Gaming research paper

Game Studies Final Project – Research Paper Option MAAC 3095: Digital Game Studies, Fall 2020. 25% of final grade

Final Paper Option Due on Desire 2 Learn by 11:59 pm on Dec. 10th, 2020.

Final Paper Topics & Organization Appropriate topics should be related to course material in some way, and fall under one of the course weekly themes (see below) by engaging with specific ideas and concepts from the course and applying them to a game studies topic of your interest. The range of possible topics is fairly flexible, as long as your paper is academic, critical and well- argued.

For your reference and inspiration, here are the general themes of the course this term: * Game Studies and Game Analysis * Foundational Concepts of Play, Games & Culture * Comparative Media, Games and Genres * Gamer Identities, Communities & Controversies * Race, Gender, and Sexuality in Digital Games * Unpacking Identification * Representation Matters * Global, Local & Indigenous Games * Games for Good & Getting Through: The Place of Play in a Pandemic * Emerging Futures & Cultures of Play

Although the essay topic is up to you, your essay must narrow in further on a specific topic to explore and have a thesis statement that makes a clear, academic point about your topic that is upheld by supporting points and scholarly research. A good academic essay should include an introduction, a clear main argument or thesis statement, sustaining arguments, examples and citations from supporting research and a conclusion. You will need to use at least four scholarly sources to inform your paper, and these should be properly cited both in-text and in your Works Cited page at the end of your paper. You can use up to two sources from the course readings, but the others should be scholarly sources you have found through your own academic research. If you have at least four scholarly sources, you can also optionally include additional non-scholarly more popular sources, as long as they are used appropriately (ie: to illustrate examples, provide context, but not as the main supports for your academic arguments).

Other Guidelines:

Format: Your essay should be clearly written out in full sentences and paragraphs, well- detailed and academic in tone and language. The length of this assignment should run approximately 2000-2500 words (or ≃ 6-8 pages), not including your title page and

works cited page. Please include a title page with an original essay title, your name, the name and course number of the course, my name (Dr. Lauren Cruikshank), the date you submit it and the name of the university. As well, please make sure to format your assignment in 12 point font with normal margins and double-space your work (with the exception of block quotes and the Works Cited page; these should be single spaced).

References and Citations: As mentioned above, you will need to use at least four scholarly sources to inform your paper, and these should be properly cited both in-text and in your Works Cited page at the end of your paper. You can use up to two sources from the course readings, but the others should be scholarly sources you have found through your own academic research. If you have four scholarly sources, you can also include additional non-scholarly more popular sources, as long as they are used appropriately (ie: to illustrate examples, provide context, but not as the main supports for your academic arguments). Be sure to clearly and properly acknowledge all research sources and outside material both in-text and in an attached Works Cited page in MLA format (8th edition). If you are not sure how to cite specific kinds of media and publications in MLA style, including games, please ask and I will provide some more guidance and resources on this for you. Please keep in mind that I take academic honesty very seriously and this assignment is certainly no exception. When in doubt, please ask to make sure you are documenting materials and sources properly.

Submission: Your final essay project is to be uploaded to Desire 2 Learn before 11:59pm on Dec 10th in the “Game Studies Final Projects” Dropbox. Desire 2 Learn will give you a confirmation message after a successful upload and timestamp your submission accordingly.

Essays uploaded late will lose points unless a serious documented reason has affected your work unexpectedly or I have spoken with you about extenuating circumstances in advance.

I would strongly suggest that you don’t wait until the last few hours to submit your paper to avoid being derailed by technical difficulties. Technological factors will not be taken into consideration against the late penalty unless there is a long-term general outage of Desire 2 Learn itself. It is your responsibility to make sure your essay is uploaded and confirmed by Desire 2 Learn in good time before it is due.

If you have any questions or concerns about the essay assignment, please do not hesitate to speak to me. Good luck to you and looking forward to reading your work!