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Kursusbeskrivelse
Kursusnavn (dansk):Spildesign 
Kursusnavn (engelsk):Game Design 
Semester:Efterår 2009 
Udbydes under:cand.it., medieteknologi og spil (mtg) 
Omfang i ECTS:15,00 
Kursussprog:Engelsk 
Kursushjemmeside:https://blog.itu.dk/MGD-E2009 
Min. antal deltagere:15 
Forventet antal deltagere:41 
Maks. antal deltagere:70 
Formelle forudsætninger:This is an introductory course, but it is an advantage to be aware of different computer- and video game genres, as well as board games and other non-digital games.
 
Læringsmål:After the course the student should be able to:

  • Create, develop, and implement a game design.
  • Select and integrate different game genres and their particular strengths and possibilities in the practical development of a game, using iterative prototyping.
  • Characterise the design relevance of the different cultural and social aspects of games: games as fiction, games as rules, and games as social activities. -Compare game designs that enable specific types of player experiences. (i.e. social games, strategic games, etc.).
  • Reflect on the relation between design choices and player experiences, as a central element for acknowledging how to make fun and innovative computer games.
  • Evaluate game concepts with playtesting methods: what is fun?
  • Structure the process from game design to game prototype, to game production and game testing.
  • Practice different game design methods to the development of games, from board to digital versions.
  • Perform the basics of sketching, prototyping, iterative design and agile methodologies applied to game development.
 
Fagligt indhold:The course is centered on the design and implementation of a game prototype.
The game prototype can be anything from a casual game, to an Alternative Reality Game, to a game for facebook or other social networks. We will encourage focused scoped in the concept development phase, as well as a general interest in experimentation.
The course is primarily practically oriented, but we will read a number of texts on computer game theory, computer game design, development methods, and game testing as well as examine existing games.
Games are developed in self-selected groups of no more than 3-5 people.

To start designing games, we will spend the first two lectures designing, implementing, and testing a board or card game.

During the rest of the course, course participants must develop and implement a video game design. The game prototype developed is meant as a way of evaluating the core ideas of the game design.
Game designs can be clones of existing games, but must be innovative and fun. Innovation can be on any number of levels such as gameplay, genre, content, experiences, target groups, or alternative interfaces.

This course will give the students:
A basic understanding of game design and game design methods: tools for developing games using iterative prototyping, and a basic knowledge of how to playtest game concepts to test their entertainment value.
The ability to improve a game design based on the insight gained from developing a prototype and testing it on actual users. Students will learn basic playtesting skills that can be applied in future game development projects.
Basic skills with a development tool, be that Flash/Actionscript, Game Maker, Python/Pygame/Pyglet, XNA, or Processing The students will get to choose their development environment according to their needs and skills, and will develop their game in any of these platforms. The development environment is of free choice, but needs to be approved by the course manager.

To achieve these goals, the students will have to:
Make groups of 3 to 5 people (maximum). The groups should be balanced, combining the skills of programmers, graphic designers, ¿
Create a game design. Implement it using any of the development tools. Test it on players, and modify the game according to the results of the playtest.
Every group will be paired with another group ¿ such two groups will follow each others work and give feedback during the course.
 
Læringsaktiviteter:14 ugers undervisning bestående af forelæsninger og øvelser

Classes take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 10 to 12 and from 13 to 15. Students are expected to attend the lectures and participate in the exercises. The classes are structured as follows:
Mornings (10 - 12): Lecture, discussions on a specific topic, and short exercises.
Afternoons (13 - 15): Exercises, with a strong focus on developing the game that accounts as final project.
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During the intro week (week 35) this class will be held on its regular days but only from 10-12 as exercises are cancelled.

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Se hvordan undervisningen er tilrettelagt her:
link til skemaoplysninger
Skemaoplysningerne vil være tilgængelige fra kort før semesterstart.

See the schedule here:
link to the time table
The schedule will be available shortly before the beginning of the term.

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Information om studiestruktur / Information about study structure
Dette kursus er en del af MTG's backbone, som du kan finde beskrevet her:
MTG studiestruktur
For at blive cand.it. i MTG skal du bestå MTG's backbonekurser, og desuden gennemføre en 22,5 ECTS specialisering samt to 7,5 ECTS valgfag.

This course is part of the MTG backbone - find it described here:
MTG study structure
In order to graduate as a MSc in MTG, you need to pass the MTG backbone courses, and also take a 22,5 ECTS specialization and two 7,5 ECTS electives. 

Eksamensform og -beskrivelse:X. experimental examination form (7-scale; external exam), 7-trins-skala, Ekstern censur

 

Litteratur udover forskningsartikler:Main course book
The main book of the course is Game design workshop by Tracy Fullerton (2nd edition). Please buy this book.

Technical books
These are readings regarding the development tool of choice, oriented to students who do not have a computer science/programming background. The students will choose which readings to make when they have decided which tool to use, and there will be

For Flash/Actionscript: Rich Shupe and Zevan Rosser, Learning ActionScript 3.0. A Beginner's Guide, O'Reilly: 2007
--or--
Peters, Keith, Foundation Actionscript 3.0 Animation: Making Things Move, Friends of Ed: 2007
For Game Maker: Jacob Habgood and Mark Overmars, The Game Maker's Apprentice, Apress: 2006
For Python/Pygame: Andy Harris, Game Programming: The L Line, Wiley: 2007
For Processing: Shiffman, Daniel, Learning Processing, Morgan Kaufman/Elsevier, 2008

The students will get help in choosing which technical book they should read.


 
 
Afholdelse (tid og sted)
Kurset afholdes på følgende tid og sted:
UgedagTidspunktForelæsning/ØvelserStedLokale
Tirsdag 09.00-12.00 Forelæsning ITU 2A12 (Teaching from 9-13)
Tirsdag 09.00-12.00 Øvelser ITU Game-/multimedielab, 2A54 (Teaching from 9-13)
Torsdag 09.00-12.00 Forelæsning ITU 2A12 (Teaching from 9-13)
Torsdag 09.00-12.00 Øvelser ITU Game-/multimedielab, 2A54 (Teaching from 9-13)

Eksamen afholdes på følgende tid og sted:
EksamensdatoTidspunktEksamenstypeStedLokale
2009-12-16 No later than 3 PM Skriftlige arbejder ITU Examination Office
2010-01-18 Please check with the course manager Mundtlig eksamen ITU 2A18
2010-01-19 Please check with the course manager Mundtlig eksamen ITU 2A18
2010-01-20 Please check with the course manager Mundtlig eksamen ITU 2A18
2010-01-21 Please check with the course manager Mundtlig eksamen ITU 2A18
2010-01-22 Please check with the course manager Mundtlig eksamen ITU 2A18