GAM 597 Topics in Game Design
Summary
Students in this course will complete the development cycle of a game for the Apple Watch by working in a cross-disciplinary team of artists, programmers, and designers. The project has two goals: 1) to create and publish a videogame that uses the affordances of the cutting-edge platform in a cohesive and innovative way; 2) establish a pipeline for developing games on the platform, forming a basis for a future special topics course at DePaul that focuses on developing games on the watch. The instructor will lead students to collaboratively conceive, iteratively build, and polish the game. Graduate students will be expected to fill leadership roles on the team and serve as role models for the undergraduate students.
This course is geared towards the most promising students who have demonstrated extraordinary focus and drive.
Students will:
o research the affordances and technical constraints of the Apple Watch and how to deploy games to that platform
o ideate game art and designs that work well on the platform that also advance the medium of videogames
o rapidly prototype and test art, design, and sound ideas to determine whether ideas are viable as well as engaging
o iteratively develop the game with regular testing and evaluation
o present the game to the local game development community and at festivals/conferences, such as IndieCade
This process will be led and guided by the instructor who will meet and work directly with students 3 times a week for 2-4 hours.
Students will develop skills in:
o mastering a domain of knowledge (game development)
o determining research and development opportunities that advance that domain of knowledge
o experimental and iterative project development
o creative and critical thinking
o collaboration and leadership
o planning and accomplishing goals
Students will work on the course a minimum of 10 hours each week. Students will spend a significant portion of their time 1) in the game lab developing, testing, and modifying aspects of the game; and 2) meeting with the research group to present, play, examine, and discuss the latest developments of the project as well as to plan next steps. These meetings, coordinated by the instructor serve several purposes. The interactive nature of the meeting will help develop the student?s communication skills, and sharpen the student?s analytical and problem solving skills by critiquing and questioning the results, suggesting alternative approaches and brainstorming possible solutions. The meetings will also serve as interim progress reports on the students? research. Students are expected to prepare brief weekly written reports for the instructor.
Grading
Each student will be assessed, and her/his grade will be calculated, as follows:
o Weekly reports and presentations = 15%
o Collaborating with team effectively = 15%
o Consistent iterative development of project = 70%
This syllabus is subject to change as necessary during the quarter. If a change occurs, it will be thoroughly addressed during class, posted under Announcements in D2L and sent via email.
Evaluations are a way for students to provide valuable feedback regarding their instructor and the course. Detailed feedback will enable the instructor to continuously tailor teaching methods and course
content to meet the learning goals of the course and the academic needs of the students. They are a requirement of the course and are key to continue to provide you with the highest quality of teaching. The
evaluations are anonymous; the instructor and administration do not track who entered what responses. A program is used to check if the student completed the evaluations, but the evaluation is completely
separate from the student’s identity. Since 100% participation is our goal, students are sent periodic reminders over three weeks. Students do not receive reminders once they complete the evaluation.
Students complete the evaluation online in CampusConnect.
This course will be subject to the university's academic integrity policy. More information can be found at http://academicintegrity.depaul.edu/ If you
have any questions be sure to consult with your professor.
All students are expected to abide by the University's Academic Integrity Policy which prohibits cheating and other misconduct in student coursework. Publicly sharing or posting online any prior or current materials from this course (including exam questions or answers), is considered to be providing unauthorized assistance prohibited by the policy. Both students who share/post and students who access or use such materials are considered to be cheating under the Policy and will be subject to sanctions for violations of Academic Integrity.
All students are required to manage their class schedules each term in accordance with the deadlines for enrolling and withdrawing as indicated in the University Academic Calendar. Information on enrollment, withdrawal, grading and incompletes can be found at http://www.cdm.depaul.edu/Current%20Students/Pages/PoliciesandProcedures.aspx.
Students who feel they may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the instructor privately to discuss their specific needs. All discussions will remain confidential.
To ensure that you receive the most appropriate accommodation based on your needs, contact the instructor as early as possible in the quarter (preferably within the first week of class), and make sure that
you have contacted the Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) at:
Lewis Center 1420, 25 East Jackson Blvd.
Phone number: (312)362-8002
Fax: (312)362-6544
TTY: (773)325.7296