blog post instead of doing homework
pasting homework into blog window so that it becomes blog post and completes homework!
Source: Chang, AY (2019) ‘Writing the Analysis’. In Alenda Y. Chang, Playing Nature: Ecology in Video Games. Minnesota, University of Minnesota Press,. p. 223-279.
My Keywords: Analysis, games, essay writing,
Argument: Chang details the process of writing a game analysis, touching on much of what has already been covered, but brings each piece together, identifying the different types of game analyses, how to effectively summarize a game, and how to include pieces of oneself in the writing to strengthen it.
Connections: I've been waiting the whole time we've been reading Chang's book for a mention of Spec Ops: The Line because I feel like it is such a cornerstone of video game journalism, analysis, and is particularly notable for being a shooter-genre game that tries to convey an anti-war message, something that most shooters couldn't even imagine, so I was delighted to see it crop up here.
Notable Quotes: "In Killing Is Harmless, Keogh writes from the point of view of both a video-game critic and an academic. In a way, this analysis feels like an experiment in writing a personal close reading of the game, trying to figure out the process of what a full-length analysis requires. The book takes the reader from the beginning to the end of the game as an idealized walkthrough—if the reader has not played the game, they get a sense of what it is like; if they have, they can contrast their own experience with Keogh’s interpretation." (p. 271)
your best allies to convey your ideas to your reader and construct a solid work are clear definitions of your terms and specific examples—for this type of analytical writing, the particulars of a game or games can help us develop higher-level concepts and theories that will advance the field of game studies." (p. 273)
Comments: Something I've noticed about all of the "boxes" that Chang inserts into the textbook is how much use I feel like I actually get out of them. Oftentimes with textbooks that contain similar sidebars, I find myself learning to skim over them after a while, as they rarely seem to be as important as the main text, but here in Chang's work, I find them popping out at me, and I'm glad that Chang made the decision to center them on the page rather than offset them to the main text.
Writing Observations: I
found this to be the most straightforward chapter in Chang's book yet,
which makes sense, seeing as it is doing a lot of summary and circling
back upon previously-discussed subjects. Nevertheless, Chang presents
each point and guideline with clarity and expertise.
