Games and Interactive Fiction

English 391: Studies in a Genre
Spring 2023 at the University of Victoria
lək̓ʷəŋən and WSÁNEĆ territories
Taught by Jentery Sayers (he / him)

Activity Analysis

This assignment preps you to compose your player story by prompting you to attend to a game and treat it as an activity system.

Before You Respond

Review the ten questions below and email me any concerns you have.
Also review the “Video Games as Activity Systems” diagram I shared during class in February.
Select a game from this list to study this term.
Play that game for at least an hour but ideally two. You do not need to complete the game or roll credits to respond to this prompt.
Document the game and your experience as you play it. Keep those ten questions in mind as you do. Your documentation doesn’t need to be high-tech. You can use either your phone (if you have one) to take photos or a computer or console to take screen grabs. You’ll want at least four images or videos for this assignment.

Download the Assignment

Please download the assignment (DOCX format) to complete it in a word processor. You are also welcome to copy and paste the questions to answer them. I do not recommend this approach because it’s riskier than simply downloading the assignment. If you nevertheless decide to copy and paste the questions, then please ensure you include the Academic Integrity statement and a list of works cited / references in your response.

If you need the exam in a format other than DOCX, then please let me know ASAP, and I’ll make it happen ASAP.

Note that the downloadable copy of the assignment does not contain all the information on this page, which you should read before responding to the prompt.

Aims

For you to:

Demonstrate your knowledge of activity theory and apply it to genre studies of games,
Describe and analyze a game by treating it as an activity system,
Document that game and your experience as you play it, and
Communicate what you learned to other people in this course, including me.

Format and Audience

This assignment consists of ten short-answer questions accompanied by video game documentation (four videos or images).

Your audience consists of your peers and me. You can assume we have played the game you selected and understand the fundamentals of activity theory and genre studies.

Academic Integrity

By responding to this assignment, you confirm that:

You followed UVic academic regulations and observed standards of scholarly integrity (e.g., no plagiarism or cheating).
You completed this assignment individually and not with a friend, classmate, or group.
Each response to every question is your own, excluding quoted and paraphrased material that is clearly cited.
You cited any sources, including assigned reading and internet sources, that you used to answer the questions.

The Ten Questions

Each of the following questions is worth 10 points for a total of 100 points. Your responses should demonstrate your understanding and application of pertinent course material, including activity theory, lectures, assigned reading, and discussions. (See “Assessment” below for details.)

Complete sentences are preferred. Please do not use more than 150 words per response. (I will use a word counting tool during assessment.)

All supporting game documentation should be yours, and you should only include an image or video when the question asks for one. You can attach a file by uploading it separately to Brightspace (recommended), or you can insert it directly into the document. If you attach it, then be sure to refer to the filename (e.g., “see portal2Mechanic.png” or “see evenTheOceanArt.mov”) in your writing. Any video you attach or insert should be no longer than 30 seconds.

Which game did you select to study in this course? Please mention the game’s title, developer(s), publisher(s), and release date in your response. (This question should be an easy ten points.)
Identify and describe one interesting story element in the game you selected. Why is it interesting? Include supporting game documentation (a video or image) and refer to it in your response.
Identify and describe one interesting art or design element in the game you selected. Why is it interesting? Include supporting game documentation (a video or image) and refer to it in your response.
Identify and describe one interesting mechanic or challenge in the game you selected. Why is it interesting? Include supporting game documentation (a video or image) and refer to it in your response.
Identify one genre set in the game you selected and explain how it coordinates narrative with art and mechanics. Include supporting game documentation (a video or image) and refer to it in your writing.
Identify and describe one contradiction between a mechanic and a story element in the game you selected. What’s interesting about the contradiction? You’re welcome to mention the game’s art and design here, too.
Identify and describe one way a genre set in the game you selected achieves context through uptake. What about the genre set keeps you interested in the game, or how does the genre set motivate you to pursue a particular outcome?
Identify and describe two conflicting motives for playing the game you selected. Why do the motives conflict, and what’s interesting about that conflict? Ideally, the motives are specific. Examples of vague motives include “have fun,” “complete the game,” and “enjoy a good story.” To express a specific motive, try grounding it in a particular part of the game or a specific moment in it.
Identify and describe one community who is especially invested in the game you selected. What do they care about most, and what would they consider to be cheating?
Research the development team for the game you selected and do your best to explain the roles of team members. Who did what, or how was the labour divided? Feel free to note when answers to these two questions are unclear (since roles and divisions of labour are not always communicated clearly, if at all).

Assessment

I will use the following rubric, based on UVic’s official grading system, to assess each of your responses, where “course material” includes activity theory, lectures, assigned readings, discussions, and your own video game documentation.

9-10 points: the response is compelling, and it enriches the course material (exceeds expectations); the explanation and use of examples are clear and convincing
7-8 points: the response is compelling and corresponds with the course material (meets expectations); the explanation and use of examples are clear
3-6 points: the response mostly corresponds with the course material (meets some expectations); the explanation and use of examples warrant some clarification
1-2 points: the response does not correspond with the course material and/or there is no explanation or example
0 points: no response

1 point will be deducted for every 25 words used over the 150-word limit.

10 points will be deducted if no works cited / references page is included at the end of the response.

The total of these points (0-100) will constitute 20% of your final mark in this course.

What to Submit

To respond to the Activity Analysis, please submit a DOCX, ODT, PAGES, or PDF file containing your answers. If you quote or paraphrase any sources, then include parenthetical citations and a works cited or references page. You are welcome to use your preferred citation style (MLA, Chicago, or APA, e.g.).

Please do not forget to cite games from which you draw examples. Parenthetical citations of games are not necessary, but reference entries are. Here’s a sample MLA reference entry for a game we’ve studied in class:

Han-Tani, Melos and Marina Kittaka. Even the Ocean. Analgesic Productions, 2016.

Columns A, B, C, and D in this spreadsheet provide you with all the information you need to reference games in the course.

Finally, you are welcome to use this MLA reference entry for Bawarshi and Reiff’s work when quoting or paraphrasing it in any of your responses:

Bawarshi, Anis S. and Mary Jo Reiff. Genre: An Introduction to History Theory Research and Pedagogy. Parlor Press, 2010.

When to Submit It

I recommend submitting your response to the Activity Analysis by Friday, February 17th at 11:30am. This way, you’ll know 42.5% of your final mark by February 28th, which is the last day to withdraw from this course without penalty of failure.

That said, you are welcome to submit your response as late as Wednesday, March 1st at 11:30am.

I will deduct three points per working day (excluding holidays and weekends) for every submission I receive after Wednesday, March 8th at 11:30am. This gives you one week of wiggle room for this assignment. I will close the Brightspace submission portal for the Activity Analysis assignment at 11:30am on Wednesday, March 22nd.