Neil Labute’s “A Gaggle of Saints”. Your interpretation will consist of three parts: 1) a traditional close-reading of the text; 2) a description of a game you invent based on your close-reading; and 3) a concluding analysis explaining the connection between your close-reading and your game. More specifically:
1. A two-page discussion of how one specific theory, image or idea of play and/or games functions in the dramatic text of your choice. There are many possible images, angles and play forms from which to choose your particular focus; please pick just one so that your discussion is clear, focused and specific. This discussion should involve substantial “close reading” of the text; that is, you should be frequently citing and unpacking specific language and action from the text. (General summary should be avoided at all costs.) It should also include a thesis statement addressing the central question you are asking. Please make appropriate specific references to, and citations of, our readings on play theory, theater and game studies (Apter, Schechner, Selden, Oriard, etc.) to support your discussion.
2. A two-page description of a game that you invent based on your interpretation of your chosen dramatic text. You can invent a car game, a mobile game, a roleplaying game, a first person shooter game, a board game, a game show, a party game, a drinking game, an athletic game, a solitary game, a “dark play” game, a “deep play” game, a theater (actor training) game, a group therapy game, a scavenger hunt game, a Halloween game, or any other kind of game you can think of. (It must be a formal game, however, not a freeform play activity.) Your game description should include a general pitch: “Come play the fun/ exciting/ twisted/ outrageous/ daredevil/ etc. game of …., in which you and four friends/ your worst enemy/ a group of strangers/ etc.…. will match wits/ risk your lives/ discover secrets/ etc…” It should also include (in prose, not in a chart) a clear breakdown of the game elements, using either Elliot M. Avedon’s or Greg Costikyan’s schema for essential and recommended game elements. While you do not have to make or play this game in real life, you must describe it in sufficient detail that a reader (with access to the necessary materials, environment and co-players) would know exactly how to play the game.
3. In the last page of your paper, you will explain how your game is connected to your close-reading of the dramatic text. Persuade the reader that the theories or ideas of play and/or games explored in the primary dramatic text are the same theories or ideas explored in your invented game.
Here's a synposis of your second writing assignment (see hand-out for complete guidelines and recommendations). Feel free to use this blog space to brainstorm ideas with each other, test out a game pitch, or get help turning a central question into a thesis. Remember, writing is always best when conducted as a conversation!
The Interpretive Game
For your second writing assignment, you will be asked to interpret one of two dramatic texts: either Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead or Neil Labute’s “A Gaggle of Saints”. Your interpretation will consist of three parts: 1) a traditional close-reading of the text; 2) a description of a game you invent based on your close-reading; and 3) a concluding analysis explaining the connection between your close-reading and your game. More specifically:
1. A two-page discussion of how one specific theory, image or idea of play and/or games functions in the dramatic text of your choice. There are many possible images, angles and play forms from which to choose your particular focus; please pick just one so that your discussion is clear, focused and specific. This discussion should involve substantial “close reading” of the text; that is, you should be frequently citing and unpacking specific language and action from the text. (General summary should be avoided at all costs.) It should also include a thesis statement addressing the central question you are asking. Please make appropriate specific references to, and citations of, our readings on play theory, theater and game studies (Apter, Schechner, Selden, Oriard, etc.) to support your discussion.
2. A two-page description of a game that you invent based on your interpretation of your chosen dramatic text. You can invent a car game, a mobile game, a roleplaying game, a first person shooter game, a board game, a game show, a party game, a drinking game, an athletic game, a solitary game, a “dark play” game, a “deep play” game, a theater (actor training) game, a group therapy game, a scavenger hunt game, a Halloween game, or any other kind of game you can think of. (It must be a formal game, however, not a freeform play activity.) Your game description should include a general pitch: “Come play the fun/ exciting/ twisted/ outrageous/ daredevil/ etc. game of …., in which you and four friends/ your worst enemy/ a group of strangers/ etc.…. will match wits/ risk your lives/ discover secrets/ etc…” It should also include (in prose, not in a chart) a clear breakdown of the game elements, using either Elliot M. Avedon’s or Greg Costikyan’s schema for essential and recommended game elements. While you do not have to make or play this game in real life, you must describe it in sufficient detail that a reader (with access to the necessary materials, environment and co-players) would know exactly how to play the game.
3. In the last page of your paper, you will explain how your game is connected to your close-reading of the dramatic text. Persuade the reader that the theories or ideas of play and/or games explored in the primary dramatic text are the same theories or ideas explored in your invented game.
