It is safe to say that the log entries by our FMS 321 class are though-provoking. Considering our different backgrounds, it is no wonder our priorities diverge into different fields of study. I have seen the word algorithm appear more times than I would prefer, and knowing myself, I probably focused too heavily on the narrative and visual components of videogames. But even with the variety of information our class provided, the lack of certain topics surprised me.
What struck me most was the lack of logs describing representation in videogames. This might be due to our discussions in class, or perhaps most of us felt incapable of writing on the subject. I cannot say I did any better since my games had different issues to address before representation. Though looking back, I would have enjoyed writing on how physical representation can symbolize race, or the lack of diversity in Knights of Pen and Paper. All in all, my question for the class is, “Were we satisfied with representation in our videogames? Are there any controversial representations in our videogames at all?”
There was also a fair amount of topics we seemed ready to discuss. Agency seemed to be a popular topic. Emi discussed choices in Dragon Age: Origins, and apparently games such as Pokemon X can encounter similar issues according to Luke. I also read about similar sentiments from both Paul and Alec regarding Bioshock and Dragon Quest V, respectively. And although I did not delve deep into the topic of casual gaming, Ryan and Luke addressed the issue in Super Smash Bros. and Pokemon X, again respectively.
Overall, this class has done an excellent job of studying videogames. If I had more of a background in computer science, I could understand Chris’s posts containing algorithms and other less narrative-focused analyses. This shows how if videogames were studied by a large variety of people, with backgrounds ranging from literature to 1s and 0s, a profound understanding of interactive digital narratives can be achieved.