MA Project

I think the two projects that most nearly resemble what I have in mind for my own project are Matthew Kasznel's and Abby Moore's. I liked how Abby utilized three specific contemporary examples of super hero films through a theoretical scope in her thesis. I could very easily see myself taking a similar approach with video games. I also really enjoyed Matthew's form factor in his podcast. He utilized solo commentary to expound upon his own thoughts and observations and cut this with several interviews he had conducted during the course of the project. I think this form factor fits even better than what I had in mind if I decide to do a podcast for my project.

My current plan for my MA project is still fairly nebulous in form, but I have a good idea of the topic that I want to explore. Through my time in the MSP MA program, I have been enlightened to my interest in media theory as well as psychological processing of media. I want to understand more about how different media affects us and why; particularly my passionate area of interest: video games. I am most interested in exploring the meaning found in game play mechanics or what Ian Bogost terms procedural rhetoric. I want to have a better understanding of why I prefer certain mechanics over others, what mechanics enrich the sensation of presence and how these mechanics effect narrative or their relation to ludo-narrative dissonance; the disparity between the narrative of a game and the narrative created through player action. My primary ideas for the form factor include a podcast series with video, a written thesis, or possibly using game maker to explore making my own game as Dr. Shaw s...