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Assignments/Due Dates
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1. Personal Game Archeology & Analysis
due Aug 29
Archeology and analysis of personal
gaming preferences from:
a.
childhood and
b.
today as an adult.
Research
and present a short power point or html presentation and demonstration of
your favorite game/toy as a child and why it was your favorite, and your
favorite game/toy as an adult and why. Include a brief history of the origins
of each game, and why this is/was a compelling game experience for you.
Include references in your presentation—web links, documentation, the
socio-political context of the game/toy you have chosen and its use.
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2. Indy
Game #1 Individual
due Sept 5
Going beyond fps and virtual
violence: can it be done? What could be as, or more compelling as killing or
being killed? Individual students create new types of gaming experiences - perhaps unusual
interaction, or a game about an issue, or a game for an underserved
population. Using your own experience and previous research from the Game
Archeology & Analysis study, you create an original game within one week on your own. Keep in mind the work of artists and ideas
discussed in class, in addition to your readings and personal experience.
Deliverables:
- Game design structure
template
-
Answer
Ernest
Adams Game Design Philosophy Questions:
* What dreams does the game fulfill?
* What is the player going to do?
* What are the physical, intellectual,
emotional, economic and ethical spaces of the game world?
- Workable game prototype:
prototypes or games in an embryonic state, something between a developed idea
and a full game. Think of them as short studies or experiments. They should
be playable or, at the very least, the mechanics should be evident. You can
choose any tools and techniques you find most adequate to develop your ideas,
including physical environments, paper, cardboard, digital games, etc.
Original ideas are more important than polished
graphics and optimized code for this study.
Readings: due Sept 5
*
Play as Design by Brenda Laurel
Play as Design by Eric Zimmerman
* Ernest
Adams Design Philosophy
* Experimental
gameplay project - How to Prototype a Game in Under 7 Days
*create a short, one page, printed reaction paper to each of the above
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Readings: due Sept 12
* From Sun
Tzu to Xbox: War and Video Games by Ed Halter
* Baudrillard
and Hollywood: subverting the mechanism of control and The Matrix by Jim
Rovira
* The Oxymoron of Virtual
Violence, J. Baudrillard
*create a short, one page, printed reaction paper to each of the above
Optional
Extra Credit Readings for Masters and Ph.D. Students:
* Homo Ludens: A study of the Play Element in Culture by
Johan Huizinga
* Man,
Play, and Games by Roger Caillois
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3. & 4.
Indy Game #2 Team Based due Sept
19
Working collaboratively in temporary teams, (ideally creating a balanced team
consisting of the following talents: visual artist, programmer, sound
composer & designer, manager) create a basic game design document and
playable game or simulation prototype for the future. The goal is to create a game which
is just as, or more challenging and engaging than the typical fps game.
Explore innovative games and, using a process known as scenario planning,
share your information and judgment with your fellow teammates to create a
picture of a future game that is larger than any individual could produce
alone. Perhaps unusual interaction, or a game about an issue, or a game for
an underserved population.
Each person in the group must detail
their contributions.
Deliverables:
- Concept Game Design Document: GAME
DESIGN DOCUMENT TEMPLATE
-Game design
structure template
- Answer Ernest
Adams Game Design Philosophy Questions:
*
What dreams does the game fulfill?
*
What is the player going to do?
* What are the physical, intellectual, emotional, economic and ethical spaces
of the game world?
- Workable game prototype
Readings: due Sept 19
* Lenoir-Lowood_TheatersOfWar
*create a short, one page, printed reaction paper for the
above
Optional Extra Credit
Readings for Masters and Ph.D. Students:
*
Origins of FPS by
Galloway
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FINAL PROJECT TRAJECTORY from here on:
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5. Final Project: Experimental
Game Trajectory: working with permanent teams
due Sept 26: Prototype 1 Concepts Informal
presentation
Deliverables:
First
ideas about your game
Please include the following: These are all ITERATIVE
and will be changed and perfected as your ideas unfold.
* concept
ideas and sketches
* storyboards
* rough Game Design Document (see GAME DESIGN DOCUMENT TEMPLATE)
(you will build on this framework over the course of the semester as your
refine and reiterate your game.)
* Game Structure
template
* Answer Ernest
Adams Game Design Philosophy Questions:
- What dreams does the game fulfill?
- What is the player going to do?
- What are the physical,
intellectual, emotional, economic and ethical spaces of the game world?
* list
of technical information and methodologies of production: any necessary software, SDKs, and APIs,
etc. needed.
Please
remember that your completed game project is an innovative, original,
purposeful work which goes beyond conventional style gaming paradigms and
shows depth of creative goals, sensitivity to social issues, and quality of
interaction. The game must be functional, or at the very least demonstrate
some dynamic game play with a high end trailer illustrating the core game
play concepts, and it must be accompanied by a completed, (web ready, stand
alone) game design document and a well designed poster.
Readings: reaction papers due Oct 3
* Complete
Freedom of Movement: Video Games as Gendered PlaySpaces by Henry Jenkins
*create a short, one page, printed reaction paper
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6. Phase
I
Proposal & Formal Group Presentation
due Oct 3
Deliverables:
rethink and refine your
project based on your resonation of the feedback your team received in class
previously:
* concept ideas and sketches
* storyboards
* Game Design Document (see GAME DESIGN DOCUMENT TEMPLATE) with blocked
out time frame of production
* Game
Structure template
* list
of technical information and methodologies of production: any necessary software, SDKs, and APIs,
etc. needed.
* produce new work and progress on
your game assets including design, art, programming, etc.
