Top Games for the Month of November

Here are our most popular games for the month of November. Smash made it back into the top three, and a couple of our new games made the list. With the general popularity of the PS3 over the XBox 360 recently, I'm somewhat surprised there aren't more PS3 games on the list.

1. FIFA 14 (XBox 360)
2. Call of Duty: Black Ops II (XBox 360)
3. Super Smash Bros. Melee (Gamecube)
3. FIFA Soccer 13 (XBox 360)
5. Hatsune Miku (PS3)
6. Grand Theft Auto V (PS3)
7. NBA 2K13 (XBox 360)
8. Mario kart Wii
9. Dynasty Warriors 8 (XBox 360)
10. Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn (Wii)

Party and Tournament Results

We held a party and Smash tournament on Saturday to celebrate our fifth anniversary of being open, as well as to highlight International Games Day @ Your Library. Both were well-attended, and the cupcakes predictably disappeared pretty quickly.

As promised, we'll post the winners of the Smash tournament here for official bragging rights. Congratulations to our top five winners, who won Amazon gift cards, and thanks to everyone who attended!

CVGA Disassembled

Inside an Intellivision game console

Get a real inside look at the gaming systems housed in the Computer & Video Game Archive in "CVGA Disassembled," a new online exhibit created to help celebrate the CVGA's 5th Anniversary this week.

We've opened up some of our favorite game consoles of yesteryear to show off the guts and inside circuitry, as well as loving shots of the exteriors. In addition, visitors to the exhibit will learn about the history of these gaming systems as they step through the different generations of video games.

The exhibit is curated by CVGA manager Val Waldron, and was created with the assistance of current and former Learning & Teaching University Library Associates Alex Purcell, Adam Jazairi, and Maria Seiferle-Valencia.

"CVGA Disassembled" can be viewed online as part of the MLibrary Online Exhibits at http://www.lib.umich.edu/online-exhibits/exhibits/show/cvga-disassembled

CVGA Anniversary Week!

It's the CVGA 5th Anniversary Week! We have many fun, celebratory and hopefully illuminating events and activities scheduled:

Monday (today!): We kick off our week-long Classic Games Tournament. Show your mastery of classic video games by playing Dr. Mario, Sonic Blast, Double Dragon, Asteroids, and Paperboy. Prizes!

Tuesday: Join us at 4pm in the Hatcher Library Gallery for a panel discussion with U-M faculty in "Game On! Video Game Research & Teaching at the University of Michigan."

Wednesday: Our director Dave Carter will join AADL's Eli Neiberger in an appearance on the Comics Are Great podcast with host Jerzy Drozd in a talk about the intersection of comics & gaming.

Thursday: We debut our new online exhibition "CVGA Disassembled"

Saturday: Our big 5th Anniversary Bash! Join us at the CVGA from 1-5pm for food and fun and our Smash Tournament.

Top Games Played During the Month of October

Here is our most popular games list for the month of October. Soccer games dominate the board, with first-person shooters coming in a close second. People are also putting our new games to good use - FIFA 14 and Grand Theft Auto V. And Mariokart makes the list once more.

1. FIFA 14 (XBox 360)
2. Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 (XBox 360)
3. Grand Theft Auto V (PS3)
4. (tie) Madden NFL 25 (XBox 360)
4. (tie) FIFA Soccer 13 (XBox 360)
6. NBA 2K13 (XBox 360)
7. PES 2012 (PS3)
8. Dark Souls (PS3)
9. Mariokart Wii
10. Halo 4 (XBox 360)

Featuring the Ouya: A New Bulletin Board Display

Our new bulletin board display features the Ouya console - a game console powered by an Android OS that was built to bring games that were formally playable only on phones onto your television.

We had an opportunity to check out several free games that were installed on our Ouya, and chose to showcase some of them here. My personal favorite is EVAC, which I like to describe as a souped-up game of Pacman, with a guy trash talking you the whole way through. It gives the old game a fresh feel.

The Search for Feeling

Our student worker Mike Lynch explores the human search for feelings in all aspects of life - and specifically, in video games.

