UC Berkeley offering Starcraft course?

Source: University of California Berkeley students can get credit for learning about Starcraft, according to a report on the blog Tumeroks, which points to another Web site specifically set up for the class. What we heard: As gaming becomes a larger part of our culture, it's only natural that the...

Source: University of California Berkeley students can get credit for learning about Starcraft, according to a report on the blog Tumeroks, which points to another Web site specifically set up for the class.

What we heard: As gaming becomes a larger part of our culture, it's only natural that the subject would eventually become the subject of academic dissection. Still, a college course dedicated to high-level gameplay theory for Starcraft? That could be a bit of a leap. Then again, if Starcraft developer Blizzard Entertainment can help kids get into college with the World of Warcraft SAT primer, who's to say the studio can't help get them through college as well?

While the Tumeroks blog and the home page for the course contained plenty of specifics about what would be taught (including a full syllabus), the home page was noticeably not hosted on the University's own servers. The official Berkeley Web site didn't list the Starcraft class on its course schedule, either.

However, the Berkeley site did note the school's DeCal program (Democratic Education at Cal), a selection of student-run, faculty-sponsored courses offered on topics of sometimes debatable merit. However, even this semester's DeCal course listings contain no mention of the Starcraft course.

The course would fit right in to the DeCal program, which is currently offering courses on photography, Cantonese, the life and legacy of Tupac Shakur, the ethics of Star Trek, and advanced speed techniques for solving the Rubik's Cube. Gaming has been the subject of DeCal programs in the past, with courses offered in Counter-Strike level design, the history of games, and storytelling in interactive entertainment with a focus on Silent Hill, Portal, Chrono Trigger, and the Monkey Island series.

Courses are only offered pass/no pass, and they count toward graduation but not toward any major requirements. There is also a cap on how many DeCal credits students can claim toward their graduation requirements.

The official story: A DeCal representative told GameSpot that the Starcraft course--titled Game Theory With Application in Starcraft--had been submitted for approval, but not yet given the final go-ahead. If approved, the course would take place during the current semester.

Bogus or not bogus?: Not finalized quite yet, but very likely not bogus.

133 Comments

  • invinciblesuman

    Posted Jun 30, 2009 3:30 pm PT

    i took game theory in schoool.. but it was not starcraft

  • eternity21

    Posted Mar 6, 2009 12:26 am PT

    Finally I would get my first PhD... PhD in Strategy games...hehe finally there's something worth studying for!

  • eo_the_shaman

    Posted Feb 21, 2009 5:08 am PT

    this is probly the greatest day in nerd history....

  • codename-60091

    Posted Feb 20, 2009 8:27 pm PT

    u gotta be kidding with me.

  • Bakkoda24

    Posted Feb 12, 2009 7:10 pm PT

    Or instead of Starcraft maybe use something along the lines of Games Workshop, which started with tabletop. Tabletop and TBS have much more strategy, dynamics, and thought process behind them than a rip-off game like SC1&2. Plus the whole DoW line and other figures have a much better story behind them than that of SC. Even so, this class definitely sounds promising. UC Berkeley may only look at it as a joke though. @isaacmj: They do actually have books on zombie survival. So it would probably be required material also.

  • mastriania

    Posted Feb 11, 2009 8:14 am PT

    That would be an incredible class. P.S. Garaj Mahal (that band from Berkeley) is amazing live.

  • EA2Y731

    Posted Feb 9, 2009 3:22 pm PT

    WHOA.... it can be a fun class hahahah

  • LostCrusader

    Posted Feb 6, 2009 7:04 am PT

    If they had classes on storytelling in entertainment, they should at least pick a game with a good story, such as the Half Life series.

  • DestructobotMk3

    Posted Feb 5, 2009 8:27 pm PT

    @MatzEdend - Yup, good post, Game Theory has been around for awhile now.
    However, wouldn't its application be clearer through perhaps a turn-based game like Civ or the Total War series? In terms of predicting outcomes at an end-of-turn basis instead of the Starcraft real-time basis.

  • noctis_caelum

    Posted Feb 4, 2009 12:08 am PT

    Lol. But yes this may have real life application. If you wish to do a graphics course or something of the like. Never thought I'd see it on such an old game though, not saying I hate (I love it).

  • jrabbit99

    Posted Feb 2, 2009 4:36 pm PT

    Will they offer it during the summer? Please!!!

  • isaacmj

    Posted Feb 1, 2009 5:51 am PT

    They should give a zombie survival class focused on Resident Evil 5.

  • Helloiseeu

    Posted Jan 31, 2009 10:58 pm PT

    If I went to Berkeley I'd so take that class.

  • Quandry

    Posted Jan 30, 2009 2:16 pm PT

    Yup game theory not new.

