Video games in CEE culture 3224-PRZEDF91
The course analyses video games set in the context of World War II as complex communication practices combining elements of historical narrative, entertainment and informal education. The focus is on how interactive representations of conflict influence collective memory, historical imagination and the emotional engagement of contemporary audiences.
During the course, students will learn about the concepts of games as media of public history, teaching tools and forms of popular culture, as well as debates on realism, immersion, propaganda and the aestheticisation of war violence. Selected war games (including FPS, strategy, and tactical games) are analysed in terms of their historical credibility, design choices, and ways of constructing characters, enemies, and civilian experiences of war.
An important element of the course is the development of research skills in the field of digital culture studies: students learn to formulate research questions, select methods of analysis (including discourse analysis, gaming studies, reception studies), and critically use subject literature and digital resources. The classes emphasise independent research work – the preparation of mini-projects on selected games – carried out with the substantive support of a scientific supervisor, which promotes the development of cognitive autonomy and responsibility for one's own learning process.
The following problems will be discussed:
1. History of Video Games — Introduction.
2. Markets for computer games — social impact — competition.
3. Visual history of WW2.
4. Special forces during World War II.
5. Game: Medal of Honor series — legacy.
6. Game: Call of Duty series — legacy.
7. Game: Battlefield series — legacy.
8. Multiplayer — historical origin of game mods.
9. Games platforms — a real experience.
10. Miracle weapons of the Third Reich: Wolfenstein, Call of Duty — zombie fashion.
11. Video game culture — Player's fashion — Player’s ethics.
12. Nationalism— radicalisation — war crimes — an awareness-raising platform.
13. Video Games and Military Anthropology.
14. State history policies and video game social impact.
15. Video games and cultural security in the twenty-first century – selected examples — students’ presentations.
Student workload includes:
Classroom participation – 30 hours (1 ECTS)
Preparing for classes – 30 hours (1 ECTS)
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Term 2025Z:
Using video games as a medium of communication in this course gives students an insight into the history of the Second World War, as told through video games. This course examines World War II-themed video games to gain a historical perspective. During this course, students develop research skills in digital culture studies and learn to acquire knowledge independently, using the support of an academic supervisor. The following problems will be discussed: 1. History of Video Games — Introduction. 2. Markets for computer games — social impact — competition. 3. Visual history of WW2. 4. Special forces during World War II. 5. Game: Medal of Honor series — legacy. 6. Game: Call of Duty series — legacy. 7. Game: Battlefield series — legacy. 8. Multiplayer — historical origin of game mods. 9. Games platforms — a real experience. 10. Miracle weapons of the Third Reich: Wolfenstein, Call of Duty — zombie fashion. 11. Video game culture — Player's fashion — Player’s ethics. 12. Nationalism— radicalisation — war crimes — an awareness-raising platform. 13. Video Games and Military Anthropology. 14. State history policies and video game social impact. 15. Video games and cultural security in the twenty-first century – selected examples — students’ presentations. Student workload: Participation in classes in the lecture hall: 30 hours (1 ECTS) Preparation for oral examination: 30 hours (1 ECTS) |
Type of course
Mode
Prerequisites (description)
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge
Upon completing the course, the student will know and understand:
- possesses comprehensive knowledge of video games’ language, with particular attention to the cultural and political contexts of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe; understands the specific characteristics of media and video games’ systems across the region, recognizes the similarities and differences between them, and is able to situate them within a broadly defined intercultural framework; is familiar with the impact of historical, social, and political events on the development of video games in the region; has an informed understanding of the main trends, directions, and dominant genres in contemporary video games and media of CEE countries, and is able to identify the challenges they currently face (K_W09).
Skills
Upon completing the course, the student is able to:
- search for, select, analyse and use necessary information from various sources (K_U01)
- refer to acquired theoretical and practical knowledge and use it in typical professional statements concerning the video games of the countries of the region, as well as the specificity of the region as a whole in a global context, constructing them logically and referring to the positions of other participants in these communication situations (K_U06)
- communicate using various communication channels and techniques on video games’ topics concerning the countries of the region (K_U07)
- independently prepare a written and oral statement in Polish and a foreign language on selected topics in the field of video games and II WW and present the results of their work to the group (K_U08)
- plan and organize individual and team work, plan and implement the process of independent learning, including specialist knowledge, after graduation (K_U10)
- use modern communication and information technologies in their work (K_U11).
Social Competences
Upon completing the course, the student is prepared to:
- critical assessment of existing knowledge, continuous learning and supplementing acquired knowledge and skills (K_K01)
- effective communication and living in society, including in a culturally diverse society, working in a team, coping with typical professional situations, verifying one's views through factual discussion and evaluating one's knowledge (K_K02).
Assessment criteria
I. The organization of classes:
1) Attendance at all classes, covered by the plan, shall be compulsory.
2) It is not possible to have a resit if the reason of failing the credit was noncompliance with the requirement to participate in them. In such a case a student can be conditionally registered in an successive stage of study and can repeat the failed course.
3) In case of 30 hours in semester, 2 absences without justifying are acceptable. Missed classes must be made up in accordance with the requirements of the lecturer. The requirements are provided by the lecturer during the first class.
II. Assessment Criteria
The final grade is composed of:
Participation in class sessions – 30 hours (1 ECTS)
Preparation for classes – 30 hours (1 ECTS)
In order to obtain a positive grade for the semester, students must prepare one presentation on a selected topic and demonstrate active participation during classes.
Grading system:
99 – 100% - 5 (excellent)
93 - 98% - 5 (very good)
87 - 92% - 4,5 (fairly good)
77 - 86% - 4 (good)
71 - 76% - 3,5 (satisfactory plus)
60 - 70% - 3 (satisfactory)
Bibliography
Bogost Ian, How to Do Things with Videogames. Univ Of Minnesota Press 2011.
Chapman Adam, Digital Games as History: How Videogames Represent the Past and Offer Access to Historical Practice. Routledge 2016.
Guardia Mike, The Combat Diaries: True Stories from the Frontlines of World War II, Magnum Books 2022.
Stanton Richard, A Brief History of Video Games. Running Press Adult 2015.
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: