ESM 3000 - INTRODUCTION TO GAMES

credits: 3.0
Games sit at the intersection of technology, art, and culture, so success within the games industry requires you to understand all three. This course explores why we love games, what role they play in society, and the industry that produces them. You’ll also learn the basics of game development. This course was developed in partnership with Unity and the IGDA to help everyone interested in the games industry start on the right foot. This online class has optional live sessions.

Course Topics:
The Games Industry: The video games industry generates over $200,000,000 a year in revenue. Students will learn the history of how this industry has grown from virtual nonexistence to global prominence in less than 40 years.
Gaming Technology: Games are fundamentally shaped by technological innovation. Students will learn how the development of computing technology has affected the types of experiences the games industry is capable of creating.
Introduction to Game Creation: Students will be provided with a high-level overview of game design and the process by which a game is created from both a business and development perspective.
Critical Thinking in Game Design: Students will be introduced to a variety of topics to improve their critical thinking, idea generation and problem solving skills.
Game Genres: Students will learn about the most common game genres and will explore the structure of games and heuristics and aesthetics of play.
Games and Society: Whether by sparking public outrage, or entering the global cultural canon, games have had a profound societal impact. Students will explore this impact and the cultural trends of the games industry. Objectives: This course is intended to introduce students to the games industry and the development of games. Communicate design concepts by working collaboratively with a team. Design a game considering aesthetic and game play motivations of the player. Make prompt, actionable decisions to game design challenges. Method of Evaluation: Onboarding Assignments 50 5%, Assignments 160 (8 x 20) 16%, Discussions 200 (5 x 40) 20%, Quizzes 120 (3 x 40) 12%, Game Analyses 150 (2 x 75) 15%, Final Project: Game Design (Team Formation, Draft, Peer Review, Presentation) 32 (50, 100, 50, 120) 32%.

Prerequisite(s): MGT 2240