What Makes Us Play: Craft of Video Game

93-860

Units: 4

Description

This course delves deep into the art of creating and shipping video games. We will take students on a journey from an examination of the fundamental principles of game design and the realities of shipping discrete gaming products into the dynamic online marketplace. From there, we’ll dive into the broader, harder to define side of the industry – how social gaming manifests in today’s market, and what it means to take a game across gaming platforms. Through lectures, discussion, and practical exercises, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the craft of gaming. Students will be expected to approach the material with an open mind and spend some time exploring games hands-on outside of class.

Learning Outcomes

Gain a basic understanding of core game design principles that cut across game genres
Analyze the social and psychological aspects of multiplayer and online gaming
Compare and contrast traditional game releases (single SKUs with occasional DLC) from live service games characterized by consistent, evolving gameplay over time. Explore how these models materialize through short term content releases, continuous content updates, and various monetization strategies.
Assess contemporary gaming platforms and analyze the requirements for achieving multi-platform compatibility. Explore the potential implications on user experience stemming from the core capabilities on consoles, PCs, mobile phones, and extended reality devices