From Paper to Screen: Yuan Ze University's Chinese Language and Literature Department Creates a Unique Video Game World through Literary Literacy

Yuan Ze University’s Department of Chinese Language and Literature has promoted the interdisciplinary integration of Chinese literature and digital technology, particularly through a collaboration with the Department of Information Communication to offer a "Video Game Production" course.

The course was co-taught by Professor Yen Shu from the Chinese Language and Literature Department and Professor Zhang Shao-Chen from the Department of Information Communication. Through game script creation and RPG (Role-Playing Game) development, students combined their literary literacy with game industry technology, showcasing the diverse aspects of interdisciplinary learning.

The course began with "Game Script Writing," where Professor Yen Shu taught literary narrative techniques, helping students develop skills in story creation and text crafting. Professor Zhang Shao-Chen focused on digital media and game design implementation, guiding students in learning RPG game development techniques. The two professors worked together to help students build a comprehensive game world, character settings, narrative structures, and interactive designs, blending creative writing with digital technology.

Professor Yen Shu noted that students used their Chinese language skills and literary literacy to create immersive game scripts. Through the RPG Maker platform, they transformed stories into interactive games, presenting traditional literature in a new way. Professor Zhang Shao-Chen emphasized that the core goal of the course was to cultivate talent with both game development and storytelling abilities. The literary foundation of Chinese Language and Literature students enriched the game’s world-building and character development, while the technical implementation from the Department of Information Communication allowed players to deeply experience the story's charm within the game.

Additionally, students experimented with integrating traditional literary elements into their game designs, exploring innovative applications of literary knowledge and digital media. This fully showcased the value of interdisciplinary learning. The course planned to hold a presentation at the end of the semester, where students would observe each other’s work and exchange their practical results, demonstrating the successful fusion of literature and digital media, and offering new narrative possibilities for the gaming industry.