This is an open thread. If you would like to share your final project, you can post a link here.

For out last class we will be discussing Super Columbine Massacre RPG!. You can download the game from the game’s main site. For background information you can read the entry on Wikipedia. You should also spend some time reading the website, particularly the press room and the artist’s statement. (The game only runs on a PC, so give yourself time to deal with the technical issues if you are going to run it in an emulator.)

Update: If you need help with the game you can find hints here.

Monday we will discuss Grand Theft Auto. As I indicated in class you should play for roughly six hours, enough time for you to understand how the game works. (Feel free to play more, as it can only help, and heck you get to call it homework.) If you are unfamiliar with the GTA series you might want to start by reading the Wikipedia entry for Grand Theft Auto as well as the specific entry for Grand Theft Auto San Andreas. Finally, this review is also helpful (particularly if you want to understand why some find this game so entertaining). This should provide you with some context.

On Monday we will be discussing First Person. You should read the essays (and accompanying responses) by Murray, Eskelinen, Moulthrop, Jenkins, Zimmerman, and Douglas & Hargadon. Post your comments/thoughts/rumminations below.

No this is not a “your momma” joke. For Monday read The Prologue, Parts I & III of Katherine N. Hayles My Mother was a Computer. Leave your comments/questions below. If you send me an email after Thursday I can respond with feedback from your final projects as my review of them will be done at that time (if not you will get them back in class on Monday).

Adam Brackin will be here to discuss all things ARG.

For class begin by reading this Quick Start Guide and then the wikipedia article Alternative Reality Games. Next you should sign up for an account and take a look around Adam’s current game, Conspiracy Asylum. If you are interested his previous game was called Deus City.

Once you have a sense of what ARGs are all about, you should read two short articles by Jane McGonigal (she is one of the creators behind the famous I Love Bees). “This Is Not a Game: Immersive Aesthetics & Collective Play” and “The Puppet Master Problem” are both available for download from her website. Finally, you might want to take a look The Lost Ring her latest game, designed for the Olympics-this is a high quality production project with people participating from numerous countries and at least eight different languages.

If you are looking for more information on ARGs the two most important internet sites are ARGNet and unfiction.

For Monday watch Inanimate Alice. You should watch all three episodes (which should take less than half an hour total). Next take a look at Implementation. You do no need to read all of this work, although you can if you are so inclined it is relatively short, instead read the project description, look at some of the photos, and read at least the 1st letter. This should give you a sense of how this narrative works.

Leave your comments below, and email me if you would like to discuss your project proposal.

Enjoy your midterm free spring break. Take House of Leaves with you where ever you go (or don’t go). Leave your comment(s) here.

For Monday you should spend 2 1/2 to 3 hours reading Patchwork Girl. Keep in mind that the interface is clunky so it might take you some investment before you are actually able to read it, so leave yourself more than the 2 1/2-3 hours in case you need it.

No need to post this week, but you will need to come to class with your midterm ready to hand in.

Post here your thoughts on Remediation. Please also include which chapter(s) you read from the middle section so that I have a sense of what interests people.