Desert Island Games Assignment
Part of your graded work this semester is an oral and written report on a game you have selected in the classic Desert Island Scenario: if you were banished to a desert island (with electricity and every game system imaginable), what games would you want with you?
As a general rule, no one may write on a game that has been previously covered. In special cases, e.g., where two students have radically different views of a particular subject, I may allow dual or joint entries. Discuss your plans with me before proceeding. This rule does not apply to sequels: an article on Final Fantasy IV does not preclude another on Final Fantasy VII.
Your report must contain the following sections, to which you may add as you like.
Graphic
Include at least one suitably sixed image (maximum width 670 pixels) serving as a visual signature for the game. If you are writing about a PC game, you may be able to do your own screen capture; for most console games, screenshots are readily available on the Web.
You may include additional graphics as appropriate (but I suggest you place them either inline with your text, or below the sections that follow).
Basic Information
- Title
- Publisher
- Platform
- Release date
- Studio, and lead designer(s) if known
Description
Briefly describe the game, covering its type or genre, the nature of its world or environment, its story and characters (if applicable), and the nature of its player experience, or gameplay. (This could take a paragraph or three.)
Reception
In this section, cover the commercial and critical impact of your game. Was it a commercial success? Did the critics praise it? Did it win any significant awards? Cause notable controversy?
Also account for the game's longer-term influence, or industry footprint. Were there sequels? Imitators? Did elements of this game end up in later games? Did it shape design practice in some way?
Argument
In a few paragraphs, explain why you have selected this game for the Desert Island Collection. Cover some or all of the following, with any additions you like:
- Innovations in game design or gameplay
- Visual design, graphics, animation
- Technical advances
You may also want to write a bit from a subjective viewpoint, explaining why this game is or was important to you.
Source credits
Indicate all sources you consulted for information in your posting, including URLs for Web information. While you will find sites like Wikipedia and Gamespy inevitably useful for factual information, avoid quoting them at length, and be sure that your Argument section consists entirely of your own words (except for brief, attributed quotations as necessary).
For your oral presentation, do not simply read your written report, but summarize main points and invite discussion.
Present your written report as a Microsoft Word document (.doc or .docx). If you do not have Word, you may use any other standard document format, such as Rich Text Format (RTF) or plain text (.txt). Web pages are also acceptable.
Send your written document to me as an e-mail attachment by the day of your presentation. Work is late if submitted beyond that point. I will not accept a written report more than two weeks late.
If your report is rescheduled, the due date for your written report changes accordingly.
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