Game Your System (Free Template)

I love dead media.

Maybe it is my nostalgia for the 90s or my years of overpaying for bits of plastic with music on them, but there is something to holding a physical media object in your hands. CDs, DVDs, and A-Tracks all feel different than the several thousand songs I have on my iPhone. A CD has artwork that people put work into, it has a lyric sheet, and sometimes, as noted by many a punk kid, other bands to check out and/or a reading list of all the amazing books and zines that informed the music.

I also worry about oversaturation. In Seymour: An Introduction, Buddy Glass shares how his late brother, the titular Seymour, carried poetry in his pocket throughout his time at war. That poetry seemed to burn and have its own warmth. Whether placebo or real, carrying too much art, poetry, or music around with you can leave a mark on you. Because I am guilty of carrying around too many songs, I find days where I just listen to the dead media and try to enjoy them without browsing the news or checking Twitter at the same time.

This template is all about helping students see the value of reconstructing dead media in meaningful ways while also addressing their needs as a learner and the classroom’s content. Video games are increasingly released in a download-only format. I haven’t bought a physical game in more than three years, the last being Sekiro. Many of our students are doing the same, which means many of them are having their experiences defined by a physical object and instead a graphic on the screen.

So beyond getting learners to explore and get hands-on with classroom content, it is fun. Who doesn’t want to make their own game?

The template, linked in the picture below, is for a game insert for an XBOX360 physical game case. I went with this size because when I went to the creative reuse store in my area (shoutout to Clever Octopus in SLC), this was the most plentiful of cheap, empty cases. You can find used cases at game stores, thrift stores, and often at craft stores for very cheap. I got 20-30 of them for 2-3 dollars. However, in Google Slides using File -> Page Setup -> Custom you can change it to match any case size.

Feel free to remix it for your class, or better yet have your students remix it. Another idea is to have them develop the game idea into a rulebook ala the old manuals you would find in classic game cases. Also, play with other dead mediums. Have your students design a mixtape case with a playlist for a character in your book. Create a vinyl record sleeve for great speeches. Explain a math concept by using it to design artwork for a CD booklet. Make it your own with your learners.

Enjoy the template!