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Module UXS-2801:
Game Development

Module Facts

Run by School of Music and Media

20 Credits or 10 ECTS Credits

Semester 2

Organiser: Miss Isabel Vincent

Overall aims and purpose

You will have the opportunity to apply game design skills developed in the first year to real-world 2D or 2D+ game projects. A set of professional briefs require you to design a complete game level. You will need to use a range of tools to develop visuals, gameplay and mechanics to meet the requirements of the brief in a creative fashion. You will begin using more advanced game design tools and techniques, including more advanced scripting and complex sprite sheets, as you create fully playable game levels. You will have the opportunity to make use of common game project tools, including agile and scrum methodologies. At the end of the module, you will have developed a portfolio of work that presents your work in a professional manner.

Course content

Students develop a professional portfolio that includes the design, development and production of two video game levels to meet a professional brief. Weekly seminars introduce students to level design principles and methods, as well as methods of game development project planning such as agile and scrum. Students complete much of the design work off-line in the seminars, but weekly workshops will allow students opportunities to apply design ideas using industry-standard software.

Assessment Criteria

good

Good (C- to B+)

  • Strong knowledge of key areas/principles
  • Understanding of theoretical underpinnings
  • Evidence of background study
  • Limited original interpretation
  • Well known links between topics are described
  • Problems addressed by existing methods/approaches
  • Good presentation with accurate communication

excellent

Excellent (A- to A**)

  • Comprehensive knowledge
  • Detailed understanding
  • Extensive background study
  • Original interpretation
  • New links between topics are developed
  • New approach to a problem
  • Excellent presentation with very accurate communication

threshold

Threshold (D- to D+)

  • Knowledge of key areas/principles only
  • Weaknesses in understanding of main areas
  • Limited evidence of background study
  • No original interpretation
  • Only major links between topics are described
  • Limited problem solving
  • Many weaknesses in presentation and accuracy

Learning outcomes

  1. Employ production skills to design game mechanics that reflect a range of player abilities, game progression, and challenge.

  2. Initiate, develop and realize a consistent and engaging game world concept

  3. Present work and self professionally on-line

  4. Experiment with mechanics and aesthetics to design a series of levels which allow player achievement and emergent gameplay

  5. Research and employ ideas from the games industry, gaming, consumer research, game theory and narrative theory

Assessment Methods

Type Name Description Weight
DEMONSTRATION/PRACTICE First game and documenation

First game including design documentation and reflective critique

 40
DEMONSTRATION/PRACTICE Logbook/ Portfolio

Second game including design documentation and reflective critique

 20
LOGBOOK OR PORTFOLIO Game Proposal

A portfolio presenting the student as an active professional

 40

Teaching and Learning Strategy

Hours
Workshop

Workshops with the game engine software

 11
Lecture

Introduction of game principles and design methods

 11
Private study

Individual work on game design, development and testing

 167
Study group

Weekly team meetings for idea generation, design and testing and reporting on progress

 11

Transferable skills

  • Literacy - Proficiency in reading and writing through a variety of media
  • Computer Literacy - Proficiency in using a varied range of computer software
  • Self-Management - Able to work unsupervised in an efficient, punctual and structured manner. To examine the outcomes of tasks and events, and judge levels of quality and importance
  • Exploring - Able to investigate, research and consider alternatives
  • Information retrieval - Able to access different and multiple sources of information
  • Inter-personal - Able to question, actively listen, examine given answers and interact sensitevely with others
  • Critical analysis & Problem Solving - Able to deconstruct and analyse problems or complex situations. To find solutions to problems through analyses and exploration of all possibilities using appropriate methods, rescources and creativity.
  • Presentation - Able to clearly present information and explanations to an audience. Through the written or oral mode of communication accurately and concisely.
  • Teamwork - Able to constructively cooperate with others on a common task, and/or be part of a day-to-day working team
  • Mentoring - Able to support, help, guide, inspire and/or coach others
  • Management - Able to utilise, coordinate and control resources (human, physical and/or financial)
  • Self-awareness & Reflectivity - Having an awareness of your own strengths, weaknesses, aims and objectives. Able to regularly review, evaluate and reflect upon the performance of yourself and others

Subject specific skills

  • An understanding of creative and critical processes, and of the wide range of skills inherent in creative writing. (NAWE Creative Writing Benchmark Statement 3.1).
  • Ability to connect creative and critical ideas between and among forms, techniques and types of creative and critical praxis. (NAWE Creative Writing Benchmark Statement 3.2; English Benchmark Statement 3.2).

Resources

Resource implications for students

Students are encouraged to download free, educational versions of the game engine software.

Talis Reading list

http://readinglists.bangor.ac.uk/modules/uxs-2801.html

Pre- and Co-requisite Modules

Pre-requisites:

Pre-requisite of:

Courses including this module

Compulsory in courses:

Optional in courses: