Course details

Applied game studies – research and design

1AHS-L FaVU 1AHS-L Acad. year 2025/2026 Winter semester 3 credits

Current academic year

During the course students will acquire knowledge applicable not only to the academic sphere but also to the professional environment. Lecture topics are structured into several thematic blocks, divided into use of games in research, industry research and game audience analysis. Students will acquire both the theoretical knowledge necessary for a deeper understanding of games and game culture as well as selected methods by which these topics can be explored.

Guarantor

Záhora Zdeněk, Mgr. et Mgr. (FFA)

Language of instruction

Czech

Completion

Examination

Time span

  • 13 hrs lectures
  • 13 hrs seminar

Department

Faculty of Fine Arts (FaVU)

Learning objectives

The aim of the course is to deepen the knowledge of game studies and to present methods and techniques by which the digital games, their industry and the audience can be explored.
Ability to prepare the design of applied research, including presentable materials.

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

Ability to read texts in English. Rich knowledge of game genres is an advantage.

Study literature

  • BARTLE, Richard. Hearts, Clubs, Diamonds, Spades: Players who suits MUDs. 1996. Dostupné z: http://www.mud.co.uk/richard/hcds.htm
  • ENTERTAINMENT SOFTWARE ASSOCIATION. Essential Facts: About the computer and videogame industry - 2013. Dostupné z: http://www.theesa.com/facts/pdfs/ESA_EF_2013.pdf
  • GEE, James Paul. What video games have to teach us about learning and literacy. Palgrave. 2003.
  • LEVY, Luis, NOVAK, Jeannie. Game Development Essentials: Game QA & Testing. Cengage Learning. 2009.
  • MCALLISTER, Graham. The difference between focus testing and player testing. Edge [online]. 2012. Dostupné z: http://www.edge-online.com/features/the-difference-between-focus-testing-and-player-testinghttp://www.edge-online.com/features/the-difference-between-focus-testing-and-player-testing

Fundamental literature

  • AARSETH, Espen. Cybertext: Perspectives on Ergodic Literature. JHU Press. 1997.
  • AARSETH, Espen. Introduction to Gamestudies. 2001. Dostupné z: http://www.gamestudies.org/0101/editorial.html
  • BOGOST, Ian. Persuasive games: the expressive power of videogames. London: MIT Press. c2007.
  • HUNICK, LEBLANC & ZUBEK. MDA: A formal approach to game design and game research. Discovery. 3 2004, Sv. 83. Dostupné z: http://www.cs.northwestern.edu/~hunicke/MDA.pdf
  • JENKINS, Henry. Convergence culture: where old and new media collide. 1. vyd. New York: New York University Press, 2006, xi, 308 s. ISBN 978-081-4742-952.
  • JUUL, Jesper. Half-real :video games between real rules and fictional worlds. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 2005.
  • MÄYRÄ, Frans. An introduction to game studies :games in culture. 1st ed. Los Angeles: SAGE Publications, 2008
  • SCHNELL, Jesse. The Art of Game Design. The Book of Lenses. CRC Press. 2008.
  • SCHULTZ, Charles, BRYANT, Robert. Game Testing Mercury Learning & Information. 2011.
  • WOLF, Mark J.P.; PERRON, Bernard, eds. The Video Game Theory Reader. 2003.

Syllabus of lectures

1. Formal analysis of a (digital) game
2. Methodology and scientific paradigms of game studies
3. Game genres
4. Game industry and game journalism
5. Semiotics, Cybertext
6. Narrative, discourse analysis
7. Reading week
8. Players as an audience
9. Virtual worlds as an ethnographic field
10. Playbour and link to game mechanics
11. Crowdresearch and game telemetry
12. Design of applied research

Progress assessment

Students are required to fulfill partial tasks assigned during the semester and to present a final paper (a proposal of applied research);
- intermediate tasks = 40 % of the evaluation
- final paper = 60% of the evaluation.
Compulsory attendance (how many lessons can be missed will be specified in the beginning of the semester).

Course inclusion in study plans

  • Programme BIT, 1st year of study, Elective
  • Programme BIT (in English), 1st year of study, Elective
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