Due Dates
4/27 Videogame 1.0
5/4 Videogame 2.0
5/9 Videogame 3.0
In Persuasive Games, Ian Bogost argues that most political videogames have failed to take advantage of the procedural affordances of the medium. Instead of using procedures to make arguments, political games have put new skins on old games or have merely used games to deliver textual arguments.
This project will provide you with the opportunity to create a political videogame that answers Bogost's challenge. In groups, you'll use the programming language Scratch to create a game that makes a procedural argument. Your game will deal with Wisconsin politics in some way. Your game can address an issue in Madison, but it does not have to. The only requirement is that the game address a political issue that impacts and/or is being debated by the citizens of Wisconsin. This will require that you research the issue.
You will have ample class time to learn Scratch during workshops and to work with your group members to build your game. You will also have opportunities to test your games by having classmates outside of your group play versions of your game.
When providing feedback, Eric and I will be looking for the following:
- Does your game make an effective procedural argument about your chosen issue?
- Does your game provide sufficient context for the issue?
- Does your project demonstrate an understanding of the class readings and an application of their terms and concepts? You should be applying what you've learned in the Bogost readings and in our discussions about Braid.
- Has your group effectively managed the project, using Basecamp to schedule milestones and develop to-do lists?
- Has your group incorporated feedback from others in the class?
- Is your project free from grammatical errors and generally well written?
