Reference no: EM132707874

Textual Analysis Assessment Brief

As game developers, it is imperative that we think critically about what effect our game has on the player and how our work can create a particular player experience. Without this critical approach, we are liable to misunderstand how games are received by an audience, how they might be improved, and why we are making games in the first place. Critically analysing other games is the first step in understanding them and improving our practice.

The textual analysis assessment provides an opportunity to focus on the textual devices used in a game to give meaning to the play experience. You apply semiotic concepts in the analysis of the game's theme: analysing its mechanics, representation and narrative to do so. You need to judge carefully what to include in your essay in the planning process. You need to structure the essay as a persuasive argument and research your topic. You must refer to a range of academic citations to support your analysis, correctly sourced and referenced.
In this assessment, you write a particular type of essay called a textual analysis. You are tasked with analysing a video game of your choosing. This game can be any commercially available video game. However, we recommend you consider the following when choosing a game:

• Avoid large, complex, community-driven games like MMOs. Although we do not prevent you from writing about them, they can be difficult to effectively discuss in 2000 words and the essay is focused on the game itself rather than the surrounding community and culture it supports.

• Competitive multiplayer games or abstract games are fine to discuss. Although the essay requires that you discuss ‘narrative', in these cases where an explicit narrative is not present, you are advised to discuss the fictional world and elements within it e.g. character design and setting in Counter-Strike, implications about the world of Tetris derived from mechanics and aesthetics.

• The game must be something you have personally played (but not necessarily finished). When choosing, it helps to write about a game which you are familiar with. However, this essay is a good opportunity to expand your horizons and write about a game you have recently chosen to play and have little prior experience of.

This analysis first defines the theme of a chosen game, and then explains how the textual strategies the game support this theme. Deciding upon a theme early on is central to this essay, and looking at the game's particular approach to mechanics, representation and narrative to show how this theme is developed as well as defend your choice of theme is key to doing well. You will also be expected to reference appropriate academic work to support and further galvanise your argument.

You must:

1. Clearly state and argue for the theme which you see as being core to the game you have chosen to analyse.

2. Observe the Textual Strategies which make up this theme in Gameplay, Representation and Narrative. Look at them independently of each other - find relevant theory to help pin down the strategy's uniqueness. Look at how they connect and help support the theme collectively.

3. Consider connotations and implications of these textual strategies, to show how they together create the game's concept.

4. Use Research to support your arguments and observations about the game and integrate referenced sources into the analysis.
The word limit is 2000 words, not including the bibliography. The word count does include in-text references, quotes and image captions. You may go 10% under or above this limit without penalty (1800-2200).