Course Syllabus

ALTERNATIVE GAME DEVELOPMENT

EAE 3720-001 | Spring 2019 Syllabus

 

Instructor: Matt Anderson, MFA

Spring 2019, T / H 9:40 AM - 11:35 PM BLDG 72 115

Email: matthewladdanderson@gmail.com

Office hours: By Appointment

 

ATTENDANCE: GAME OF THE DAY

DISCORD: SERVER INVITE

 

TA HOURS: By Appointment via Discord

 

TEACHING ASSISTANTS: 

Nathan Scott

Kaltin Kirby

Joe Moyle

 

 
REQUIRED MATERIALS

Sharp, John. Works of Game: On the Aesthetics of Games and Art. MIT Press, 2015. (~$17)

McGonigal, Jane. Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World. Penguin, 2011. (~$8)

Cutting, Andrew. Missions for Thoughtful Gamers. Lulu. com, 2011. - available for free from ETC Press: http://press.etc.cmu.edu/index.php/product/missions-for-thoughtful-gamers/

Gamemaker Studio 1.X or 2 Creator License (~$39)
 

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Games have educated, critiqued, healed, and inspired since their beginnings. This course examines the notion of games with a purpose, specifically games that have goals in addition to, or other than, entertainment. This course will cover educational, health, art, political, subversive, religious, advertising and other types of games.  This is a theory-driven practice class in which students will learn while making 2D games that seek to have an impact.
 

 

COURSE OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Design a number of small games with a purpose
• Explain how games can influence individuals and society
• Work in a small group to develop a complete 2D game
• Locate and explore non-commercially available games

 

TEACHING AND LEARNING METHODS

As a theory-based design course, this class is designed to be as much about doing, learning to do, and learning through doing as much as it is learning about alternative games. There will be readings and playings of games and text as well as the development of a videogame with a purpose. Students are encouraged to be playful with the materials, the topics, the course, and their identities (many of us are still figuring out who we are as game developers). To do so requires both participation and respect for one another. As we cover a wide variety of games and development practices, some of it will be new to everyone. Stick with it and with each other and we will learn about alternative games and alternative ways of making games together.
 

UNIVERSITY POLICIES

1. The Americans with Disabilities Act. The University of Utah seeks to provide equal access to its programs, services, and activities for people with disabilities. If you will need accommodations in this class, reasonable prior notice needs to be given to the Center for Disability Services, 162 Olpin Union Building, (801) 581-5020. CDS will work with you and the instructor to make arrangements for accommodations. All written information in this course can be made available in an alternative format with prior notification to the Center for Disability Services. There may be classmates in need of extra assistance as well. Please be accommodating and respectful as we navigate this together!

2. Addressing Sexual Misconduct. Title IX makes it clear that violence and harassment based on sex and gender (which Includes sexual orientation and gender identity/expression) is a civil rights offense subject to the same kinds of accountability and the same kinds of support applied to offenses against other protected categories such as race, national origin, color, religion, age, status as a person with a disability, veteran’s status or genetic information.  If you or someone you know has been harassed or assaulted, you are encouraged to report it to the Title IX Coordinator in the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action, 135 Park Building, 801-581-8365, or the Office of the Dean of Students, 270 Union Building, 801-581-7066.  For support and confidential consultation, contact the Center for Student Wellness, 426 SSB, 801-581-7776.  To report to the police, contact the Department of Public Safety, 801-585- 2677(COPS).

3. Student Ethics and Conduct. The Student Code is spelled out in the Student Handbook. Students have specific rights in the classroom as detailed in Article III of the code. The code also specifies proscribed conduct (Article XI) that involves cheating on tests, plagiarism, and/or collusion, as well as fraud, theft, etc. Students should read the Code carefully to become aware of these issues. Students will receive sanctions for violating one or more of these proscriptions. The faculty will enforce the code. Students have the right to appeal such action to the Student Behavior Committee: http://regulations.utah.edu/academics/6-400.php

 

4. Wellness Statement. Personal concerns such as stress, anxiety, relationship difficulties, depression, cross-cultural differences, etc., can interfere with a student’s ability to succeed and thrive at the University of Utah. For helpful resources, contact the Center for student Wellness; wellness.utah.edu; 801-581-7776.

