There are two optional texts for the class:
Joystick Nation : How Videogames Ate Our Quarters, Won Our Hearts, and Rewired Our Minds by J. C. Herz, Michael Pietsch (Editor)
Black Art of 3d Game Programming : Writing Your Own High-Speed 3-D Polygon Video Games by Andre Lamothe
The tutorial for the Motivate software is available in the bookstore as class notes for CS4803B. WARNING: the bookstore has xeroxed only the even pages of the tutorial. We're working on getting this fixed but double check your copy before you pay for it.
The textbooks will be supplemented by handouts in class and pointers to web pages.
The Herz book is arriving at the bookstore somewhat late, and there may not have been enough copies of either book ordered. You may want to try Amazon Books instead.
Week of | Mon | Wed |
January 5 | no class | Introduction and Overview of Course (asb + jkh) notes (asb) Assignment 1 out |
January 12 | Game Genres (asb) Reading: Herz chapters 1 and 2 |
What makes a game fun? (asb) Reading: "Enjoyment and the Quality of Life," chapter 3 of Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihaly. New York: Harper Perennial, 1991. On electronic reserve. |
January 19 | Holiday |
Tutorial on Motivate (metoyer) |
January 26 | User Interface Controls for Games (asb) Reading: Some Thoughts on Game Design, by Andrew Glassner. Assignment 1 due Assignment 2 out |
Low-level Behaviors (jkh)
Keyframing: Slides Reading: Chapter 4 in Black Art Project Proposal due (Advanced) |
February 2 | Low-level Behaviors (jkh) Motion Capture: Slides Simulation: Slides Reading: Motion Capture White Paper from SGI see also Motion Capture links below |
High-level Behaviors (jkh) High-level Behaviors: Slides Reading: Chapter 7 in Black Art Creating Intelligent Creatures (CGW) see also AI in Games links below |
February 9 | Graphics for Games (jkh)
Reading: Chapter 10 in Black Art Assignment 2 due Assignment 3 out |
Graphics for Games (jkh) Reading: Chapter 10 in Black Art First Progress Report due (Advanced) |
February 16 | Play Testing David Rosenbaum, GTRI Reading: Play Testing Article from Game Developer Magazine |
Design for Boys and Girls (asb) Reading:
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February 23 |
Community for Multi-user Environments (asb) Reading:
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Technology for Multi-user Environments: Slides Mostafa Ammar and Jessica Hodgins Reading: Chapter 9 in Black Art Multiplayer Internet Games from Intel Progress Report due (Intro) Second Progress Report due (Advanced) |
March 2 | Interactive Narrative (asb) Reading:
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Future Gaming Technology Dov Jacobson BIG FUN Development Co. |
March 9 | Game Design Andrew Greenberg Holistic Design |
Marketing Amy Kerley Moorhouse Intelliquest |
March 17 | Tuesday 6-7 and 9-10 Final Presentation Setup in 102 |
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March 18 | Wednesday 11:30-2:20 and 6-9 Final Presentations (final exam slot + evening session) Assignment 3 due |
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We will maintain a lending library of games that can be checked out from Tonya Dunson in CoC 244 between 8-5pm M-F. Students will be asked to show an ID when checking out a game and may keep a game for up to 48 hours (unless demand gets too high). The games library will include PC games, Mac games, Nintendo 64 cartridges, and Playstation CD's. We will install a Nintendo 64 and a Sony Playstation in the undergraduate lounge area on the first floor of CoC. PC games that run under NT can be used in the cluster on the first floor. Mac games and PC games that run only under Windows '95 will have to be run outside CoC on home computers, unfortunately. You can also download demo versions of games from Gamespot and access MUDs such as Muddy Waters .
There will be three assignments (due on the dates listed on the syllabus). You have 5 late days that you may use for any of the assignments during the quarter but further extensions require an excellent excuse. Grading will be based on assignments (90%), and class participation (10%).
The three assignments will be
Students who come to this course with particular interests or a very strong background may arrange to do a project instead of the last two assignments. For these advanced students, one page project proposals are due during the fourth week of classes. During the quarter the students must turn in two project updates (on the dates marked on the syllabus). A final presentation of the projects will be made during the final exam period (or during an earlier class period for graduating students). A written description of the project will be due at the time of the final presentation. Grading will be based on projects (60%), class participation (15%), the first assignment (25%).