IT-Universitetet i København
 
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Kursusbeskrivelse
Kursusnavn (dansk):Gameworlds as Fields for Expression 
Kursusnavn (engelsk):Gameworlds as Fields for Expression 
Semester:Efterår 2011 
Udbydes under:cand.it., medieteknologi og spil (mtg) 
Omfang i ECTS:7,50 
Kursussprog:Engelsk 
Kursushjemmeside:https://learnit.itu.dk 
Min. antal deltagere:12 
Forventet antal deltagere:20 
Maks. antal deltagere:36 
Formelle forudsætninger:This is a course with a practical project, so basic knowledge of a 3D package is advised (3D Studio Max). Basic knowledge of a game editor also a plus (Far Cry's "Sandbox").

However it is not necessary to possess 3d skills because, as we will see in the course, there are plenty of other techniques (paper prototypes, Lego bricks, clay, paper mache, metal wireframes, architectural visualisation techniques, etc.)
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Information about study structure
This course is part of the new study structure on Games, and will work as an elective course for both old and new students. 
Læringsmål:After the course students should be able to:

  • Identify different archetypes of players created ad hoc for each game using several profiling techniques

  • Select conceptual and concrete tools used by level designers to shape game spaces

  • Design spaces for interaction tailored around different motivations, goals and belief systems

  • Connect spatial-aesthetic elements with the effects that said elements have on the players’ psyche

 
Fagligt indhold:The course intends to develop the arbitrary, yet still necessary, frame of mind needed to make assumptions about aesthetic values and expected player behaviors. It’s not an exact science, but a craft in the same manner that Dziga Vertov spoke of the Kino Eye: the Ludo Eye.

In this course the students will be made aware of the tools and techniques used by level designers to shape spaces that fit rational, emotional and behavioural profile of different types of players. The main theme of the course will be the connection between spatial-aesthetic elements and the effect that they have on the players’ psyche. Students will be learning and experimenting with how spaces, shapes and colours can engender, foster and support different moods.

We’ll be exploring visual and cultural archetypes, digging into comics, movie sets and cartoons to distillate what makes people tick in certain ways. We’ll be looking both into the past and the present of the ancient art of profiling people to find out how to design spaces for interaction tailored around different motivations, goals and belief systems.

First we will dabble into different psychological personality theories (MBTI, BIG 5, etc.). Then we’ll look at how ancient traditions such as the Kabala, the Tarots and the Zodiac dealt (and still deal) with the ever-changing yet consistent variety of human types.

The crowning of this voyage of discovery will be the creation of a limited environment apt to accommodate both the expression of a selected personality type with preferential sets of emotions and moods, and the dissemination of gameplay gestalts, mechanics and affordances for interaction. 
Læringsaktiviteter:14 ugers undervisning bestående af forelæsninger, øvelser og vejledning

The course will run from September to December 2010. We will meet once a week for the first 5 weeks for lectures and exercises. In the second half of the course we will engage in supervised project work. Independent work will become prominent with weekly meetings to supervise and evaluate the work in progress. Students are expected to work both individually and in groups, the final evaluation will be based on individual projects.


By the beginning of the course, students are expected to have read the following literature:
- McCloud, S.: Understanding Comics, Harper paperbacks, 1994
- Lynch, K.: The Image of the City, MIT Press, 1960
- Nitsche, M.: Video Game Spaces, MIT Press, 2009


Teacher:
Alessandro Canossa,
ITU - alec@itu.dk
Denmark School of Design - aca@dkds.dk
IO Interactive - alessandroc@ioi.dk 

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

The duration of the oral examination is xx minutes per examinee (incl. any group presentation).
 

Litteratur udover forskningsartikler:An extensive book collection will be made available to students at the beginning of the course, nevertheless two books are considered compulsory:
Mccloud, S. “Understanding Comics”
Lynch, K. “The image of the city”

Not compulsory but recommended:
Mastering Unreal Technology: Art of level design
(http://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Unreal-Technology-Level-Design/dp/0672326922)
3DS Max 2009 Bible
http://www.amazon.com/3ds-2009-Bible-Kelly-Murdock/dp/0470381302/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b 
 
Afholdelse (tid og sted)
Kurset afholdes på følgende tid og sted:
UgedagTidspunktForelæsning/ØvelserStedLokale
Mandag 12.00-13.50 Forelæsning ITU GameLab
Mandag 14.00-15.50 Øvelser ITU GameLab

Eksamen afholdes på følgende tid og sted:
EksamensdatoTidspunktEksamenstypeStedLokale
2011-12-14 09:00-15:00 Skriftlige arbejder ITU Eksamenskontoret (2E)
2012-01-20 Please contact the course manager Mundtlig eksamen ITU 2A14
2012-01-23 Please contact the course manager Mundtlig eksamen ITU 2A14
2012-01-25 Please contact the course manager Mundtlig eksamen ITU 4A30