Greg Trefry
gtrefry@giganticmechanic.com
New York University
Interactive Telecommunications Program & Game Center
Friday, 3:20-5:50
Class Description
What happens to games when they escape the boundaries of our tabletops, desktops, TV screens and even living rooms? From massively multiplayer online games to networked objects that turn the city into a gigantic game grid, new forms of super-sized gaming and play are quickly opening up vast new spaces in which to play. Whether these games are measured in terms of number of players, geographical dimensions, or temporal scope, they represent a new trend in which the ‘little world” created by a game threatens to merge or even swallow up the “real world.”
This class focuses on the particular design problems of large-scale games and playful systems. In this class students develop a foundation in game design fundamentals from which to approach the specific issues particular to big games. We will analyze existing digital and non-digital large-scale games and playful experiences, taking them apart to understand how they work. We will also work on a series of design exercises that explore the social, technological, and creative possibilities of large-scale games and play.
The class will be broken into three sections: Space, People and Time. During the first section we will look at how games operate in space, how they stand apart or blend in with the world around them. The second section, People, will focus on games that bring together large numbers of players into one game. In the third section, Time, we will focus on games that stretch over long periods of time and begin to integrate with our everyday lives.
For the final we will bring all of these ideas together to create games that challenge established notions of gameplay.
Assignments
Readings
We will be reading a number of different articles and chapters from different books. You can find links in this syllabus. I will also post readings to our class’s Slack channel.
Communication & Collaboration
We'll communicate and collaborate through our class Slack Channel:
Expectations
Grading
25% In-class discussion
15% Space Game
15% People Game
15% Time Game
30% Final Project
Classes
Class 1 / September 9 - Establishing a shared game & play design language
Class 2 / September 16 - Physical Activities & Skill
Class 3 / September 23 - Location
Class 4 / September 30 - Space Game Due
Class 5 / October 7 - Agency
Class 6 / October 14 - Role-Playing
Class 7 / October 21 - People Game Due
Class 8 / October 28 - Persistence
Class 9 / November 4 - Behavior
Class 10 / November 11 - Time Game Due
Class 11 / November 18 - Spectacle
Class 12 / December 2 - Pervasiveness
Class 13 / December 9 - Playtest Finals
Class 14 / December 16 - Final Game Due
Greg Trefry
gtrefry@giganticmechanic.com
New York University
Interactive Telecommunications Program & Game Center
Friday, 3:20-5:50