Readings: reaction
papers due Oct 10
* Adams
and Rollings The Level Design Process
*create a short, one
page, printed reaction paper for each
Optional Extra Credit Readings for Masters
and Ph.D. Students:
* The Construction of Experience:
Interface as Content David Rokeby
*Everything
But the Words: A Dramatic Writing Primer for Gamers
by Hal Barwood
* Storytelling in Action by Bob Bates
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7. Phase II Reiteration Informal presentation
due Oct 10
Midterm assessments
Deliverables:
* produce new research, work and
progress on your game assets
* present a creative statement including treatment, narrative, more refined
story board, and at least 5 citations of games/ websites/readings/
literature/ films that have influenced you.
* Reality check on scope of
project, schedule, including individual responsibilities and deadlines, more
refined game design document, (conceptual geography, maps, scenarios,
trainers, strategies, symbolism, scoring, rules, etc.) Reflect all this in your Game
Design Document
Readings: Related final
project research readings in the history, theory, ethics, philosophy,
practice, and technical research as determined by your team and the
instructor. Please list all research readings in your evolving game design
document.
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8. Phase III Game Prototype & Formal Group Presentation
Oct 17
Deliverables:
* produce new work and progress on
your game assets
* Definitive schedule for entire project which will be used for milestones
for further project development, continuation of incorporating critical
feedback, game play, polishing and refinement of content, methodology,
delivery system, and game design document
Related Readings: final project research readings
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9. Phase
IV Game Content & Informal
team meetings with Game Industry Experts
due Oct 24
Deliverables:
* produce new work and
progress on your game assets
*
Additionally, fully updated and perfected game design document is printed and
formally handed in. This will be edited further.
Related
Readings: final project research readings
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10.
Phase V Refinement & Formal Group Presentation
due Oct 31
Haloween: come dressed to
class as a character or as the general theme in your game
Deliverables:
* produce new work and progress on
your game assets based on critiques
* Hooking up assets to game, further development of game play
Related Readings: final
project research readings
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11. Phase VI Further Refinement & Informal Group Presentation
due Nov 7
Deliverables:
* produce new work and progress on
your game assets based on critiques
* Refinement for pre-review and three week
trajectory for individual team work with assistance in class.
*
Play Testing plans due
Related Readings: final
project research readings
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12. Phase VII & Formal Group
Presentation
due Nov 14
Deliverables:
*
produce new work and progress on your game assets based on critiques.
* Additionally, fully updated and perfected game design document is printed
and formally handed in. This will be edited further.
* Play Test Results due
Related Readings: final
project research readings
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13. OFF for THANKSGIVING: ENJOY
* produce new work and progress on
your game assets based on critiques and
play test results
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14.
Phase VIII Project Pre-Reviews & Informal Group Presentation
due Nov 28 (second to last class)
* produce new work
and progress on your game assets based on critiques
and play test results
* Instructions
for Printing your Poster at the VCC (Voorhees Computing Center) on the RCS
Public Plotters:
http://helpdesk.rpi.edu/update.do?catcenterkey=78
The plotter paper is 36 inches wide, but the actual content space
is 34 inches. So your document should be 36 wide, but have an inch of
whitespace on either side.
The minimum height is 24 inches, but I would recommend the same
amount of padding there. If your poster is vertical you can of course rotate
it to fit into this space for the lowest cost.
You should make a PDF. You can
possibly use Photoshop and output your file as a PDF or use Illustrator (proven to work very well) (it is on
the VAST lab computers if you don't have it), create a document 36" by
height + 2", then use File->Place to insert your document. You can
then do "Save As" and switch the filetype
to PDF.
Take the PDF file to the VCC
and open it in Acrobat (or Reader? whatever it's called these days). Switch
the printer to vcplt or vcpltg for glossy ($0.25 more per foot, not bad for the shiny effect).
I think the checkboxes are something like:
"Automatically select paper size"
"Allow use of custom sizes"
Select both of those and the rulers in the preview should update to be
your document's size. Then you should be able to send it.
The printouts show up rolled in the
racks on the right side of the VCC building, near the glass-enclosed
classroom on that side. In general, they will put obviously bad printouts up
without saying anything, but you can get a refund if there was a problem on
their end by going to the help desk.
Print soon as other students across
the campus will be vying for this printer soon.
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15.
Phase IX Perfected Game Festival-Ready Games, Formal
Group Presentation due Dec 5 LAST CLASS All perfected work due
this day. NO EXCEPTIONS.
All perfected work
due this day. NO EXCEPTIONS.
Complete and refine
all work on final projects for Final Completed Game Project:
submit on
a labeled dvd:
* Your game and all elements including all
art, programming files, etc.
* Your game design
document in .html format with all relevant files
* Your project
summary in .doc format with summation image
* high quality edited high def. 1920 x
1080, H264 mp4 video trailer of game play. Please include your title,
overview, interaction, gameplay and credits. This
video will be used to judge whether your game gets into the competition.
* Your digital
poster file
* Your user
Evaluation Testing Summary and
Recommendations
Also submit:
* Printed posters
* Printed Final Game Design Document
* Printed project
summary
Please ensure that
all work is spell checked.
All work must be printed
and also submitted on labeled CDs or DVDs
Please ensure that
all work is spell checked.
All
work must be printed and also submitted on labeled CDs or DVDs
Projects meeting the highest standards are then shown at the
Annual Game
Festival & Symposium in Spring 2013
Intensive critical analysis of game development, game play, interaction,
hardware testing, detailed plan for installing game and gear at Game Festival
will be due.
Discussion of Gamefest and Future
Trajectories
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