  • Fatal_Byte

    Posted Jan 30, 2009 8:14 am PT

    I'm sure, just like underwater basket weaving or glass blowing, there is some application in life which your studies in this course could help. If you're going to design games this may be helpful as it has a lot of atributes of different gameplay styles/techniques and AI.

  • razer28

    Posted Jan 29, 2009 10:19 pm PT

    LOLZ

  • MatzeEdend

    Posted Jan 29, 2009 9:11 pm PT

    This really isn't that unusual, the concept of Games Theory as applied to military analysis and strategy planning has been around for years.

    Simply put, Game theory is the theory that the outcome of any conflict between two or more teams (the players; gov'ts, armies, etc.) can be mathematically predicted through analysis of the game board (field of battle), pieces (soldiers, vehicles, equipment, etc.), rules of the game (any set rules of laws, such as the laws of physics, and under normal circumstances international treaties and agreements), and the stakes of the game; the prize, if you will.

    Think of it as a combination of Chess, Stratego, and Russian Roulette

  • OGLocc123

    Posted Jan 29, 2009 7:40 pm PT

    I played this game all the time when I was a kid, and let's face it, anyone old enough right now who actually played this game as a kid has either already graduated from college or is currently finishing up. I still play starcraft once or twice a month (more out of nostalgia than anything else). It still hasn't lost its flair at all. If it was re-released exactly as is, it could still be the PC game of the year. It was SO FAR ahead of its time... maybe I'm biased.

    Anyway, I'm in my third year in college now. I definitely think this is a waste of funds and time. You would have to be an idiot to pay $700 or so for the 3 credits. If you were really interested in learning the game, it's a strategy game with perfect balance, so figure it out yourself. It's not an insanely difficult game...

  • TurambarGS

    Posted Jan 29, 2009 6:40 pm PT

    The tactics and micro that evolve from Blizzard RTS's are second to none. I spent a (probably too) long time learning and experimenting with build orders and specific tactics and counters for the original SC and WC3 (the latter I still play every day). Honestly, with the money involved in gaming these days and the increased percentage of the population getting involved, it's only a matter of time before gaming starts to infiltrate more and more 'mainstream' things - like education and TV, etc.

  • Smiley451

    Posted Jan 29, 2009 5:41 pm PT

    dude, awesome. go to college for gaming. friggin shweet imo

  • MRxSKINGLE

    Posted Jan 29, 2009 4:22 pm PT

    surely starcraft courses, would get a better response in asia?!

  • BigBad95

    Posted Jan 29, 2009 4:15 pm PT

    abit silly but how cares its Starcraft!!!!

  • TheC0m1ssar

    Posted Jan 29, 2009 3:52 pm PT

    Sounds like my kind of subject. Something that I'd gladly spend time learning about.

    And for those interested about Berkeley... it's educational level (in my opinion), would be best summed up as to one level below MIT. Nothing but smart folks with straight As through high school there.

  • noqueso112

    Posted Jan 29, 2009 2:31 pm PT

    hahahaha, that's hilarious, i wanna go to berkeley now.

  • kassy729

    Posted Jan 29, 2009 2:26 pm PT

    Colleges and universities aren't just about training you in one field, they are about teaching you to really utilize whatever intelligence you have in whatever field you end up in. Technical schools are where you go if you want to study only one subject. I don't know about this class, but plenty of top colleges have had courses that utilize entertainment to teach some rather serious subjects. I had a friend at Brown who was taking a course on the Grateful Dead, which may sound frivolous but was actually a tough course that explored their brilliance at marketing and effect on the very history and culture of this nation. This could be much like that, and game theory is actually a major mathematical field of study that has applications as important as defending our nation from murderers. Anything that makes this complex subject easier to grasp is a welcome addition to any curriculum.

    The question is, is it a class on the game itself or is it utilizing the game to teach things that have real-world applications. I've never played it, but from what I've read it could be quite an excellent educational tool. It's been proven over and over that students learn the most when they are engaged and I wouldn't be surprised if students in this sort of class learn a heck of a lot more than those in lectures on the same topics that can be explored using the game.

    Heck, I've been saying for years that the Sims should be used in schools to teach things like budgeting, time-management, and more. As others have mentioned, SimCity has been used as a tool to teach plenty of real-world subjects. It's hardly a leap to think that other games could be useful as teaching tools.

  • InfectX

    Posted Jan 29, 2009 2:22 pm PT

    You guys are all missing the point. The class isn't about StarCraft; it's about GAME THEORY. Game Theory is actually used by the US government to predict the likely outcomes of political conflicts in the world and such. It just so happens that StarCraft is programmed so well that you can use GT principles in the game and win more or something like that.

  • gplayer5

    Posted Jan 29, 2009 1:06 pm PT

    you want to learn how to play Starcraft? Read a guide or get a friend to help you. I would not waste anyone's time on an acutal class. lol. That's rediculous.