Feeling, Feeling, Feeling

It is a strictly a human characteristic- the continuous search for feeling.  We desperately search through a multitude of venues for this experience.  I think of my mother reading romance novel after romance novel, I think of the hundreds of people crowded day after day in front of Mona Lisa, and I think of the thousands of college students drifting from bar to bar on any given weekend.  The commonality between all of these: a search for feeling.  We search for love, happiness, peace, and even for struggle, fear, and sadness in every nook and cranny.  Many people search for feeling in the arts- photography, film, theater, music, literature, and paintings have struck feelings like guitar strings within many individuals.  Others search for feeling in physical places - the forests, the lakes, the mountains, churches, and dim lit barrooms have all elicited feelings of some sort for somebody.  It has only been in recent history that video games have been added to this list as another setting where ‘feeling’ can be found.

I remember my friends and I recounting the intense feelings we had playing (and it would be more appropriate to say ‘experiencing’ rather than ‘playing’) Zelda: The Ocarina of Time.  I remember another time releasing a slew of curses and throwing a red N64 controller across the room after being lightning bolted from first to last place in Mariokart on N64 (the Wario Stadium map).  To say that video games do not elicit feelings would not only be an insult to game developers, but also to anyone who really plays video games.  Technological developments have increased the variety of feelings and emotions that game developers (or game artists perhaps?) can now tap into.  Portal forces gamers into trickily designed puzzles and creates a feeling of anxiety towards technology in general and Resident Evil 4 is as scary as any horror film that has been released in recent times.  Tapping into the feelings of happiness, sadness, frustration, and fear have become commonplace among well-made video games.  As a counselor by profession, I often taught that there were eight main feelings from which all other feelings stemmed from.  They were as follows: Anger, Sadness, Fear, Frustration, Guilt, Peace, Love, and Happiness.  It was a frequent and interesting debate between which feelings felt best and worst, but with relative agreement the best feeling was typically love and the worst – usually guilt.  On our human search for feeling, can we find love and guilt in the arts or physical places?  Can we find it in video games?

Personally: I do not know, but the idea is intriguing regardless.  The blockbuster video game Grand Theft Auto V has received great acclaim.  IGN rated the game a perfect 10 out of 10 and GameTrailers marked it at 9.8/10 (really? 0.2 off?).  There is a specific scene in the game that has spawned upheaval amongst some human rights activists and more than general discomfort in the gamers themselves.  The scene involves the main character, Trevor, relentlessly torturing another character.  Trevor, who already has the information he needs, uses teeth prying, electrocution, and water suffocation as mediums to torment the helpless character.  I remember talking to my best friend, James, who had been feverishly playing the game shortly after its release.  James talked at an electric pace as he recalled the game graphics, the exceptional gameplay, and the unique spontaneous nuances.  As he speedily summarized the gameplay missions, he suddenly slowed his rate of speech.  He stammered as he relayed the torture mission.  He struggled in explaining what happened in the scene and even more so in recalling what his thumbs controlled Trevor to do to the helpless torture victim.  It closely resembles the famous Milgram electric shock psychology experiment.  A reluctant participant follows the orders of an authoritative figure as a means to an end.  And the resulting feeling?  Frustration, Sadness, and yes, even Guilt. 

As video games further explore worlds farther away from entertainment and closer to the arts, what boundaries will danced upon or crossed?  Is our culture in a place where this will be shunned, embraced, or ignored?  I leave these questions for you…

Game-related events in the Duderstadt Center

Two events coming up this week that you won't want to miss:

The Digital Media Commons Present

Leap Motion Launch Event:

The future of Human Computer Interaction?

A live demo and Q&A with: 

Dan Gill, Head of Enterprise Sales, Leap Motion

The Duderstadt Center now has Leap Motion USB controllers available for checkout to Students, Faculty and Staff. Bring a valid MCard at the 2nd floor circulation desk.  

To celebrate this initiative, join us for a discussion of how Leap Motion’s new 3D motion control technology is changing the way developers design applications for:

Gaming

Healthcare

Desktop Productivity

Education

Manufacturing

Security

Data Visualization

Defense & Aerospace

Wednesday October 16th, 2013

3:00-4:00pm

Duderstadt Center Room 1180

 

AND...

Character Animation (Thursday, 10/18/13)

Character Animation

Friday, 10/18, 12:00 pm-1:00 pm 

 

Learn how characters in 3D movies and games are put into motion. Participants will be provided with a 3D character that they will manipulate and be introduced to the nuances of portraying realistic movement.

