GAME DESIGN
FULL SEMESTER PROGRAMME (30 ECTS)
Autumn semester
1
GAME DESIGN
30 ECTS
Courses of this program:
Game Design (3): 4 ECTS
Usability in Games: 4 ECTS
Animation Technology: 4 ECTS
Procedural Gameplay: 4 ECTS
Survival Dutch 2 ECTS
Project Gaming: 12 ECTS
2
GAME DESIGN (3)
4 ECTS
C S
During the course Gamedesign 3 you will build on a theoretical framework and critical vocabulary
regarding game rules en meaningful play. This is done by studying the book Rules of Play, Salen &
Zimmermann, reading articles, discussing various games (by making use of the metagame) and
pitching two gameconcepts, one of which is a serious game. The gameconcepts are worked out in a
workable prototypes and reviewed by peers, using the vocabulary learned in class.
p y
p
prototypes
yp of the assignments
g
in class
You will finish this course once yyou have delivered two playable
and finished the open book exam with a 5.5 or higher. During the open book exam you will be asked
about existing games. During class you are given a list of games. You are expected having played
and reviewed them.
3
GAME DESIGN ((3)) CONTINUED
program:
1. Introduction of the core concepts of a game. Discussion. Forming groups. Brainstorm on first game
assignment: Serious Games
2. Gamerules, Rules on three levels, Emergent systems & Systems of Information. Assignments
during class. Pitch of one-page-design-documents. Peer review on pitches.
3. Gamerules, Systems of Uncertainty & Systems of Conflict. Playtesting prototype. Review of
prototypes
p
yp on theory
y studied. Example
p of exam q
questions.
4. Play. Games as Narrative Play and Play of Experience. New game assignment: Storytelling in
games. Forming new groups. Playing the metagame.
5. Play. Games as the Play of Pleasure & The Play of Meaning. Pitch of one-page-design-documents.
Assignments during class. Peer review on pitches.
6 Pl
6.
Play. G
Games as social
i l play
l and
d games as simulation.
i l ti
. Playtesting
Pl t ti
prototype.
t t
Review
R i
off prototypes
t t
on theory studied. Example of exam questions.
7. Example exam. Questions about theory. Study of theory.
8. Handing in games. Exam.
Literature:
Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman. Rules of Play, Game Design Fundamentals. MIT Press 2003.
ISBN-10: 0-262-24045-9
4
GAME USABILITY
This course covers game functinalities. Themes are: Interface Study, Interaction Map, Object Inventory
and Gameplay Logfiles. These themes constitute the basis for the user interface of a game.
Teaching method: lectures and practicals during which teams analyse games and make a test plan.
This testplan will be used in the university’s usability lab.
Course contents: six games will be discussed
Assessment method: g
grading
g is based on the student logs,
g , test p
plan,, test results and q
quality
y of the
advice basis on the test results.
Course material: Laurel, Brenda, Design Research, mehtods and perspectives. The MIT Press
5
ANIMATION TECHNOLOGY
Aim of this course is to provide insight in the basic principles of 3D (character) animation, the different
methods to animate objects and organisms in 3D.
Teaching method: workshops: interface, strucure, tools and accompanying possibilities are explored
and tested in a game related environment.
Course contents: Students familiarize themselves with the different methods of generating
movement:
•Keyframing (in 3D software)
•Eraltime animation (recording in 3D software)
ec relations:
e a o s Se
Set d
driven
e keys,
eys, co
contraints,
a s, Sc
Scripting
p g
•Direct
•Procedural animation (with the help of scripting in 3D softare or in a game engine)
•Simulation: soft- and rigid body dynamics, clothing, hair
•Motion capturing and editing
Assessment: students deliver a game character which is built and animated in 3 D. This character is
exported to a game engine and is interactively cotnrolled by a blending of at least 3 animation
sequences
6
PROCEDURAL GAMEPLAY
Course contents:
procedural g
gameplay
p y yyou will build a Flash g
game in ActionScript3
p without any
y assets. During
g the
In p
classes and workshops you will practice programming techniques and design techniques required to
build a game with that constraint with a series of exercises. Topics that are included are: component
based game architecture, particle systems, simple steering and AI behavior, software audio
synthesizers
y
and automatic level g
generation.
7
PROJECT GAMING
Aim: development of a 2D or 3D computer game using techniques from artificial intelligence and
modern control systems.
Supporting workshops in project on:
•Nintendo DS
•XNA
XNA
•Physics simulation (ODE)
8
SURVIVAL DUTCH
This course teaches you the basic Dutch you need to survive as an exchange student in The
Netherlands.
Teaching method: Workshops
A
Assessment
t method:
th d Exam
E
9