# How to analyze History games

### Goals:&#x20;

* This week we will read different historical approaches to games including a few examples of what this looks like.&#x20;
* Our focus this week will be on _modern_ history games, that is, contemporary games that represent the past. We need to ask what are the suitable objects of our analysis as historians and what kinds of questions should we ask (and answer).
* By classtime, you should have installed Obsidian and completed exercises [3](../course-info/assignments/3.-starting-with-obsidian) and [3b](../course-info/assignments/3b.-annotating-with-obsidian). &#x20;

### Read/Watch/Listen

#### Methodologies:

A. Chapman, [_Digital Games As History_](https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.proxy.library.carleton.ca/lib/oculcarleton-ebooks/detail.action?docID=4523750)_: How Videogames Represent The Past And Offer Access To Historical Practice,_ chps. 1, 2 & 10 (intro, chapter, conclusion).

Carly A. Kocurek, "Editor's Introduction: It Isn't Difficult to Find Feminist Game Studies, but Can We Find a Feminist Game History?". _Feminist Media Histories_ 1 January 2020; 6 (1): 1–11. doi: [https://doi-org.proxy.library.carleton.ca/10.1525/fmh.2020.6.1.1](https://doi-org.proxy.library.carleton.ca/10.1525/fmh.2020.6.1.1)

J. McCall, "The Historical Problem Space Framework: Games as a Historical Medium". [https://gamestudies.org/2003/articles/mccall](https://gamestudies.org/2003/articles/mccall) (web only, no pdf).&#x20;

* &#x20;McCall's [website](https://gamingthepast.net/theory-practice/the-historical-problem-space-framework-for-game-analysis/) on his HPS framework (links to additional articles and diagrams)

Apostolos Spanos, "Pregame", in _Games of History : Games and Gaming as Historical Sources_. Routledge, 2021, "Pregame"[ Link to Library](https://ocul-crl.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01OCUL_CRL/hgdufh/alma991023026456405153) catalogue.&#x20;

#### Case Studies:

B. Hoy, “Cardboard Indians: Playing History in the American West”. _Western Historical Quarterly_, Volume 49, Issue 3, Autumn 2018, Pages 299–324, [https://doi-org.proxy.library.carleton.ca/10.1093/whq/why036](https://doi-org.proxy.library.carleton.ca/10.1093/whq/why036)

H. Nielsen, ‘Men should try playing the woman’s part to see what it feels like. Remember \~ it’s only a game . . .’ The representation of gendered experience in chance-based board games", in Germain and Wake (eds.), _Material Games Studies: A Philosophy of Analogue Play_. ([pdf](https://cmailcarletonca.sharepoint.com/:b:/r/sites/HistoricalGamesStudies/Shared%20Documents/General/HGS%20-%202024%20-%20Shared%20Vault/Readings/Germaine%20and%20Wake%20\(editors\)%20-%20Material%20Game%20Studies_%20A%20Philosophy%20of%20Analogue%20Play-Bloomsbury%20Academic%20\(2022\).pdf?csf=1\&web=1\&e=QpeBoJ) on Teams/Obsidian)

### Practice

Complete Exercises [3](../course-info/assignments/3.-starting-with-obsidian) and [3b](../course-info/assignments/3b.-annotating-with-obsidian) (using Obsidian).&#x20;

### Going further

C. Fernández-Vara,  _Introduction to Game Analysis._

* The standard work for video game analysis, laying out a clear methodology and framework for studying games from a media/communications perspective.&#x20;

You might also want to listen to the (now archived) Studying Pixels podcast. In one of their final episodes, the podcast speak with Theresa Tannebaum about her idea of "close playing" (analogous to _close reading_).&#x20;

* [https://studyingpixels.com/close-playing-with-theresa-tanenbaum/](https://studyingpixels.com/close-playing-with-theresa-tanenbaum/)