Prior experience in a 3D package is highly encouraged as you will be moving objects around in a 3D environment. Comfort with viewports, transforms, and selecting objects required.
 

Location:
VisLab 1, 1401 Duderstadt Center
2281 Bonisteel Boulevard, North Campus 

 

Session level: Beginner
Sponsor(s): Digital Media Commons
Presenter(s): Eric Maslowski, Stephanie O'Malley

 

Register here!

Top Games Played in the CVGA - Sept. 2013

Here is the list of most popular games played in the archive during the month of September. A lot of old favorites top the list, along with a few new games, including Madden NFL 25 and NCAA Football 14.

1. FIFA Soccer 13 (Xbox 360)
2. Call of Black Ops II (Xbox 360)
3. (tie) League of Legends (PC)
3. (tie) Halo 4 (Xbox 360)
5. Madden NFL 25 (Xbox 360)
6. NCAA Football 14 (Xbox 360)
7. PES 2012 (PS3)
8. Super Smash Bros. Melee (Gamecube)
9. (tie) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (Xbox 360)
9. (tie) NBA 2K13 (Xbox 360)

The Passing of a Video Game Visionary

Today we were saddened to learn that former Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi had passed away at the age of 85.

Working at Nintendo since 1949, he led the company during their most critical times - reinventing themselves as an electronics entertainment business during a time when such things were first being developed. He spearheaded the development of the NES, SNES, Nintendo 64, GameBoy, and GameCube, and his name is widely recognized throughout the history of video games.

Coverage of his passing:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-24160150
http://www.computerandvideogames.com/430109/former-nintendo-president-hiroshi-yamauchi-passes-away-at-85/

Welcome Back!

As we get started on yet another school year, we in the CVGA welcome you all, both new and returning students!

We resume our regular Fall semester hours as of today:

• Monday: Noon - 9pm
• Tues - Friday: 10am - 9pm
• Saturday: 1pm - 9pm
• Sunday: Closed

(But note: This Friday—the 6th—we will not open until 1pm.)

Stop by and visit; we're in room B474 in the basement of the Duderstadt Center. We've added many new games over the summer and even a few new systems, including an Apple ][!

To learn more about the CVGA, please visit our Library Guide at http://guides.lib.umich.edu/cvga

This fall marks the 5th anniversary of the CVGA. We are in the process of planning several events to commemorate the occasion, mostly in November. Stay tuned to this space for more details, as well as our Twitter and Facebook accounts. (Follow us! Friend us! It's fun!)

Top Games Played During the Month of August 2013

Here is our list of most popular games in the archive for the month of August. The Arcade Legends Cabinet continued to be popular amongst the younger kids and new students that were coming in to check out the CVGA. Smash also made it on the list as people were taking advantage of our Smash-all-week Summer policy. And the first Black Ops made it back on the list.

1. Call of Duty: Black Ops II (Xbox 360)
2. FIFA Soccer 13 (Xbox 360)
3. Ni No Kuni (PS3)
4. The Last of Us (PS3)
5. Arcade Legends Cabinet
6. The King of Fighters XIII (PS3)
7. NBA 2K13 (Xbox 360)
8. Grand Theft Auto IV (Xbox 360)
9. (tie) Call of Duty: Black Ops (Xbox 360)
9. (tie) Super Smash Bros. Melee (Gamecube)

Also, a reminder that today is the first day of our return to Smash Fridays, so all Smash games will be restricted to Fridays only during the Fall & Winter terms.

Top Games Played in July

 Here is our list of most popular games in the archive for July. The Last of Us quickly climbed towards the top, and it's nice to see that Final Fantasy is still making an appearance. We've had lots of junior high and high school visitors, and their favorite games to play are reflected here as well.

1. FIFA Soccer 13 (Xbox 360)
2. Call of Duty: Black Ops II (Xbox 360)
3. NBA 2K13 (Xbox 360)
4. The Last of Us (PS3)
5. Final Fantasy VII (PlayStation)
6. (tie) Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)
6. (tie) Halo Reach (Xbox 360)
6. (tie) Super Smash Bros. Melee (Gamecube)
6. (tie) Mariokart Wii
6. (tie) Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale (PS3)

Hiring for the Fall Semester

It's that time again! Hard to imagine that we need to start hiring for the Fall already, but the Summer goes by quickly. Feel free to share the job posting below. Our deadline for applying for the Fall semester will be on August 15th.

