JAN 120 - The Case for Literary Merit in Video Games

Instructor(s):  FitzPatrick, Clare
Email:  ef3@stmarys-ca.edu

It all started with a plumber named Mario. Since the dawn of arcades in the late 1970s, the world has developed a fascination with video games. This interactive medium transformed the way people interacted with computers, and their market value caused them to evolve steadily from a simple, mindless objective of jumping over blocks, to a complex, character driven narrative that challenged the player not just in skill, but often on a deeper and more emotional level. Games like BioShock, Red Dead Redemption, The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, and Dragon Age offered players massive, sweeping narratives to influence and become immersed in. Video games inspired a new direction for storytelling. But what makes these stories different from all the other stories we have read over the course of history? Can we compare “The Last of Us” to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, or Cormac McCarthy’s The Road? Better yet, should we? In this in-person class, we will explore the evolution of story in video games by examining some of the most compelling games in the medium. We will draw parallels between “classic” interpretations of literature and modern video games that are breaking new ground in storytelling. We will also trace the evolution of key characteristics of storytelling, like character development, motivation, and gender roles. Gaming continues to evolve and make its case as a valid art form in a world still skeptical of its merits. In this class, we will work to support that case.
 

Prerequisites & Notes
None

Credits: 3-CU