Art and Design: Games and Playable Media
2016-17 General Catalog
Digital Arts Research Center
Room 302
(831) 459-2272
http://games.arts.ucsc.edu
Lower-Division Courses
80G. Visual Communication and Interaction Design. F
Survey of the basics of visual communication and interaction design, focusing on communicating designs of interactive systems. Covers techniques from a breadth of visual communication traditions; how to choose, use, and innovate; and how to structure dialogue around them. Students are billed a materials fee. (General Education Code(s): IM.) E. Swensen
80H. History of Digital Games. W
Surveys the history of digital games from open "university games" through the home console, PC, and contemporary platforms, and on to "indie" and art games. Throughout, the course locates connections between technology, marketing, and play culture. (Formerly Art 80H.) (General Education Code(s): PE-T.) H. Lowood
80I. Foundations of Play. S
Understanding the foundations of play through reading influential texts; in-class lectures and activities; designing and "playtesting" games; and the ethnographies of players in the physical world. Students are billed a materials fee. (Formerly Art 80I.) (General Education Code(s): PE-H.) E. Swensen, R. Hunicke
Upper-Division Courses
118. Digital Drawing/Painting for Game Design. F,W,S
Supports students working as artists in an interdisciplinary collaboration with project teams led by senior students in computer game design (the yearlong Computer Science 170 series). Instruction includes techniques, tools, and concepts of drawing and painting in a digital environment oriented toward the context of computer games. Coursework is composed of projects to develop individual ideas and skills, as well as offering productively engaged participation in a collaborative game-design team. Students are billed a materials fee. Enrollment restricted to art and art and design: computer game design majors; admission by permission of the instructor. (Formerly Art 118.) May be repeated for credit. E. Gregor
120. Game Design Experience. S
Teaches the concrete skills associated with making a digital game, from start to finish. Activities include establishing a team, concepting, storyboarding, prototyping, producing, and testing a game for release. Students are organized into groups and work together to create and produce a playable game. Students are billed a materials fee. Prerequisite(s): courses 80H or 80I; and Computer Science 12B and 12M and Computational Media 80K and Film and Digital Media 80V. Concurrent enrollment in Computational Media 120 is required. (General Education Code(s): PR-E.) R. Hunicke
145. Non-Digital Game Design. *
Looks specifically at the design of non-digital games. Surveys a variety of game types and designs. Students prototype card or board game, culminating in a final project that engages players on a socially relevant topic. R. Hunicke
170. Game Design Studio I. *
Students create novel, interesting game concepts and outline and polish a game pitch for their yearlong project, starting with concept ideation and storyboarding to prototyping and presenting the game idea. This course is part one of the art and design: games and playable media capstone requirement. Prerequisite(s): satisfaction of the Entry Level Writing and Composition requirements; course 120; and one course from the game design/human-computer interaction electives. Enrollment restricted to senior art and design: games and playable media majors. R. Hunicke
171. Game Design Studio II (7 credits). *
Students craft the core loop of their yearlong game project. Students build the game, examine player feedback, and repeat the process to make the game better. This course places particular emphasis on advanced production techniques for working in teams, as well as software engineering practices for software design, software testing, and build management. This course is part two of the art and design, games and playable media capstone requirement. Prerequisite(s): course 170, and two courses from the game design/human-computer interaction electives, and one course from the media creation electives. Enrollment restricted to senior art and design: games and playable media majors. R. Hunicke
172. Game Design Studio III (7 credits). *
Students scope and polish their final game designs. Students work towards releasing one specific game platform while coordinating across disciplinary boundaries to create and integrate all the necessary code, art, animation, and sound assets for their game. This course is part III of the art and design: games and playable media capstone requirement. Prerequisite(s): course 171, and three courses from the game design/human-computer interaction electives, and two courses from the media creation electives. Enrollment restricted to senior art and design: games and playable media majors. R. Hunicke
179. Game Design Practicum. F
Provides the opportunity to practice the creation of novel computer games. Students learn a new game-making technology, then create three games using this technology. (Also offered as Computational Media 179. Students cannot receive credit for both courses.) Prerequisite(s): Three courses from the following: Art 15-40 or Computational Media 25 or Computer Science 25. May be repeated for credit. (General Education Code(s): PR-C.) The Staff
Revised: 09/01/16