Computer & Video Game Archive Assistant

Employer: Art, Architecture & Engineering Library

Job Description: Work at the Computer & Video Game Archive desk to circulate games, answer questions, and enforce archive policies.  Test donated games and equipment, help install software/hardware, help restore older game systems, etc.  Assist in running archive-related special events and tournaments. Contribute to the archive blog and Twitter account.

Educational value of this job: Gain experience working in an academic library, and gain knowledge of the inner workings of a library special collection. Gain experience restoring newer & older computers/consoles. Increase your knowledge of the video game and media industry.

Job Requirements: At least 4 of the following:

• Previous customer service experience.
• Previous experience working in a library or archive setting.
• Knowledge of and experience playing a large number of old & new video games.
• Knowledge of and experience using software related to PC games (Steam, DOSBox, etc.)  
• Experience building/repairing PC computers and/or video game consoles.  
• Experience designing posters and informative displays.  
• Experience giving tours or coordinating special events.

** Work-study required in order to apply.**

Number of Available Openings: 1

Hours: 18.0 to 24.0 hours per week (preferred)

Compensation: $9.00/hour, $0.25 raise after 300 & 600 hours worked

Time Frame: Fall/Winter/Spring/Summer

Contact Person: Valerie Waldron

Email Address: vwaldron@umich.edu

Work Location: Computer & Video Game Archive, Art, Architecture & Engineering Library, Duderstadt Center.

To apply:

Send your resume, work availability for the Fall semester, and answers to the questions below to vwaldron@umich.edu. Please send the times you are available weekly, NOT a copy of your class schedule.

** Work-study required in order to apply.**

Supplemental Questions

1. Other than an enthusiasm for video/computer games, what interests you in the position? 
2. This position involves a lot of self-initiated projects. Keeping in mind that our main mission is to preserve and give people access to computer and video games for the purpose of academic study, what types of projects would you most like to work on during your employment here? Feel free to use this job posting, our blog, your knowledge of past CVGA events, etc. for inspiration.
3. Please note any experience you have through previous jobs, class projects, personal hobbies, etc. involving the following skills: Building/repairing computers or game consoles (especially older ones), or installing/troubleshooting game software.
4. Please note any experience you have through previous jobs, class projects, personal hobbies, etc. involving the following skills: Designing posters/displays, giving tours, or contributing professional-level content to blogs and other social media sources.
5. How many semesters would you anticipate working at the CVGA? Please give an estimated end date if possible.
6. Are you planning to be available to work during the Spring/Summer 2014 semester? If so, please note approximately how many hours you would like to work.

Dance Central 2 Competition for Extra Credit

Today we hosted a dance-off in which a professor-who-will-remain-nameless challenged her students to compete with her using the video game Dance Central 2. They would get a few extra credit points just for showing up, and could get quite a few more if they managed to beat her on one of the songs.

Two of her students showed up, one of which had never used the Kinect before. Little did they know that their professor knew the game fluently and had shown her expertise at some of our previous events (or maybe she did mention this to them, who knows).

Everyone was a great sport, including the professor, who set her difficulty to Hard and the students' at Easy to level things off a bit. Only one of the students managed to beat her, however, and just barely. The same student later competed with her on Medium difficulty and didn't fare so well.

Then, our fearless leader Dave rounded out the event by challenging the professor to a match, where he showed off his freestyle. Overall, the event seemed to be a lot of fun for everyone involved.

Top 10 Games Played in the CVGA for June

Here is our list of most popular games in the archive from June. Smash is back on the list now that it's open to play anytime for the Spring/Summer semesters, and Final Fantasy IX makes an appearance due to the efforts of one student trying to get through it this Summer. Our Arcade Legends Cabinet is also getting a lot of attention, probably due to the number of tours and class sessions taking place in the archive last month.


