English 171 - Winter, 2024

Game Studies Seminar

Class Information

Instructor: Boluk, Stephanie
CRN: 45242
Time: TR 12:10-3:00pm
Location: 1106 Cruess

Description

Advanced Game Studies Seminar: Final Fantasy VII

"You gonna stand there and pretend you can't hear the planet crying out in pain?" - Barrett

When SquareSoft released Final Fantasy VII on the Sony PlayStation in 1997 they couldn't have expected its incredible popularity, global reach, and longevity. For many players in North America Final Fantasy VII represented their first JRPG, their first 3D game, their first PlayStation Game, or all three. Unlike the previous six entries of Square's classic videogame series, Final Fantasy VII featured 3D graphics, CGI cutscenes, and a gritty, cyberpunk world filled with highly charged emotional stakes, complex sci-fi storytelling, and (at the time) elaborate cinematic cutscenes and CGI graphics. With philosophical, existential, environmental, and geopolitical themes resonating with anime and manga circulating in Japan in the 1990s, Final Fantasy VII is a touchstone in both the history of videogames and a cornerstone of the anime invasion.

In this small advanced game studies seminar we will engage the history of computing, animation, environmentalism, and adaptation through the study of a single videogame: Final Fantasy VII.

Rather than offering a general survey of a broad range of role-playing games, focusing on a single game will allow us to slow down and deeply engage with not only the game but its surrounding literature and media. Every week we will play through a section of the game and practice "close playing" while also examining works of adaptation theory, game design, and the environmental humanities. The goal will not only be to understand FFVII but to understand its geopolitical context as well as the impact of the game on 21st century RPG design. Additionally, for students interested in game design, we will also learn some rudimentary RPG design and students seeking to make a game as their final project will have that option.

Previous experience playing and making videogames is not necessary but be aware that despite the limited scope of a single game the class will move at a quick pace and will require a significant amount of challenging reading across many multiple fields and disciplines. This will be a discussion-heavy seminar in which students will be expected to contribute to the conversation. Students will also give presentations on games and media that we do not play together as a class (e.g., Dragon Quest, Chronotrigger, Evangelion, Earthbound, Yume Nikki, Undertale, other Final Fantasy games in the franchise, etc.)

Goals:
*To develop "close playing" strategies for nuanced engagements with a single game
*To learn about the material history and play cultures around Final Fantasy VII
*To learn about the JRPG ("Japanese Role Playing Game") as a genre
*To learn about the sci fi anime (Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Evangelion, etc.) as a genre
*To situate Final Fantasy VII in both of these genres as well as the larger cultural and geopolitical context of the 1990s (dna, genetics, cloning, monocultures, consciousness, transhumanism)
*To examine the various player communities and fandoms that have emerged around Final Fantasy VII (and the franchise more broadly)
*To learn about adaptation and the concept of "the remake as sequel"
*(Optional) To make games!