Games, Play, and Selfhood: Immersive Media and Extended Realities

Interdisciplinary study of history, theory, criticism, practice of immersive and interactive media, with emphasis on virtual worlds, games, and extended reality. Critical examination of the metaverse and playable, interactive environments as analog, historic, and contemporary phenomena. Online selfhood, avatar identities, and digital cultures. Ludology versus narratology, hyperreality, agency, aesthetics. Theories of space, place, memory, gamification, participatory media. Applications in museums, cultural heritage, art, journalism, theater, and popular media. Hands-on testing and authoring. Weekly blogs, critical research paper, final projects. No specific technical experience required.