 

5. Content Accommodations. Acknowledging that participating in a classroom means participating with multiple cultures, I cannot and do not attempt to utilize content that will not conflict with the values of every or some students, and I do not offer content accommodations. If you find any of the content of this course offensive you may opt not to participate. If you choose not to participate in a section of the class that is worth points, you will not receive them. http://regulations.utah.edu/academics/6-100.php
 

COURSE POLICIES

Attendance: There will be a large amount of theoretical and practical information provided in each class. Attendance will be necessary in order to achieve success in this class. Unexcused absences will affect the participation grade. Life happens. The instructor is very understanding and fair with proper notification of an absence due to circumstances beyond control. That said, attendance will be graded and expected, using Game of the Day.

Participation: Participation is required. Education is about more than knowledge transference. Socialization (learning the cultural norms and mores of a community, in this case game developers), soft skills (teamwork, verbal and textual communication, and presentation skills), and production oriented hard skills are all major components of this course. In this class, participating means completing assigned readings, game play-throughs, and group presentations.

Late Work: Generally, I don’t accept late work, because neither will your future employers. In extreme cases, I may offer accommodations, but unless otherwise negotiated, please plan on turning everything in on time. Students who participate in officially sanctioned University activities (e.g., marching band, debate, athletics) will be permitted to turn work in early and/or make up assignments without penalty. Official absences must be documented at least one week prior to the absence.

Food and Drink: Yes. Feel free to consume food and drink in class in a manner you and your peers find respectful. While it is difficult to know or manage the diets of all students, I also ask that you avoid eating or bringing to class the most dangerous of allergens. Please no peanuts, shellfish, or bees in the class. 

Canvas: This course will utilize Canvas. All course related materials will be there unless the instructor informs you otherwise. I may send additional urgent updates regarding class-cancellations, etc. While these announcements will be naturally forwarded to your email inbox I HIGHLY recommend you regularly check the canvas class page. At the same time, please don't assume everything you will need to know to do well in the class will be covered in an announcement.

 
ASSIGNMENTS

Individual Homework Assignments

The assignments in this group are to be worked on individually. They focus on establishing an understanding of alternative games, as well as help me assess your individual contributions to the team project. Please note, any sharing of written work or other content between team members, or un-cited use of published content will be considered plagiarism.

 

Game Production Milestones

The assignments in this group are to be worked on as a group. Each milestone has two components, a plan created at the start of the production and the build of the game at the end of the sprint. These milestones are designed to encourage accurate planning and reward significant progress on the project.

 

Alt Game Spotlights

These one-time presentations are to be worked on as a group. Students will work together to prepare and present a 30-minute presentation on their assigned alt game topic, providing insights into their background, notable games in the genre, key features, important figures/people, etc. This may feature videos, slides, gameplay demos, or other materials, but it should be primarily focused on educating and exposing peers to games and genres they probably aren't familiar with. If I feel like you're just filling time to fill time, I'll ask you to end your presentation early and you'll lose partial credit. Team members should each contribute to the presentation in a meaningful way. If I find out that a team member didn't contribute, I reserve the right to dock scores individually rather than as a group. If for some reason you miss your assigned presentation date, I will ask you to submit a brief synopsis of the presentation materials you were supposed to present, and in addition, you'll need to join a later group and present with them. 

 

Final Game and Media/Wrap Kit

The game will be graded based on completeness and polish of the final project. A portion of the grade will be for the media/wrap kit materials accompanying the game. These will be discussed in detail during the last module of the semester. 
 
Submitting Assignments

The bulk of the assignments will be submitted using the file upload feature on the specific assignment page or the discussion board. For large submission files (game builds, etc.) you may use Box, Dropbox or Google Drive. However, you must submit a link to the shared folder through Canvas; it's not my responsibility to go hunting for assignments!
 

