The project cluster will consist of 5-6 weekly seminars attended by all group members. Following this students then develop a report on a topic related to the subject matter of the cluster, potentially even tied to concrete game productions students have worked on. Example topics that will be covered in the seminar are:

¿ Organization and leadership
¿ Project Management
¿ Portfolio Management
¿ Marketing
¿ Budgeting
¿ Planning

The goal of these initial weekly meetings is to provide fundamental business concepts and relate these to video game development. We will look at how models have been used in business theory and how they can be translated into the gaming market.

Example topics for student papers:

¿ Develop a strategic business plan for a game developer.
¿ A period plan for a game developer.
¿ Market assessment for a game concept.
¿ Market assessment for an undeveloped segment with a proposal for meeting its needs.

The goal of these student papers is to work with the theories above in cases of interest to the students. The benefit of providing students suggested topics for the paper is that it directs them into areas that build directly on the lectures and have relevance for game development. As this might also be the first time the student has contact with business issues, we realize there might be problems to clearly define relevant topics. Thus, we provide some cases for consideration.

Students will receive supervision during the work and the output of this paper is a report that: 1) covers the topic in a thoroughly and professional way, and 2) have made use of established business practices to cover the topic. Expected magnitude of the report (if single authored) is between 18-25 pages. These papers are then to be presented in a public presentation in the end of the semester.

Involved in this project cluster will be Prof. Timothy L. Wilson and Peter Zackariasson. Timothy L. Wilson is presently a visiting professor at Umeå School of Business and Peter Zackariasson is presenting his PhD thesis in June on game development. Developing the course would be a joint venture, while Peter Zackariasson would give the lectures in Copenhagen.


Please notice! You sign up for this project cluster as if it was a normal course. But please note:

Enrolment in a project cluster is not considered a binding course registration (only relevant to MSc students).

The project cluster will not appear on your diploma. But the project that you register in the Project Base will of course appear when you have passed the exam.

Single-subject students at Open University and guest students from other universities interested in the project cluster, please contact the Student Administration Office, phone +45 72 18 52 05.