Course Information

Cosc 418.002 Design of Multiplayer Games - Spring 2009
Instructor: Anastasia Salter (anastasia.salter -at- ubalt.edu)
Office Hours: 1:00 to 2:00 Wednesdays and by appointment, in the Student Center

This course approaches multiplayer games from a historical and social context, examining the heritage of rules-based collective play through to the massively multiplayer virtual worlds of play today. Students will both actively participate in the existing communities of social games and apply their considerations to envisioning the next generation of multiplayer. To that end, each student will be expected to maintain a blog posting each week in response to specific prompts and theoretical readings. We will critically examine multiplayer experiences through:

Board and card games
Early digital multiplayer
Content-sharing games
Massive multiplayer worlds

Class Texts

The main texts for the class will be:

Taylor, T.L. Play Between Worlds. MIT Press, 2006.

Castronova, Edward. Exodus to the Virtual World. Palgrave, 2007.

Additional readings will be assigned from online sources and linked from the syllabus. Students will also be required to choose a massive multiplayer game world to examine more closely, and the game may present additional fees.

Assignments

Blog Posts (30%)

Each week, a new prompt will be posted on the website. These prompts will ask for responses to the research in play sessions and the readings. Blog posts must be between 350 and 500 words. If outside sources are used, the blog post must include appropriate citations. In addition to maintaining your own blog, each week you must post one thoughtful comment or question on another student's blog. The blog list will be accessible from this site. Blogs must be posted before the start of class each week. Late posts will be accepted within 24 hours of the deadline with a one-letter grade deduction.

Midterm Exam (25%)

The midterm exam will take place March 11th, the week prior to spring break. The exam will consist of five short answer and two essay questions.

Class Participation (20%)

Class participation is determined by attendance, completion of in-class quizzes and exercises, and a short in-class presentation on a massive multiplayer game (10%) of your choosing.

Final Project (25%)

Students will use their understanding of the historical and theoretical context of multiplayer gaming to develop their own thoughtful prototype, either using a digital content system such as Adventure Game Studio or an alternative or physical method.

This class enforces the University of Baltimore polices on academic honesty.