I found that though I thought I was searching for a topic of great popularity, it was much harder to find academic sources on the subject. There are a million people online that will give their opinion about something, but that doesn't mean they are credible. I actually used an article from the Game Studies Journal that we used earlier in the course (Aarseth). At times I had to search for brod tid-bits of information and then relate them to my topic in a different sense than gaming.

That's right, Leslie. There are plenty of fan sites out there, but many of them just repeat bits of information from other fan sites. (I ran into that while trying to track down more information about Donna Bailey, credited as the co-designer of Centipede, and celebrated as the first female videogame designer.)

I found it difficult to think of a good topic within the game that I chose. It's hard to find academic information about a video game, let alone topics about the game. I thought I would have no problem finding information regarding my game but I was quite mistaken. I had to change my topic in order to find good sources and a good topic within the game.

I found it incredibly easy to search for educational technology. Ebsco-host was easier to use than normal. Using New Criticism I could rely less on fan material and was able to search easier for scholarly material. Similar to Leslie, I have a topic that is well discussed, but mine being about educational primers has more scholarly work and is commonly discussed in scholarly articles. The only difficulty was trying to keep the articles to non-online material since I am analyzing games not the entire internet as an educational tool.

Sounds like you're finding the exercise useful. Kayla, it's okay to change your topic at this early stage. Have you had better luck with the new topic?

Stephan, "serious games" -- game technology being used in training simulations and other educational contexts -- is a hot topic, especially with the US military, but also with search-and-rescue, medical training, etc. I'd love to see what you come up with.

Yes I have found it more helpful. I have more of an idea of what I would like to research and how to find creditable information.

I forgot to post this, but I found a wealth of digital-related books, Postmodern studies, and books about aesthetics. I also have a very helpful article about virtual worlds and the construction thereof.

Most of my books don't directly relate to video games, but they can be applied to video games.

If anyone needs help with researching or coming up with a topic, I can offer suggestions!