Course Description

Fundamental ideas underlying the design of games, which occurs before the programming stage. How games function to create experiences, including rule design, play mechanics, game balancing, social game interaction and the integration of visual, audio, tactile and textual elements into the total game experience. Game design documentation and play testing. Students will design their own game during the semester.

Advisory Prerequisite: basic computer skills

Course Objectives

At the conclusion of this class, students will be able to …

• Understand the process of game design;
• Identify the needs, desires, and constraints of the audience that the game is aimed at;
• Utilize a range of guidelines, tricks, and principles for designing an effective game; and
• Produce game design documentation and a prototype to show the game design.

Textbook

We will be using the following textbook:

K. Salen and E. Zimmerman, Rules of Play, MIT Press, 2004, ISBN 978-0-262-24045-1.

I also recommend the following book for learning Flash:

E.A. Vander Veer and C. Grover, Flash CS3: The Missing Manual, O'Reilly, 2007, ISBN 0-596-51044-6.

In addition, readings from the current literature will be assigned. These may be found in the Course Materials section of the Blackboard site for the course.

Course Materials and Facilities

We will be working in the Multimedia Lab for this class. Lab hours and lab procedures will be discussed in class. Although you may prefer to work at home, please be aware that you must be able to present your projects in the classroom; if it does not run in the classroom, I will assume that it does not run at all.

You will need a USB data key for saving your work. Please be sure to bring it to class so that you can save what you do in class.

Course Requirements

• Team Projects - 30%
  
Over the course of the semester, you will work on three (3) game designs with teammates that are assigned to you. Designs must be presented in class on the day they are due. Grades will be based primarily upon evaluations from your peers.
 
• Class Participation - 20%
  This includes in-class discussions of readings, scheduled presentations, and homework assignments. See the Assignments section of Blackboard for further details.
   
• Exams - 50%
  
Two exams will be given: a midterm and a final, each worth 25% of your final grade. Both exams will be closed book/notes, and given in the classroom.

Advisories

Each student must pursue his or her academic goals honestly and be personally accountable for all submitted work. Representing another person's work as your own is always wrong. Any suspected instance of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Academic Judiciary. For more comprehensive information on academic integrity, including categories of academic dishonesty, please refer to the academic judiciary website at http://www.stonybrook.edu/uaa/academicjudiciary/.

The University at Stony Brook expects students to maintain standards of personal integrity that are in harmony with the educational goals of the institution; to observe national, state, and local laws and University regulations; and to respect the rights, privileges, and property of other people. Faculty is required to report disruptive behavior that interrupts faculty’s ability to teach, the safety of the learning environment, and/or students’ ability to learn to Judicial Affairs.

My Own Advice

Think of me as your cranky client. There may be times when you disagree with what I say about your work. Just remember that I am the one giving out the grades. When I make a suggestion, be sure to listen, because it is likely to have an impact on your final grade.

Start your assignments and your project early. That way if you have trouble, you can get help in time to finish your assignment by the due date. This will also help you to avoid a last-minute crunch in the lab.

Don't be afraid to ask questions. If you don't understand something, it's likely that your classmates don't understand it either. Raise questions in class. If you need further explanation, come see me during office hours. If you can't make my office hours, send me email. Be sure to do this before you get hopelessly lost.

Work with other students. I do not mean that you should copy each other's work (which will not be tolerated). Rather, you should learn from one another. If you can't figure out how to make something work, see how your colleague did it. It is also useful to discuss different ways of approaching a problem.

Please let me know as soon as possible if you anticipate having any problems with this class. If alerted to them early on, I may be able to accommodate your needs.

Schedule

Although most readings will come from the textbook, additional readings will be made available on the Blackboard site. Readings are to be discussed on the day listed. Assignments are to be handed in during the week in which they are listed. Participation in classroom activities and presentations is required. Please note that this schedule is approximate, and subject to change.