Study Guide

Objective

After completing the course, the student will be able to:
- Identify the roles in game development and integrate into a game production team
- Identify and use the most common game development tools and industry standards
- Identify different platforms in game development and perform basic operations within one platform
- Understand and apply game design thinking
- Use basic tools related to audio listener and audio source interaction
- Understand copyright law and the purpose of immaterial property

Content

Introduction to
- The history of video games
- Phases and disciplines of the game development process
- 2D and 3D game content creation
- Game audio (basic sound editing and sound implementation within games)
- Game programming
- Game development tools and game platforms
- The game industry

Materials

Due to the practical nature of this course, there is no prescribed learning material. All necessary documentation and other material toward the successful completion of Intro to Game Dev Tools will be shared with students throughout the course.

Teaching methods

The course will be delivered through close contact lecture sessions.
Peer-assisted learning is required throughout the course of the group project.

This course is a collaboration with the University of Turku and we will use the Moodle learning platform.
The shortcut for the Moodle page is:
http://bit.ly/igdt2023

Students are able to access Moodle using their HAKA accounts (TUAS account credentials).

Exam schedules

No exam dates;
This course does not have any retake possibilities. Failing the course means that students will have to repeat it the following year.

International connections

This course leans on CDIO principles and takes a project-based learning approach.

Completion alternatives

Competence demonstration, if you have experience from industry or other experience that is compatible with the course content.Discuss with lecturer to arrange the demonstrations.

Student workload

This course requires students to work 135 hours and is divided as follows:
- Lectures and presentations: 40 hours
- Group work and preparation: 95 hours
The group work requires students to work together in teams to make a small game project.

Students will be required to present their group game project in 3 milestones:
Week 38 - Concept presentation
Week 43 - Prototype presentation
Week 49 - Final game presentation

The concept and prototype presentations are for monitoring student progress and used as the basis of formative feedback. For every formative milestone missed, one grade point will be deducted from the final grade of each group member.

The final game presentation is mandatory - failure to present this will cause the entire group to fail the course.

Content scheduling

Week 36: Introduction to games industry and the history of video games
Week 37: Game Design and instructions for your first game project
Week 38: Game Engines
Week 39: Concept presentations
Week 40: Game Programming
Week 41: Game Graphics
Week 42: No Session. *Work on your game project*
Week 43: Game Programming - AI
Week 44: Prototype presentations
Week 45: Game Audio and tools
Week 46: Game Optimization and polishing
Week 47: Publishing the project. Publishing platforms, channels and process
Week 48: Finalize your game. No lecture or online session.
Week 49: Final Game presentation

Further information

This course is a collaboration with the University of Turku and we will use the Moodle learning platform. The shortcut for the Moodle page is http://bit.ly/igdt2023

Students are able to access Moodle using their Haka accounts (TUAS account credentials).

Evaluation scale

H-5

Assessment methods and criteria

The game project is evaluated as follows:
GROUP grade...
- Lecturers overall impression of the game (H-5).

INDIVIDUAL student per group grade
Each student will also be measured on their contribution to the group's activities for each project by:
- Self assessment of the contribution made;
- Group member evaluation of the contribution made;

The combination of these gives an individual grade for each student per project.

Assessment criteria, fail (0)

Failure to produce and present the group game project will cause the entire group to fail the course.
Individual non-participation as determined by the peer-evaluation will also lead to failing the course.

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1-2)

- Project contains a few of the features outlined in the project plan
- Did not really stay on track with their planned milestones
- Did not use their Game Engine or programming skills in any new ways
- Code and hierarchy are disorganized, using inconsistent conventions
- The presentation were given without preparation

Assessment criteria, good (3-4)

- Project contains most of the features outlined in the project plan
- Stayed mostly on track with their planned milestones
- Used their Content Creations skills and learned more, but not necessarily creative ways
- Used their Game Engine and/or programming skills in new, but not necessarily creative ways
- Code and hierarchy are mostly neat & commented, using correct conventions
- Good quality and prepared Group Presentations

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

- Project contains all of the features outlined in the project plan
- Stayed on track with their planned milestones
- Used their Content Creations skills and learned more skills in a novel and creative ways
- Used their Game Engine and/or programming skills in a novel and creative ways
- Code and hierarchy are neat & commented, using correct conventions
- Group Presentations were excellent and well prepared

Qualifications

Game Development Essentials (5051259)