Lesson 2 Overview

 

Introduction

Imagine a videogame in which the hero moves from place to place, battling his way to defeat a series of ever more dangerous monsters (“bosses”), overcoming existential threats, fighting off magic users, resisting deadly seductions, skirting natural disasters, raising dead spirits and finally killing off his many rivals and saving the faithful woman who had been waiting for him. Sounds like a great game, right? Or did you recognize the story—the adventures of Ulysses (AKA Odysseus), as composed by the Greek poet Homer three thousand years ago? The technology of video games is new, but their elements are embedded in a long tradition of history, culture, art, and society. This lesson situates videogames within this context and explores how games have influenced and been influenced by various aspects of social and technological development.

In this lesson, we are going to start off with some very general background. Nothing happens in a vacuum, and video games did not just suddenly appear without any historical roots. They have very deep roots, not just in their immediate predecessors like television or film, but also in the shared human experience they portray. Games are not a constant but are instead constantly evolving. In this lesson, we will look at the concepts of games and play, as well as important figures and moments in video game history.

Objectives

Here are the objectives for this lesson:

• Discuss the difference between types of play
• Describe how video games are rooted in prior media
• Explore an overview of videogame history
• Identify key figures and moments in video game history

Lesson Readings and Activities

By the end of this lesson, make sure you have completed the readings and activities found in the Lesson 2 Course Schedule.