Game Studies

Media Studies 360
Intended for 40 undergraduate students
Spring 2025 at the University of Victoria
lək̓ʷəŋən and WSÁNEĆ territories
M and Th, 1 - 2:20pm | 1.5 units | prereq: AWR
Taught by Jentery Sayers (he / him) | jentery@uvic.ca
Office hours: M and Th, 12-1pm, in CLE D331

Final Essay

The Final Essay covers course material since January 9th (“Work and Play”). Your response is due via Brightspace by Thursday, April 17th, at 1pm.

This assignment is open-book, meaning you are allowed to use the course website, the class notebook, your own notes, recordings of class sessions, the library, and the internet to address the prompt.

I recommend preparing for your Final Essay by reviewing your worksheets, especially Worksheet 3. How might you integrate some of that material with your essay? Build on your existing research. Avoid reinventing the wheel.

Please cite your source material.

Format

You have two options for your Final Essay:

1. A video essay of 10-18 minutes (script or transcript optional), or
2. A written essay of 1250-2250 words plus embedded images, audio, and/or video.

You should not submit a text-only essay.

The essay should be accompanied by:

1. Credits or a references section, and
2. ~150 words describing the project and its intended venue and audience. (Details below.)

Please include your 150-word description either at the beginning of your Final Essay or in the comments section of the Brightspace submission form for this assignment.

Venue and Audience

You should identify a possible venue for your Final Essay. Types of venues include:

• Academic journals (print or online),
• Commercial or independent games media publications (print or online), and
• Channels on video-sharing platforms (your own channel or someone else’s).

Please include the title and URL for the venue in your 150-word description.

You should also identify the intended audience for your Final Essay. Audiences include:

• Game Studies scholars with interests in X (where “X” is an area in the field),
• Fans of X game (where “X” is the title of a game), and
• Readers of X venue (where “X” is the title of the venue you identified above).

Please mention your audience in your 150-word description.

Your audience needn’t be academic, and your Final Essay should “fit” stylistically with the venue and audience you’ve selected. Consider your word choice, voice, delivery, writing conventions, and use of evidence or examples. Aim to converse with your audience. Avoid talking down to them.

Language, Media, and Perspective

You are welcome to use first-, second-, and/or third-person language in your Final Essay. You are also welcome to include voice-over, a face camera, documentation of you playing a game, or the like. Some gameplay footage is required, though. (Details below.)

Some questions to consider: Do you want to be a “main character” in the argument you’re making? Do you want people to hear your voice (on or off camera), or would you rather they read your writing? Will you break the fourth wall? Are you bringing your intended audience on an emotional journey (pathos) through your essay? Are you leaning into the logic (logos) of a game’s design? Who is your crew of fellow critics (ethos), and how are you conversing with them and building on their work? How are you pacing (kairos) your essay for your intended audience to follow along?

The Prompt

Please compose a video essay or written essay that:

• Addresses a specific game or topic in Game Studies.
• Focuses on a recognizable theme from start to finish.
• Is intentionally scoped with clear goals and a palpable sense of direction. (Avoid talking about “all the things.” When in doubt, cut it out.)
• Fits stylistically with it intended venue and audience (see above).
• Exhibits an awareness of its intended audience, their knowledge, and their expectations.
• Engages current or pressing issues in Game Studies, including issues from at least two entries in the MDIA 360 class notebook.
• Explains or demonstrates why these issues matter, for whom they matter most, and how you’re approaching them.
• Includes a significant claim with which someone could disagree. This arguable claim can be expressed explicitly or implicitly.
• Supports that claim with your own gameplay documentation (video or images). Provide your audience with unique access to a game you’ve played.
• Integrates at least three secondary sources with your essay’s theme and research. You should quote, paraphrase, or otherwise integrate material from these three sources. Secondary sources may include academic publications, games media and criticism, and video essays and recorded talks. I recommend mixing it up.
• Converses with existing work related to your theme. Acknowledge designers, developers, studios, and fellow critics by name in your essay.
• Contains credits or a references section.

Your Final Essay should be accompanied by 150 words that describe the essay and identify its intended venue and audience (see above).

Assessment

I will use the following rubric, based on UVic’s official grading system, to assess your Final Essay.

• 89.5-100 (exceeds all expectations): the essay is compelling; it addresses the prompt and applies course terminology; it enhances the course material, including lectures, class discussions, the class notebook, and our engagements with games listed in the syllabus; the use of examples is clear, focused, convincing, and inventive (original insight)
• 79.5-89 points (exceeds some or most expectations): the essay is compelling; it addresses the prompt and applies course terminology; it corresponds with the course material, including lectures, class discussions, the class notebook, and our engagements with games listed in the syllabus; the use of examples is clear, focused, and convincing
• 69.5-79 points (meets or mostly meets the expectations): the essay addresses the prompt and applies course terminology; it corresponds with the course material, including lectures, class discussions, the class notebook, and our engagements with games listed in the syllabus; the use of examples is often convincing but may warrant some clarification
• 59.5-69 points (meets some expectations): the essay addresses some of the prompt and applies some course terminology; it corresponds with some of the course material, including lectures, class discussions, the class notebook, and our engagements with games listed in the syllabus; the use of examples warrants some clarification
• 49.5-59 points (does not meet the expectations): the essay does not correspond much, if at all, with the course material or the prompt
• 0-49 points: no essay or an incomplete essay

1 point will be deducted for every 25 words over the prescribed word count or every ten seconds over the time limit.

10 points will be deducted from the overall mark if no references or credits are included.

Your mark for the Final Essay will constitute 25% of your mark in this course.

I will assess your Final Essay as if it represents the culmination of what you learned in this course. I recommend starting it as soon as possible. I also recommend using prose (paragraphs) rather than point form in your essay. Prose is more synthetic and will allow you to make connections.

Citing Your Sources

Please do not forget to cite any material from which you draw ideas or examples. You can use an established citation style (such as Chicago, MLA, or APA) if you’re producing a references section. You’re also welcome to play with a citation style if you’re producing credits for a video essay; however, your credits should include enough information for your audience to locate your source materials.

When in doubt, cite it.

What to Submit

Please submit a DOCX, ODT, PAGES, PDF, MOV, or MP4 file containing your Final Essay along with any other files you wish to attach.

When to Submit It

The Final Essay is due by 1pm on Thursday, April 17th. I will deduct ten points for every business day that I receive your essay after 5pm that Thursday. (Note that UVic is closed on Friday, April 18th and Monday, April 21st.) I will close the submission portal on Wednesday, April 23rd at 5pm and cannot accept any submissions after the portal is closed. I do not accept submissions by email.