It's all Greek to me: a case for the classics in game development education

ABSTRACT

This article provides an overview of Classical Greek literature as a parallel for the game development industry: we outline how the historical developments of Greek storytelling and literature inform the developmental history of video games. As the Greek storytelling medium evolved, the sense of the tragic hero and narrative complexity evolved. Similarly, as generations of video game players evolve, their demand for more complex characters and more fully developed storylines will also evolve. We attempt to provide a vantage point that future game designers may consider during the design of future game-based story elements. While we epitomize our case using Greek Literature, the same elements and structure are found throughout the evolution of story telling in many ancient civilizations. It is our assertion that good education in game design and development requires a good technical background and a solid foundation in narrative storytelling. As such, it is recommended that game-oriented curriculum include the study of the Classics.

REFERENCES

• 1: Homer. The Iliad. Trans. Richmond Lattimore. Chicago. University of Chicago Press. 1951
• 2: De La Croix, Tansey, and Kirkpatrick. Gardner's Art Through the Ages, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 3rd Edition, 1991.
• 3: Aristotle. Poetics. Translated by S. H. Butcher.
• 4: Beardsley, Monroe C. Aesthetics from Classical Greece to the Present: A Short History. New York:. Macmillian, 1966.
• 5: Bates, Bob. Game Design, Course Technology PTR; September, 2004.
• 6: Denby. Does Homer Have Legs?, The New Yorker, August 1993
• 7: Nietzsche, Friedrich Wilhelm. The Birth of Tragedy, ed. by Douglas Smith, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2000.
• 8: Greek tragedies, edited by David Grene and Richmond Lattimore. Chicago. University of Chicago Press. 1960.
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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.1 Multimedia Information Systems

Additional Classification:
  K. Computing Milieux
  K.8 PERSONAL COMPUTING

Keywords:
Aristotle, Greek literature, Homer, game curriculum, game design, game design theory, game development, game-based education, philosophy, story, storytelling