Jess Erion
Visiting Assistant Professor of Game Design
Jess Erion holds an M.F.A. in game design from New York University Tisch School of the Arts and a B.A. in English from Harvard University.
Erion has worked as a senior writer, editor, and narrative designer on games like Red Thread Games' Dustborn, Carnegie Hall's TuneCrafter, and Six to Start's All Hands to Freedom. Currently, they are working with Studio Chyr on upcoming VR game Hotel Infinity and Red Thread Games on survival RPG Hello Sunshine.
Erion gives talks on game development, game production, and writing at conferences like GDC, PAX East, Narrascope, and more. Their critical writing and research, focused on the intersection of game mechanics, colonialism, dis/ability, and agency, have appeared in the Journal of Games Criticism, WebMD, and various other publications.
Recent and Upcoming Courses
-
Marginalized people have always existed in the games industry, and their contributions have had an indelible impact on the field. This course examines the historic accomplishments of many such individuals as well as the tumultuous backlash they often face from misogynistic and white supremacist movements. Students will research and discuss gaming communities, the political movements and ideologies fostered within them, portrayals of power and identity in games, and the labor conditions under which games are produced. Through a combination of analytical and creative assignments and exercises, students will gain a better understanding of how games have historically been informed and influenced by notions of identity and sociocultural power, and what the greater implications are for the medium's (and the industry's) future. Keywords:gender, culture, feminism, games, power
-
As with many disciplines in game development, the role of narrative design and those who specialize in it varies significantly from studio to studio and project to project. This course will teach students how to not only create stories but also how to effectively present them to an interdisciplinary team and incorporate feedback into their work. Students will create polished materials in the form of linear scripts, branching interactive fiction, and storyboards - along with accompanying design briefs that detail the way their materials could impact other collaborators. Please email the instructor at jeFAC@hampshire.edu with a request to enroll and an overview of your familiarity with game development and/or storytelling." Keywords:Game development, production, design, communication, narrative
-
Narrative design is a rapidly growing and evolving discipline that shapes how we tell and experience stories through systems. This course gives students a strong foundation not only in the craft of creating interactive narratives, but also in interpreting them and identifying the values expressed through various media. Students will play a wide variety of games (both digital and analog) and become familiar with common frameworks for interactive storytelling while also gaining hands-on experience with narrative design tools like Twine and Ink. The course also examines the role that a narrative designer or game writer plays in the production of various games and equips students to develop design documents, dialogue scripts, character bios, and other related materials. Keywords:Narrative, design, games, interactive, story
-
Robots have long been a critical inflection point of play throughout the history of game development. Through a combination of critical play, discussion, analysis, and creative exercises, students will explore the interactive positioning of robotic figures in games and gain insights into how robots have served as symbols of both technological advancements and cultural anxieties. This course also investigates what robots signify in relation to labor, autonomy, dis/ability, identity, and empathy - and, more broadly, what criteria is used to grant (and deny) humanity and personhood to someone or something Keywords:Games, interactivity, robots, agency, media