 

SOFTWARE AND RESOURCES

We will be using Gamemaker Studio for the development of our games. You may choose whether to use GM:S 1.4, GM:S 2, or another 2D engine, but all practical demonstrations will be based in Gamemaker, which is available at https://account.yoyogames.com/downloads. If you already have a GM:S 1.X license, you can download it for free. If you don't have a license, you will have to download GM:S 2.X and purchase the Creator License which allows you to export projects. Whichever engine you choose needs to be able to create either a playable executable file or a hosted web-based game. I will be leading in-class tutorials which cover the basic functionality of the engine. However, you will need to research and find solutions to the obstacles you face on your own. The Gamemaker community forums and documentation are fantastic resources, as are creator platforms like YouTube. If you need specific suggestions on tutorials to watch, check out Shaun Spaulding and Heartbeast, who both have hundreds of really accessible tutorials and demo projects. I will regularly suggest additional tutorials on the specific coding walkthroughs we address in class, so you can further your knowledge or get more information.

 

EVALUATION

40% - Individual Homework Assignments
15% - Game Production Milestones
25% - Final Game & Publishing Materials
20% - Attendance & Class Activities
 

Grading Scale

Grades are based on the following scale, and may be finalized on an adaptive curve. Grades in Canvas may not necessarily reflect final course grade.

 

A        94 – 100                

A-       90 - 93.99              

B+      87 - 89.99              

B        84 - 86.99              

B-       80 - 83.99 

Etc.

 

COURSE SCHEDULE

Week 1

Jan. 7: Class Intro, Syllabus, Schedule & Readings, Alt Games Overview

Jan. 9: Game Engines as Tools, Introduction To Game Maker

 

Week 2

Jan. 14: Alt Game Deep Dive, Examples & Discussion

Jan. 16: Avatar Control: Movement, Collisions & Variable Tracking

 

Week 3

Jan. 21: Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Jan. 23: Alt Game Spotlight, Reading Discussion, Developing your Alt Game Pitch, Obstacles & Enemies, Win & Lose Conditions, Room Transitions

 

Week 4

Jan. 28: Alt Game Spotlight, Pitch Discussion Activity

Jan. 30: Player Feedback (GUI, particles, sound), Building your Game

 

Week 5

Feb. 4: Team Formation & Project Planning & Brainstorming Session

Feb. 6: Sprite Creation: Content Creation Tools & Pipeline.

 

Week 6

Feb. 11: Alt Game Spotlight, Reading Discussion, Paper Prototype Activity

Feb. 13: Sprite Animation: Animation Workflows, Sprite Sheet

 

Week 7

Feb. 18: President's Day

Feb. 20: Alt Game Spotlight, Progress Reviews, Art Implementation: Animation Implementation, Workflow Tips & Tricks

 

Week 8

Feb. 25: Alt Game Spotlight, Reading Discussion, Project Work Session

Feb. 27: Project Presentations

 

Week 9

Mar. 4: Alt Game Spotlight, Digital Prototype Overview, Digital Prototype Planning

Mar. 6: Game Maker Source Control, Project Work Session

 

Week 10

Mar. 11: Spring Break

Mar. 13: Spring Break

 

Week 11

Mar. 18: Alt Game Spotlight, Reading Discussion, Project Work Session

Mar. 20: Work Session, Progress Reviews

 

Week 12

Mar. 25: Alt Game Spotlight, Project Work Session

Mar. 27: Digital Prototype Playtest

 

Week 13

Apr. 1: Alt Game Spotlight, Reading Discussion, Final Build Planning

Apr. 3: Final Build Work Session

 

Week 14

Apr. 8: Alt Game Spotlight, Progress Reviews

Apr. 10: Final Build Work Session

 

Week 15

Apr. 15: Reading Discussion, Progress Reviews

Apr. 18: Final Build Work Session

 

Week 16

Apr. 22: Final Build Playtest