Syllabus

GMAP 348: Experimental Games /

CS 347: Experimental Game Design

Winter Term 2013-2014

Meeting Time: Tuesdays and Thursdays 12:30 – 13:50, URBN Center 250

Instructor: Prof. Stefan Rank [stefan.rank (AT) drexel.edu]

Office Hours: by appointment

Course Description

Video games are a big business. From the inauspicious beginnings with the coin-operated Pong with two square sticks for paddles and a pixelated square for a ball, we have come to near photorealistic graphics in games that require hundreds of people working 2-3 years to make. As the financial stake for making games has continued to rise, the industry has regressed into placing safe bets on sequels of proven successful games versus exploring new ideas and innovations in game design. To be fair, while new and innovative games do come out occasionally, those are the exception rather than the rule.

The main purpose of this course is to explore new ideas and innovative gameplay through constraints:

1. the project group is limited to 2-3 people, and

2. the project cycle for each game, from concept to implementation, is limited to 2 weeks.

In addition, at the beginning of each game project cycle, the project groups are provided with an abstract concept or an idea, such as “love” or “fragile”, that the game must embody.

Learning Outcomes

• Understand the difference between experimental games and commercial games

• Appreciate the role of constraints in fomenting creativity and experimentation in games

• Prepare and write experimental games design documents

• Develop and implement experimental games based on the design documents

• Prepare and write experimental games postmortems

Format

This is largely a studio-based course and classroom sessions will serve mostly to report on project progress and to provide feedback on classmates' projects. However, short lectures may be provided each week covering topics such as: Understanding Fun, Brainstorming, Paper Prototyping, and also looking at and examining current topics in independent and experimental games, such as Augmented Reality Games, Alternate Reality Games, etc.

Texts:

• [Fullerton 2008] T. Fullerton: “Game Design Workshop: A Playcentric Approach to Creating Innovative Games”, CRC Press, 2nd edition, 2008.

  • [Gray et al. 2005] K. Gray, K. Gabler, S. Shodhan, M. Kucic: "How to Prototype a Game in Under 7 Days", Gamasutra, October 2005.

Submission

For each project, there are three deliverables:

(1) Project Concept Document, (2) Project Beta, and (3) Project Final.

The deadlines for the deliverables will be announced at the beginning of class.

Requirements and Grading Policy

• Class Participation: Your class participation grade will be based on being prepared, asking good questions, etc. Both quality and quantity of your participation in class and in group discussions will be evaluated. Attendance is mandatory.

• Late Policy: All work must be submitted on time. Any work 1 day late will be penalized 15% and 2 days late will be penalized 30%. No work will be accepted beyond 2 days.

• Academic Integrity: For the benefit of those who may not have been told before, cheating or plagiarism are violations of both personal and academic integrity. Such violations are punishable with a failing grade on the work and may also result in a failing grade for the course and disciplinary actions on the part of the University.

Grading System

• 15% - Participation

• 85% - Projects

  • Project 0 = 10% (5 concept, 5 beta, no final)

  • Project 1 = 15% (4 concept, 5 beta, 6 final)

  • Project 2 = 15% (4 concept, 5 beta, 6 final)

  • Project 3 = 20% (5 concept, 6 beta, 9 final)

  • Project 4 = 25% (6 concept, 8 beta, 11 final)

A+: 100-97, A: 94-96, A-: 90-93, B+: 87-89, B: 84-86, B-: 80-83,

C+: 77-79, C: 74-76, C-: 70-73, D+: 67-69, D: 60-66, F: 0-59

Schedule (may be updated during the term)

Drexel University Code of Conduct

Academic Integrity, Plagiarism, and Cheating Policy

http://drexel.edu/provost/policies/academic_dishonesty.asp

Drexel University Student Handbook

http://drexel.edu/studentaffairs/community_standards/studentHandbook/

Students with Disability Statement

http://drexel.edu/ods/student_reg.html

Course Drop Policy

http://drexel.edu/provost/policies/course_drop.asp

Course Change Policy

The instructor reserves the right to change the course during the term at his or her discretion. These changes will be communicated to students via the syllabus, website announcement, or email.