Game Design and Production

This course emulates the production and design process applied in the games industry whilst teaching the academic skills essential for success. This innovative course embraces the language of electronic games as an evolving medium of increasing social and cultural significance. You will be applying academic theory to practical development, responding to market demands and working with fellow students in order to understand the game design process from start to finish.

The course includes the following subjects: conceptual game design – the driving components of electronic game play in terms of player engagement and motivation, programming concepts – the general principles and concepts of programming C++, human computer interaction – with a focus on graphical interfaces, usability and feedback, programming for games – the general principles and concepts of games programming will allow learners to apply 2D and 3D programming methods used in games, game narrative and contextual play – methods for implementing narrative though the contextualisation of game play and the game environment, 2D and 3D art for computer games – convey game visuals through digitally drawn concept art, 2D game art and use 3D modelling techniques to create low ploy game components, game engines – with a focus on 3D engines, such as UDK and Unity, assessing their architecture and features to develop a small game, game studies – gaming and its role in society to decode the semiotics and vocabulary of electronic games in order to propose own system of play, game platforms – platform types and their development, investigating both hardware and software architectures, installing, configuring and troubleshooting, sound and animation – the psychology of sound for games, sound creation techniques, animation techniques and principles. game production – participation in the production of a working game, selecting team members, monitoring and achieving targets in order to deliver the project outcome, promotion and enterprise – identify areas for commercial development, virtual networking, social media and techniques for the promotion and marketing of your own game.

Assessment will be through both coursework and formal exams.