1. Call of Duty: Black Ops II (Xbox 360)
2. FIFA Soccer 13 (Xbox 360)
3. NBA 2K13 (Xbox 360)
4. (tie) Saints Row the Third (Xbox 360)
4. (tie) Arcade Legends Cabinet
5. Valkyria Chronicles (PS3)
6. Shin Megami Tensei: P3P (PSP)
7. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)
8. (tie) Halo: Reach (Xbox 360)
8. (tie) Final Fantasy IX (Playstation)
10. Madden NFL 13 (Xbox 360)

Work and Play in Video Games

Yesterday, the archive hosted an English 298 class entitled "The Games We Play." Students played a number of our games that were puzzle-oriented (most of them also included utopian/dystopian themes), and then presented what they learned as they discussed how their game incorporates the concepts of work and play.

Some memorable moments included:
1)  A couple of students growing very attached to the Thomas character from the game "Thomas Was Alone,"



2) A pair of students trying to feel their way through the game play of "Portal 2" for the first time (and one student questioning the meaning of getting stuck playing the tall lanky robot instead of the more buff one),



3) Two students trying to experience the storyline of "American McGee's Alice," but being thrown off by the (admittedly very frustrating) camera controls and low power level of the Alice character.

 

 A copy of the assignment they completed is included here:

Top Games Played in the CVGA in May 2013

Here is our list of the most popular games for the month of May. A Wii U game makes the list, with one very enthusiastic player putting P3P for the PSP on the list as well. Our arcade cabinet has also seen more play over the past few weeks.

1. Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 (Xbox 360)
2. FIFA Soccer 13 (Xbox 360)
3. NBA 2K13 (Xbox 360)
4. Monster Hunter 3 (Wii U)
5. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (PS3)
6. Shin Megami Tensei: P3P (PSP)
7. (tie) Batman: Arkham City (PS3)
7. (tie) Bioshock Infinite (Xbox 360)
7. (tie) Injustice (PS3)
7. (tie) Arcade Legends Cabinet

Xbox One and Archiving

Since the announcement of Micrsoft's next generation Xbox One gaming and entertainment console earlier this week, we've received several inquiries about our thoughts on how it's announced features, particularly the cloud computing and DRM aspects, will affect how we deal with it in the archive. Below are my (Dave's) initial thoughts:

---

I've been following somewhat the information about the Xbox One since its announcement earlier this week. While we don't have many details yet, what I've read so far gives me cause for concern as to how we'll be able to work with the new system in the Computer & Video Game Archive.

As far as offloading game play to the cloud and requiring an Internet connection to function, this offers a challenge that is in many ways similar to dealing with MMORPGs like World of Warcraft. If the online experience is part of the game, how do you replicate that experience when the online component is no longer available? (And in the case of WoW, even if you have the game and have a server on which to run it, is it really the same experience without several million other players interacting? Ten or twenty years from now it will be essentially impossible to experience WoW.)

There is a history of manufacturers not supporting their old gaming platforms; e.g. in 2010 when Microsoft stopped supporting the original Xbox on Xbox Live. If you want to play Halo 2 online multiplayer on your Xbox? Sorry, you can't. And that's for a game that's less than 10 years old.

But I can take a game and game system from 30 years ago, plug them in and they still work and play fine. Even for companies that are long defunct. Will the same be true in even 10 years for games for the Xbox One?

I'm also concerned about new DRM restrictions, such as requiring a game to be installed and tied to a specific user account. This also presents challenges to us (not to mention to the First-Sale Doctrine...) Though we've been dealing with this sort of thing with PC-based games for several years now and I'm sure we'll deal it, it doesn't fill me with warm fuzzy feelings.

Still, with both of these issues, the proof of the pudding is (as they say) in the eating. We'll have to wait until more details are available before evaluating if the Xbox One will be a system that we can support for archival purposes. Or if we're just tilting at windmills.

Top Games Played During the Month of April

Here are the top games played in the archive during the month of April. As classes and exams are ending, it appears that Smash has been popular enough to make it back on the list. Banjo Kazooie has also been surprisingly popular over the past month or so.