  • strayfies

    Posted Jan 29, 2009 12:51 pm PT

    I've seen classes that used Simcity 3000 as a tool relevant to modern urban development, but the class sure wasn't "Simcity 101". This is probably similar; the class goes into logistics, protocol and applied strategy and might use StarCraft as an example, but it isn't StarCraft 101.

  • Jarltheafro

    Posted Jan 29, 2009 11:33 am PT

    Lol.

  • karnovrpg

    Posted Jan 29, 2009 11:25 am PT

    Well, on your resume you can put "Good Management Skills."

  • SecularSage

    Posted Jan 29, 2009 10:01 am PT

    Since I took a class in college on comic books as literature, I guess I can't complain too much. (Incidentally, the class was awesome, and changed the way I read comics and approached graphic design. So, totally worth it.)

  • etramleinad12

    Posted Jan 29, 2009 9:43 am PT

    I want a course on the Legacy and Theories of Grand Theft Auto: Realism and Badassness 101.

  • necronaux

    Posted Jan 29, 2009 9:17 am PT

    Like that'd look good on a resume... BS in Business? Nope. But I got a Phd in playing Starcraft.

  • Yuck_Too

    Posted Jan 29, 2009 9:16 am PT

    LOL...talk about blowing something all out of proportion...this is just silly.

  • mrbass208

    Posted Jan 29, 2009 9:15 am PT

    The irony is that focusing on gameplay theory involves numerous high-level thought processes which college courses try and cultivate. I could see a well-run class of this nature as having applications in military science, philosophy, and many other traditional fields.

  • picklesrocks

    Posted Jan 29, 2009 8:57 am PT

    sounds cool shame i never liked starcraft

  • pvtdonut54

    Posted Jan 29, 2009 8:54 am PT

    sign me up

  • Earthmonkey0

    Posted Jan 29, 2009 8:26 am PT

    Sign me up for the e-course i'd be very interested in seeing how these classes on high level game play turns out and i might learn me a new move or two.

  • joeyfine

    Posted Jan 29, 2009 7:47 am PT

    for all the terrible courses i had to take in college it would have been nice to take a course that was fun.

  • KiddGrimm

    Posted Jan 29, 2009 7:30 am PT

    Does anybody here remember Barrington hall?

    Does anybody here remember Barrington at all?

  • mmbrwn

    Posted Jan 29, 2009 7:25 am PT

    This isn't really that strange. A lot of colleges are starting experimental college classes. At Oberlin, there are classes called ExCos (Experimental College.) The classes are student run, meet only once or twice a week, and usually have a test or paper at the end. Each class can only be taken pass/fail and are worth one credit; only 5 ExCo credits can go toward your graduation requirements but will not count toward major requirements. While some of the classes are just for fun, like the Super Smash Brothers Melee ExCo, others like Theory and Practice of Nonviolence and Taiko Drums are more substantive.

  • E3BigC

    Posted Jan 29, 2009 7:16 am PT

    Still doesn't beat the "History of Water" class some of my pals at Penn State are taking...

  • ecs33

    Posted Jan 29, 2009 7:03 am PT

    @Targzissian

    LOL. Except this class is probably alot harder than you think. If done right, and I know the professors could, they should implement business stat and differential equations to show what you could do with what you have at any given situation. If they wanted to, the professors could turn this into a tough class, but probably they will teach this class conceptually since it is an elective.

  • ecs33

    Posted Jan 29, 2009 7:01 am PT

    @Targzissian:

  • Targzissian

    Posted Jan 29, 2009 7:00 am PT

    Protoss, Terran, Zerg... Know your units. Know your build order. Know your strategy. Are you ready for the exam?

  • ecs33

    Posted Jan 29, 2009 6:56 am PT

    And video games in school wouldn't always be a silly thing. Perhaps in this sense yes, but studying Silent Hill for its narrative and design would be real interesting. That game (not the recent one) was littered with all kinds of literary techniques, good storytelling, and alot of metaphorisms.

  • Tyrael696

    Posted Jan 29, 2009 6:50 am PT

    Thnx God for this kind of things

  • ecs33

    Posted Jan 29, 2009 6:45 am PT

    Well. I don't know about this. Starcraft IS a game that requires many abilities in micro management and definitely improves your ability to make the most out of what you have. If this was a course on the gameplay then I could honestly see this as a complimentary business management study in a sense. Interesting.

  • klugenbeel

    Posted Jan 29, 2009 6:23 am PT

    Kitty8472,
    You sound bitter....did Yale say no to you and Berkeley was the fall back?

  • Kitty8472

    Posted Jan 29, 2009 6:19 am PT

    I went to Berkeley, and this story is totally overrated. Berkeley offers DeCals like the story says, and it's done so for years and years. A StarCraft course would be perfectly in line with other such irrelevant courses that have been done over the years. I got credit for learning about Batman, for god's sake. This is a non-story.

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