Games and Playable Media
2016-17 General Catalog
Baskin School of Engineering
(831) 459-2158
http://www.soe.ucsc.edu
Faculty | Program Statement | Computational Media Course Descriptions
Graduate Courses
210. Game Art Intensive. F
Teaches the basic vocabulary, concepts, and practices of creating 2D and 3D art assets for games, as well as their management and integration into game engines. Includes sprites, models, textures, animations, and an introduction to effects. Enrollment restricted to games and playable media graduate students; others by interview. E. Unger
215. Audio Direction. W
Introduces fundamentals of digital audio and its implementation into a game project. Explores elements of acoustic audio therapy, musical theory, and digital audio theory, coupled with hands-on creation. Students work with audio software, synthesis, plug-in processing and microphones to develop and create an audio direction. Enrollment restricted to games and playable media graduate students. The Staff
221. Professional Development for Game Makers I (2 credits). F
First course in a three-course sequence covering the game industry, game jobs, current thinking on games, and becoming a professional game maker. Focuses on presenting yourself and your ideas. Includes elements of writing, speaking, and designing professional communication. Enrollment restricted to games and playable media graduate students; others by interview. M. John, E. Whitehead
222. Professional Development for Game Makers II (2 credits). W
Second course in a three-course sequence covering the game industry, game jobs, current thinking on games, and becoming a professional game maker. Focus on design considerations and methodologies employed in the game industry with emphasis placed upon the student's ability to develop designs beyond mere ideas through to execution. Enrollment restricted to games and playable media graduate students. M. John, E. Whitehead
223. Professional Development for Games Makers III (2 credits). S
The third course in a three-course sequence covering the game industry, game jobs, current thinking on games, and becoming a professional game maker. Focuses on the business of the game industry, including funding, corporation types and formation, budgeting and burn rates, pitch decks, and marketing. Enrollment restricted to games and playable media graduate students. M. John, E. Whitehead
230. Fundamentals of Game Engineering. F
Deep introduction to technologies used in the construction of computer games. Principles of 2D game engine design, including architecture, object-oriented design patterns, collision detection, particle systems. Also examines artificial intelligence techniques including pathfinding, state machines, and behavior trees. Enrollment restricted to games and playable media graduate students. E. Whitehead
270. Game and Playable Media Studio I. F
First course in a three-course sequence covering the fundamentals and advanced topics in game and playable-media development. Focuses on developing innovative project concepts using methods ranging from prototyping to design documents, planning, and initiating project development. Enrollment restricted to games and playable media graduate students; others by interview. E. Whitehead, M. John, N. Wardrip-Fruin
271. Games and Play Media Studio II. W
The second course in a three-course sequence in which students work in teams to develop an innovative computer game. Coursework involves multiple aspects of game production, including agile methodology; game and level design; development of code to implement game behavior; art direction; and audio design. Students receive frequent critiques on emerging game projects. Prerequisite(s): course 270. Enrollment restricted to games and playable media graduate students. E. Whitehead, M. John, N. Wardrip-Fruin
272. Game and Playable Media Studio III. S
The third course in a four-course sequence in which students work in teams to develop an innovative computer game. Coursework involves multiple aspects of game production including agile methodology; game and level design; development of code to implement game behavior; art direction; and audio design. Students receive frequent critiques on emerging game projects. Enrollment restricted to graduate students in the games and playable media program. E. Whitehead, M. John, N. Wardrip-Fruin
273. Game Production Intensive (10 credits). S
Fourth course in a four-course sequence in which students work in teams to launch an innovative computer game. Coursework involves multiple aspects of game production, including agile methodology, game and level design, development of code to implement game behavior, art direction, and audio design. The emphasis is on interacting with game media to publicize the game. Students receive frequent critiques on emerging game projects. Enrollment restricted to graduate students in the games and playable media program. E. Whitehead, M. John, N. Wardrip-Fruin
Revised: 09/01/16