1. Call of Duty: Black Ops II (Xbox 360)
2. FIFA Soccer 13 (Xbox 360)
3. Monster Hunter 3 (Wii U)
4. NBA 2K13 (Xbox 360)
5. Call of Duty: Black Ops (Xbox 360)
6. (tie) Banjo Kazooie (Xbox 360)
6. (tie) Super Smash Bros. Melee (Gamecube)
8. PES 2012 (PlayStation 3)
9. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)
10. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (Xbox 360)

Another New Game Class at U-M

Word has come to us of another new game-related class being offered in Fall 2013 here at the University of Michigan:

Technology and Play

This course considers the social science of play and interactive media technology. The three central questions addressed in this course are: “What is play?”, “How does technology mediate play?”, and “What are the consequences of this mediation?” Over the semester, we’ll investigate the social scientific and humanities research on play, the structure of games, and the societal consequences of mediated play for both children and adults. A special focus will be “games for change” (a.k.a. “serious games”) that have an educational purpose. The term will be organized around competing theories of play (e.g., development, fate/chance, power, identity, fantasy, self-fulfillment, nonsense), and will be illustrated with examples from computer games. 

This is a project-based course. Throughout the semester we will work toward producing two conceptual design projects for playful technologies. These are roughly equivalent to a midterm and a final, or a short and a long paper. As these are conceptual projects, technical skills are not required.

Technology and Play

F13 M/W 4 - 5:30 p.m.
Undergraduate Section: COMM 408.001
Graduate Section: COMM 840.001
No prerequisites.

Instructor: Christian Sandvig (csandvig@umich.edu)
Note that you must e-mail
the instructor to enroll in the graduate section.

Motion Capture in Feature Films and Video Games

A little last minute, but here's an interesting event going on in the building today:

Join us for an informal show-n-tell and open discussion around Motion Capture in feature films and video games with Marc Morisseau, an alumni of U-M and the UM3DLab. Marc is currently working for Just Cause Entertainment and played a large role in the Motion Capture for Avatar 1, Resident Evil 6, Star Trek 2, and several yet to be announced feature films. It should be an exciting discussion as Marc talks about some of his recent projects and challenges that accompany large productions.



Where: UM3D Lab, VisLab 2

             1405 Duderstadt Center

When: 04/24/2013, 12:30pm

Cost:  Free

Just Cause Entertainment: http://www.for-the-cause.com/english/

Different Games Conference in Brooklyn, NY

Here is an interesting conference coming up this month:

Different Games is a two-day conference on diversity and inclusiveness in digital games, hosted April 26-27, 2013 at NYU’s Polytechnic Institute in downtown Brooklyn. Different Games is a space for radical discussions of representation in games and the relationship of the medium to designer and player identity. See our website at: www.differentgames.org.

As game designers, theorists, journalists and players often produce their work in contexts separated by their specialized fields, we see Different Games as an opportunity to share across these professional boundaries. By presenting games, scholarship and hands-on workshops engaged with these topics, we hope to foster a dialogue between artistic, academic and commercial practice unique to how discussions of diversity and representation are able to exist in academic and industry settings. We welcome all individuals, groups and companies invested in games as creative, critical tools, and who are committed to aiding commercial game design, indie games and academic game studies to reflect the complexity, depth and diversity of all involved.

More information here: http://differentgames.eventbrite.com/#

New Video Game Classes at U-M

If you are a student here at the University of Michigan, there are a couple of new video game-related courses being offered:

For Summer 2013:

COMM 488-201, SAC 455-202 - Video Games, Culture, & Contexts

This course takes as its focus the cultural impact of video games from a number of critical perspectives. Just as movies and television have a rich history, video games develop out of a number of social, economic, and technological structures. We will examine video games as cultural texts that are part of a complex, cultural landscape—objects revealing much about cultural anxieties, ideologies, and assumptions. We will analyze a number of video game texts, ranging from early arcade style games, to console games, to PC games, to games for mobile phones. A range of genres within these game texts will be discussed, such as first person shooters, massively multi-player online games, and casual games—unpacking both the formal aspects of the game and the underlying meaning of game narratives. How and by whom are video games produced, how does the industry market particular games to its perceived audience, who plays games and why, and what is so serious about “serious” games? We will draw from a range of methodological and theoretical texts within the field of game studies: critical cultural, ethnographic, media effects, industrial, and historical. (Instructor: Julia Lange)

And for Fall 2013:

MUSPERF  300 - Video Game Music
This course surveys game music from the first synthesized "bleeps" and "bloops" to modern orchestral compositions.  Techniques are learned to aurally analyze game music.  Students will create compositions using computer software as a final project.  Course is designed for non-music majors; the ability to read standard music notation is not needed. (Instructor: Matthew Thompson)

Top Games Played During the Month of March

Here is our list of top games played during the month of March. The Xbox 360 dominates with FPS and sports games, and the Wii U is still getting plenty of love from a few very dedicated players.


