Online Games, Play and Gamification

 
Assignment 1: Short Essay
In Brief:
This assignment is worth 25% of your mark for this unit.
Please refer to the calendar in your Unit Outline for the due date.
Instructions:
Essay Topic: Using reading from module 1 (and extra research if needed) demonstrate your understanding of the relationships between play and games.
You are advised to base your discussion around one game. Here are some examples to get you thinking:

The End of Us
The Republia Times
The Raccoon Who Lost Their Shape
Entire Screen of One Game
Cookie Clicker
My Garbage Cat Wakes Me Up at 3am Every Day
Zork
Small Worlds
This essay is worth 25% of your mark for this unit. The essay should be 1500 words in length, including in-text references; however, your reference list is not included in this count. You have 10% flexibility with the word limit, but being substantially under or over-length will result in a poorer mark.
Please keep in mind, you will need to develop your own analysis in this essay. Even if you agree completely with one article or book you are using, you will need to present a larger and more balanced examination than any single source can provide. You will be expected to have read and to utilise both core and deeper readings from the relevant topic. As this is a research essay, to do well you may also need to find appropriate additional material to further your analysis.
Your essay should include a fully formed introduction and conclusion, should be written in paragraph form, should present a clear argument and should meaningfully engage with the readings provided in the unit as well as including credible material from additional sources if required.  Your essay should follow the APA 6th ed. referencing style.
Criteria for Assessment
You will be assessed on:

Accurate definition of terms
Clear and coherent writing and expression (spelling, grammar and formatting)
Use of reading and accurate referencing following correct APA 6th ed. style
Development of a coherent argument

 
Core Readings
 Caillois, Roger. (1961). “The Definition of Play.” In Man, Play and Games (pp.3-10). Urbana: University of Illinois Press  

 Nielsen, Simon Egenfeldt, Jonas Heide Smith & Susana Pajares Tosca. (2008). “What is a Game?” In Understanding Video Games: The Essential Introduction (pp. 22-44). Taylor and Francis. 

  Juul, J. (2010). The game, the player, the world: Looking for a heart of gameness. PLURAIS-Revista Multidisciplinar da UNEB, 1 (2). 248 – 270 

 Ermi, L. and Mayra, F. (2005). Fundamental components of the gameplay experience: Analysing immersion. Proceedings of DiGRA 2005 Conference: Changing Views – Worlds in Play.