Digital Game Design (English) Preview
Bachelor	TR-NQF-HE: Level 6	QF-EHEA: First Cycle	EQF-LLL: Level 6

Course Introduction and Application Information

Course Code:

DGD061

Course Name:

Videogames and Advertisement Analysis

Semester:

Fall

Course Credits:

ECTS

Language of instruction:

English

Course Condition:

Does the Course Require Work Experience?:

Type of course:

Departmental Elective

Course Level:

Bachelor

TR-NQF-HE:6. Master`s Degree

QF-EHEA:First Cycle

EQF-LLL:6. Master`s Degree

Mode of Delivery:

Face to face

Course Coordinator:

Öğr. Gör. SAKIP EFE ERDOĞAN

Course Lecturer(s):

Lect. S. Efe Erdoğan

Course Assistants:

Course Objective and Content

Course Objectives:

This course aims to explore the intersection of advertising, graphic design, information design, and propaganda within the context of popular culture and digital games. By examining the history and evolution of propaganda, advertising, and corporate identity, students will develop a theoretical understanding of contemporary popular culture and its manifestations. Through the analysis of advertising campaigns, presentation techniques, and the cultural context of digital games, students will enhance their ability to develop cultural context in applications of production and pre-production stages through intellectual production-based courses.

Course Content:

The students will explore the historical evolution of propaganda, advertising, and corporate identity, analyzing their impact on contemporary design practices. Through case studies and interactive discussions, students will examine how advertising campaigns and presentation techniques intersect with the cultural context of digital games. By blending theoretical concepts with real-world examples, students will gain insight into the complexities of designing within the cultural landscape of advertising, propaganda, and digital games.

Learning Outcomes

The students who have succeeded in this course;
1) Students will develop a theoretical understanding of contemporary popular culture and its manifestations by exploring the historical evolution of propaganda, advertising, and corporate identity, and analyzing their impact on contemporary design practices within the context of digital games.
2) Students will enhance their ability to develop cultural context in applications of production and pre-production stages through intellectual production-based courses, gaining insight into how advertising campaigns, presentation techniques, and the cultural context of digital games intersect and influence design practices.
3) Students will reinforce practices such as advertising, graphic design, and information design within the corpus of digital games, developing reading and contextual competence in popular culture and visual corpus, and mastering design reflexes such as presentation techniques and readable design.

Course Flow Plan

Week	Subject	Related Preparation
1)	Introduction to the course and topics, meeting the students. Introduction to class work.	Prepare for class.
2)	Graphic Design, Communication Design, and Motion Graphics. History of corporate identities. AIGA Standards, American Airlines, Volkswagen and NASA. Larry Cuba and Motion Graphics examples.	Prepare for class.
3)	Graphic design during World War II and the Cold War, and their impact on the history of modern advertising and information design.	Prepare for class.
4)	The filmic transition of modern commercial film directors and their influences on modern popular culture. Ridley Scott, Michael Bay, Guy Ritchie, David Fincher, and others.	Prepare for class.
5)	Commercials by directors of video art and experimental films, and their articulation into modern popular culture. Spike Jonze, Chris Cunningham, Michel Gondry, Jonathan Glazer, David Lynch, and others.	Prepare for class.
6)	Commercials by directors of video art and experimental films, and their articulation into modern popular culture. Spike Jonze, Chris Cunningham, Michel Gondry, Jonathan Glazer, David Lynch, and others.	Prepare for class.
7)	Early digital game marketing strategies. The home/personal computer market and the differences they brought to the advertising medium.	Prepare for the exam.
8)	Mid-terms.	Mid-term exam.
9)	Advertisements and campaigns of the 80s. Animated toys, digital games, and other products.	Prepare for class.
10)	Advertisements and campaigns of the 80s. Animated toys, digital games, and other products.	Prepare for class.
11)	Digital game campaigns in printed magazines and promotional posters. Freebie floppy disk and CD culture in mass advertising.	Prepare for class.
12)	Alternative Reality Games as campaigns for digital games. Banksy, Shepard Fairey, street art, and political propaganda campaigns.	Prepare for class.
13)	The found footage movies and viral campaigns. The Blair Witch Project, Troll, Paranormal Activity, District 9, and others.	Prepare for class.
14)	The impact of Superbowl, Comicon, and similar events on modern advertising and campaign strategies.	Prepare for the exam.
15)	Finals.	Final exam.

Sources

Course Notes / Textbooks:

Dersin belirli notları veya bir kitabı yoktur. The course has no specific notes or a book.

References:

Signs & Symbols: An Illustrated Guide to Their Origins and Meanings, Bruce-Mitford, M., DK, 2019.

Architecture + Film II, Fear, B., Academy Press, 2000.

Soviet Posters: The Sergo Grigorian Collection, Lafont, M., Prestel, 2007.

Paul Rand: A Designer’s Eye, Williams, J. P., Thames Hudson, 2023.