1. Call of Duty: Black Ops II (Xbox 360)
2. FIFA Soccer 13 (Xbox 360)
3. NBA 2K13 (Xbox 360)
4. Blur (Xbox 360)
5. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (Xbox 360)
6. (tie) New Super Mario Bros. U (Wii U)
6. (tie) Call of Duty: Black Ops (Xbox 360)
6. (tie) Madden NFL 13 (Xbox 360)
6. (tie) Mariokart Wii (Wii)
10. Rock Band 3 (Xbox 360)

Donor Highlighted in MLibrary Newsletter

The generous donor of our Arcade Legends machine, Joshua A. Bilmes, has been highlighted in the library's newsletter. A lover of classic games, he is also the president of the JABberwocky Literacy Agency, where he represents authors of science fiction and fantasy, and is the author of the blog Brillig.

Motion Gaming Tournament at the CVGA!

Please mark your calendars for March 25th-April 6th and join us as we highlight some of the motion-related consoles and games available at the CVGA by hosting a Motion Gaming Tournament. This tournament will include the following games:

• Sports Champions: Gladiator Duel for the PlayStation 3 Move
• Fruit Ninja Kinect for the Xbox 360 Kinect
• Antigrav for the PlayStation 2 Eyetoy
• Excite Bots for the Wii
• Dance Dance Revolution X for the PlayStation 2 Dance Pad

The event will be a silent tournament that takes place over the course of two weeks (March 25th-April 6th). Participants can come in anytime the archive is open during these two weeks and play the games whenever their schedules allow. Prizes (Amazon gift cards!) will be awarded after points are tallied up at the end.

Anyone affiliated with the university (excluding tournament officials) may can sign up by providing a
valid UMICH ID, name, uniqname and email, and may sign up in person at the archive desk,
via email at video.games@umich.edu, or by phone at 763-6533.

See the full tournament rules here.

Top Games for the Month of February

Here is our list of top games played in the archive during the month of February. The usual suspects top the list, with Mario becoming popular again now that we have the Wii U. Smash also makes an appearance, despite being played only on Fridays.


1. Call of Duty: Black Ops II (Xbox 360)
2. NBA 2K13 (Xbox 360)
3. FIFA Soccer 13 (Xbox 360)
4. NCAA Football 13 (Xbox 360)
5. New Super Mario Bros. U (Wii U)
6. (tie) Need for Speed: Most Wanted (Xbox 360)
6. (tie) Madden NFL 13 (Xbox 360)
8. Mariokart Wii
9. Blur (Xbox 360)
10. Super Smash Bros. Melee (Gamecube)

Top Games for the Month of January

Here is our list of the top 10 games played in the archive for the month of January. Sports games make up a good portion of the list, with favorites like League of Legends and Mariokart making an appearance. We also see the emergence of a PSP game and the Arcade Legends cabinet, which has garnered interest ever since we got it last year.


1. NBA 2K13 (Xbox 360)
2. Call of Duty: Black Ops II (Xbox 360)
3. FIFA Soccer 13 (Xbox 360)
4. Assassin's Creed III (PS3)
5. (tie) League of Legends (PC)
5. (tie) NCAA Football 13 (Xbox 360)
7. Class of Heroes (PSP)
8. PES 2012 (PS3)
9. Mariokart Wii (Wii)
10. Arcade Legends Cabinet

Top Games for the Month of December 2012

Here are the top games played in the archive for the month of December. The sports games show a clear lead, with various versions of Call of Duty close behind. League of Legends also makes another appearance on the PC front.


1. NCAA Football 13 (Xbox 360)
2. Madden NFL 13 (Xbox 360)
3. NBA 2k12 (Xbox 360)
4. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (Xbox 360)
5. FIFA Soccer 13 (Xbox 360)
6. League of Legends (PC)
7. Call of Duty: Black Ops (Xbox 360)
8. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Xbox 360)
9. Rock Band 3 (Xbox 360)
10. Borderlands 2 (PS3)