Kursusbasen

Kursusoversigt

Kursusbeskrivelse

Kursusnavn (dansk):	Projektklynge: Spiljournalistik, pressehåndtering og markedsføring (tidligere Spil og journalistik)
Kursusnavn (engelsk):	Project Cluster: Marketing and Game Journalism (Formerly Games and Journalism)
Semester:	Forår 2012
Udbydes under:	cand.it., spil (games)
Omfang i ECTS:	0,00
Kursussprog:	Engelsk
Kursushjemmeside:	https://learnit.itu.dk
Min. antal deltagere:	0
Forventet antal deltagere:	15
Maks. antal deltagere:	20
Formelle forudsætninger:	A general knowledge of games and game journalism is encouraged, though there are no formal prerequisites for this course besides the mentioned restriction - see below. ----- NB!! Course restriction!! Please note that there is a course restriction between this course and the MTG course Games and Journalism. That means that you cannot take this course, if you have already taken Games and Journalism. Project cluster This is a project cluster. Students who sign up for this project cluster will also need to register their specific project in the project base. The project cluster as such will not be listed in your final exam papers - it will be the project title that is registered in your diploma.
Læringsmål:	After having handed in the project the student should be able to: • Explain the main principles of Journalism in relation to the Games Industry - as observed in both the mainstream press and more fanbased /hardcore media. • Analyse and reflect on the different journalistic practices in relation to target media of the Game Journalist - what are the main differences between writing for a newspaper compared to a magazine or website? • Write articles that fits into the basic journalistic disciplines such as news, interviews, features, reviews, previews and blogs - and prove how to target them to a specific media/target audience. • Conduct critical interviews with game developers and write a succesfull plan for the interview. Also analyse the difference between the various types of sources in an article and how to use and quote them correct. • Analyse the key marketing needs of a given game, and be able to formulate a professional marketing plan, so a game reaches a given audience. • Describe how the gaming press works and why - and thereby be able to dissect the game industry as seen through the eyes of both a game developer, the consumer and the game journalist. • Reflect on the ethics inherent in all (Game) Journalism - or the lack of same.
Fagligt indhold:	Congratulations on making the best game in the world! Just a real shame no one knows about it.... Knowing the inner workings of modern Game Journalism and Game Marketing is crucial for success for every game developer. 'Marketing and Game Journalism" will be a practical crash course in how to present your games to the public, how to wrestle the games press and how you as a game developer not get screwed by smart marketing-people. The focus of the course is primarily practical backed by theory, so the attendees will also learn how to handle interviews and how to address the professional gaming press, so they are prepared to the real deal. Background The question I always get when I explain I play and write about games for a living is: “What! You're getting paid to play games? Must be the best job in the world!” Fortunately yes, but also extremely challenging since more than often the jobtitle "videogame journalist" comes under scrutiny for being somewhat of an oxymoron. Mainly because the journalistic practice is often underestimated and still mostly conducted by underpaid, young freelance writers with no journalistic education in tackling this multimillion dollar game industry. That fact has giving growth to the dark side of Game Journalism: bought review scores, lush expensive press-trips and too personal relations between game journalists and game developers / distributors. This project cluster will tackle the inner workings, ethics and the fundamental journalistic principles inherent in Game Journalism today. As an example the project cluster will analyse the typically core "reveal - preview - review"-cycle of Game Journalism and reflect upon its effect on the Game Industry as a whole. We will also discuss the inherent power struggles between the game developers and gaming press. In order to make the project cluster as realistic and relevant as possible, we will often invite prominent professionals from the game industry - game developers, PR managers, professional game journalists, scientists etc. - in as external guest teachers. Only in that way the project cluster will give a unique firsthand insight into how the Game Industry works in relation to journalist - and vice versa - since the journalists are an important gatekeeper between a game developer and the public/consumer. The project cluster will also put PR and Marketing for Games and Gaming Consoles into perspective and analyse how this is conducted on an international scale. What is good marketing, and how could the press be handled? What is the difference between good PR from bad PR in the Games industry? In that regard the project cluster will also provide Game Developers a better understanding on how both the Gaming Press and the Mainstream Press works: how do I talk to the press, how do I get their attention and how do I best get my game across to the public? The target audience for the project cluster is developers, journalists, educators and critics. There´s no doubt that computer games are an extremely important cultural phenomenon that require full attention and a truly professional critical journalistic coverage. The big question is how, and in which directions Journalism should evolve in this field of ever widening cultural importance.
Læringsaktiviteter:	Projektklynge Each lecture will be accompanied by an short exercise that illustrates the issues addressed on the lecture. Students are expected to attend and participate in both the lectures and the exercises. ----------- See the schedule here: link to the time table The schedule will be available shortly before the beginning of the term.
Eksamensform og -beskrivelse:	X. experimental examination form (7-scale; external exam), 7-trins-skala, Ekstern censur Project examination. The duration of this oral exam is 30 minutes. Before the exam the student will write a short games-related article (news story, feature, review, column etc.), which we will discuss and reflect upon at the oral exam. This article forms the starting point of the oral exam, which are not limited to the article, but could include other topics covered during the semester.
Litteratur udover forskningsartikler:	Gillen, Keiron: ”Editorial: New Games Journalism”. 2004. See http://gillen.cream.org/wordpress_html/?page_id=3 Gillen, Keiron: “The New Games Journalism - Or How Not To Herd Cats”. 2005. See http://gillen.cream.org/wordpress_html/?page_id=6 Gillen, Kieron: Review of “Deus Ex”. Originally in PC Gamer, issue 87, 2000. See: http://gillen.cream.org/wordpress_html/?page_id=16 Kücklich, Julian: “The Road Less Traveled – The Case for Computer Game Philology”. Unknown year of publishing. See http://www.playability.de/en/txt/cgpabs.html Shanahan, Ian: “Bow, Nigger”. See http://www.alwaysblack.com/blackbox/bownigger.html Shanahan, Ian Shanahan: “Possesing Barbie” See http://www.alwaysblack.com/blackbox/possessingbarbie.html

Afholdelse (tid og sted)

Kurset afholdes på følgende tid og sted:

Ugedag	Tidspunkt	Forelæsning/Øvelser	Sted	Lokale
Torsdag	12.00-13.50	Forelæsning	ITU	3A18
Torsdag	14.00-15.50	Øvelser	ITU	3A18

Eksamen afholdes på følgende tid og sted:

Eksamensdato	Tidspunkt	Eksamenstype	Sted	Lokale
2012-05-23	Tidspunkt oplyses senere	Skriftlige arbejder	ITU	Eksamenskontoret (2E)
2012-06-21	Tidspunkt oplyses senere	Mundtlig eksamen	ITU	Lokale oplyses senere