Thinking with Type, 2nd revised and expanded edition: A Critical Guide for Designers, Writers, Editors, & Students, Lupton, E., Princeton Architectural Press, 2010.

Course - Program Learning Outcome Relationship

Course Learning Outcomes	1	2	3
Program Outcomes
1) Being able to write creatively, imagine, and produce original and inspired fictional scenarios, places, and universes. Being able to produce 2D and 3D visual designs and impressive auditory compositions. Being able to plan all these artistic practices around certain goals and with a focus on design. Being able to design the videogame design process itself.
2) Being able to think and produce creative content based on mathematical data. Being able to parametrically design. Being able to quantify art and design practices, such as creative writing, graphical, illustrative, spatial, and character design. Being able to ideate qualitatively and subjectively through quantitative and objective approaches.
3) Being able to work on projects by incorporating various fields of expertise and the content that originates from these fields. Being able to work as part of a team while embracing different ideas and skills. Being able to produce comprehensive and total videogame concepts. Being able to edit, exhibit, present, and defend works in portfolio and presentation formats.	2	2	2
4) Achieving critical thinking literacy on videogame history and theory. Being able to think through and produce academic texts about the philosophical, anthropological, political, and social manifestations of games. Being vigilant about the contemporary problematics of videogame epistemology. Displaying professionalism in accepting criticism.	2	2	3
5) Being informed about the historical accumulation and contemporary productions of the videogame culture and other cultural playgrounds from which videogame culture draws. Being able to tackle, process, and position both aesthetic and technical production and thinking methods as cultural activities.	3	3	1
6) Being knowledgeable about the past, aware of the present, and foresighted about the future potentials of the social and economic realities of videogames. Being able to handle professional relations, create correspondence, and manage production plans. Being a generalist, while also specializing in one or more areas of expertise.	3	2	1
7) Being able to research, filter data, and synthesize both within and outside videogame epistemology at every stage of production. Being able to conduct interdisciplinary research. Being able to create original ideas by remixing content from various sources. Learning to learn.	1	2	1
8) Understanding, learning, and using professional content authoring tools and technologies. Being able to design workflows in service of various production requirements. Being able to use technologies within the workflow besides the usual and intended purposes, and researching, discovering, and putting to use technologies for new purposes.

Course - Learning Outcome Relationship

No Effect	1 Lowest	2 Average	3 Highest

	Program Outcomes	Level of Contribution
1)	Being able to write creatively, imagine, and produce original and inspired fictional scenarios, places, and universes. Being able to produce 2D and 3D visual designs and impressive auditory compositions. Being able to plan all these artistic practices around certain goals and with a focus on design. Being able to design the videogame design process itself.
2)	Being able to think and produce creative content based on mathematical data. Being able to parametrically design. Being able to quantify art and design practices, such as creative writing, graphical, illustrative, spatial, and character design. Being able to ideate qualitatively and subjectively through quantitative and objective approaches.
3)	Being able to work on projects by incorporating various fields of expertise and the content that originates from these fields. Being able to work as part of a team while embracing different ideas and skills. Being able to produce comprehensive and total videogame concepts. Being able to edit, exhibit, present, and defend works in portfolio and presentation formats.	2
4)	Achieving critical thinking literacy on videogame history and theory. Being able to think through and produce academic texts about the philosophical, anthropological, political, and social manifestations of games. Being vigilant about the contemporary problematics of videogame epistemology. Displaying professionalism in accepting criticism.	3
5)	Being informed about the historical accumulation and contemporary productions of the videogame culture and other cultural playgrounds from which videogame culture draws. Being able to tackle, process, and position both aesthetic and technical production and thinking methods as cultural activities.	3
6)	Being knowledgeable about the past, aware of the present, and foresighted about the future potentials of the social and economic realities of videogames. Being able to handle professional relations, create correspondence, and manage production plans. Being a generalist, while also specializing in one or more areas of expertise.	3
7)	Being able to research, filter data, and synthesize both within and outside videogame epistemology at every stage of production. Being able to conduct interdisciplinary research. Being able to create original ideas by remixing content from various sources. Learning to learn.	2
8)	Understanding, learning, and using professional content authoring tools and technologies. Being able to design workflows in service of various production requirements. Being able to use technologies within the workflow besides the usual and intended purposes, and researching, discovering, and putting to use technologies for new purposes.

Assessment & Grading

Semester Requirements	Number of Activities	Level of Contribution
Attendance	1	% 10
Midterms	1	% 40
Final	1	% 50
total		% 100
PERCENTAGE OF SEMESTER WORK		% 50
PERCENTAGE OF FINAL WORK		% 50
total		% 100

Workload and ECTS Credit Calculation

Activities	Number of Activities	Preparation for the Activity	Spent for the Activity Itself	Completing the Activity Requirements	Workload
Course Hours	13	4			52
Study Hours Out of Class	13	1.5			19.5
Midterms	1	10			10
Final	1	15			15
Total Workload					96.5