Interrogate, Investigate, Instigate

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• how an awareness of a contextual theme can influence your work in relation to Games Design practice;
• an introductory range of core skills specific to Games Design Practice.
• some of the basic concepts and methodologies particular to making;

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• meet set deadlines to fulfil portfolio requirements.
• develop interpersonal skills and peer working;
• communicate your ideas coherently;

Subject Specific Practical Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• use 2d games specific software, coding and related methodologies.

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• begin to apply design thinking to utilise different working methods;
• begin to translate research processes into practical and experimental outcomes;
• make decisions regarding the use of basic techniques and processes in the practice of producing simple game outcomes.

TThis module provides you with an opportunity to develop a research led approach to games design at a basic level and introduce you to a range of pertinent practices, techniques, methodologies and skills associated with game practice.

The projects and content of this module provided a focused pathway to the development of your practical skills and conceptual awareness of Games Design & Art. Through theme-informed introductions to content and critical thinking you will explore your ideas and develop an understanding of how different components make up a game.

An important feature of this module is the way in which your involvement with the practices, techniques and content of game production can begin to direct and focus your thinking towards an individual understanding of specialist practice within games practice.

In this module you will undertake activities that will introduce you to basic design research practices and principles, observational drawing and related techniques, design thinking process and idea generation methodologies alongside principles and application in game asset construction, including but not limited to concept and mood boards, colour theory, 2d design processes for both assets and game coding, 2d animation, storyboarding, game design, character design and project management techniques suitable to game practice. These examples are illustrative and not exhaustive. They may vary each academic year. The module will consist of a number of projects that will span the semester utilising methods introduces to create a portfolio of work both individually and working with others.

others.

Teaching and learning methods

Teaching methods include:

• Talks
• Field trips
• Project briefings
• Tutorials
• Group critiques
• Workshops inductions
• Supporting material distributed via virtual learning environments (VLE) such as Blackboard, Panopto and Bob National

Learning activities include:

• Review and revision of material provided in lectures and VLE’s
• Workshops
• Observational drawing activities
• Research method inductions
• Using, comparing and evaluating specialist resources for Games Design & Art.
• Team work
• Discussion
• Presentations
• Group critiques
• Various Tutorial Activities
• Peer group learning
• Self-assessment
• Academic Skills Hub

Relationship between the teaching, learning and assessment methods and the planned learning outcomes

In this module teaching and learning activities will focus on helping you to develop research led critical skills through making which you will explore through a series projects. You will experience a variety of workshop inductions that are designed to both give you an introduction to the specialist areas of Games Design and Art and offer you tools through which to experiment and explore your projects. Talks, workshops, tutorial activities and project briefings will introduce you to the projects and contextualise your thinking. Tutorial activities will allow you to reflect on and discuss the projects as they progress and how it bears on your own practical work and the work of others.

Resources & Reading list

General Resources

Lynda.com (via Blackboard).

Panopto recordings. via Blackboard

Internet Resources

Glossary of Terms.

Academic Skills hub.

Guardian Games.

Gamasutra.

Blackboard.

Textbooks

Schell, J., (2015). The Art of Game Design. CRC Press.

Solarski, C. (2012.). Drawing Basics and Video Game Art.. Watson-Guptill Publications.

Wigan, M. (2015). Thinking Visually for Illustrators. Bloomsbury Publishing..

Salmond, M. (2016). Video Game Design. Bloomsbury Publishing..

Holmes, D., (2012). A Mind Forever Voyaging,. Dylan Holmes..

Design Thinking for Visual Communication (2015). Design Thinking for Visual Communication. Bloomsbury Publishing..

Sicart, M (2014). Play Matters,. MIT Press..

Norman, D.A. (2013). The Design of Everyday Things,. Basic Books (AZ)..

Elwes, R 2010 (2010). Maths 1001: Absolutely everything that matters in mathematics. Quercus Publishing.

Dutta, P., (1999). Strategies and Games: Theory and Practice. MIT Press.

Bossom, A. (2016). Video Games. Bloomsbury Publishing..

Juul, J., (2013). The Art of Failure,. MIT Press..

Isbister, K. (2016). How Games Move Us,. MIT Press.

Perea, A (2012). Epistemic Game Theory: Reasoning and Choice. Cambridge University Press.

McCloud, S (1994). Understanding Comics. urtleback Books..

Costikyan, G. (2013). Uncertainty in Games. MIT Press..

Rogers, S., (2014). Level Up! The Guide to Great Video Game Design. John Wiley & Sons..

Bateman, C., 2007 (2007). Game Writing: Narrative Skills for Videogames (Charles River Media Game Development). Thompson Delmar Learning.

Sharp, J. (2015). Works of Game. MIT Press..

Adams, E. (2010). Fundamentals of Game Design. Published by New Riders.

Sherrod, A. (2008). Games Graphic Programming. Course Technology.

Dille, F. and Platten, J.Z. (2007). The Ultimate Guide to Video Game writing and Design published. Lone Eagle Publishing House.

Salen, K. & Zimmerman, E (2004). Rules of Play. MIT Press..

Bestley, R. & Noble, I., (2016). Visual Research. Bloomsbury Publishing..

Formative

This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Repeat

An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.

Repeat Information

Repeat type: Internal & External