Life is a game. True or untrue? This class is an attempt to address—if not exactly answer—this oft-posed question by looking at the messy intersection of art, play, digital gaming, and life itself. We’ll ask how human habitus—our whole repertoire of social practices, codes, cues, relationships, economies, work ethics—are shaped by competition, the thrills of winning, and the traumas of loss. Along the way, we’ll discuss the massive popularity of certain video games, the roles of play and gaming in contemporary art, the extent of abuse and toxicity in gaming and tech industries, the relation of simulated digital worlds to human and non-human geographies—we will only begin to discover the immeasurable impact games, game culture, and game development can have on our individual and collective existences—good and bad. Students are welcome to suggest alternative readings and topics based on personal or shared interests.
- Instructor: Nicholas Gamso