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Game Design (INFO30009)
Undergraduate level 3Points: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
To learn more, visit 2023 Course and subject delivery.
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
Semester 1
Assoc. Prof. Martin Gibbs
Overview
Availability | Semester 1 |
---|---|
Fees | Look up fees |
AIMS
Digital games are one of the largest entertainment industries, increasingly pervasive within society, and at the forefront of emerging technologies with respect to user experience and online social interaction. This subject will develop understanding and practical knowledge of the fundamental principles of game design, interactivity and immersion. It will examine how these techniques are increasingly being applied in contexts such as health, learning, web-design and in emerging virtual reality experiences. The subject will explore the deeper conceptual foundations of the theory of games and their use beyond the digital realm. Students will learn the underlying principles of how to design games, what games are and how they engage players. They will apply this knowledge to the analysis of games, the study of play, and the persuasive, transformative and educative potential of gaming experiences.
INDICATIVE CONTENT
Fundamentals of game design; interactive techniques of gaming interfaces; social and collaborative techniques of game design; online game communities; trends in the games industry; mobile gaming; methods for studying play; persuasive games; gamification applications.
Intended learning outcomes
On completion of this subject, students should be able to:
- Apply the basic methodologies and conceptual skills of game design
- Value how games create meaningful play experiences for player
- Have knowledge of the changing landscapes of contemporary gaming, including mobile, virtual reality and augmented reality gaming experiences
- Articulate the motivational, transformative and powerful potentials for play and other ludic experiences in persuasive game design
- Apply qualitative and quantitative techniques in player experience research to critically analyse the design of games and other immersive interactive experiences
Generic skills
On completion of this subject, students should have developed the following generic skills:
- The ability to undertake problem identification, formulation and solution
- The capacity to solve problems, including the collection and evaluation of information
- The capacity for critical and independent thought and reflection
- The ability to communicate designs and design thinking
- Profound respect for truth and intellectual integrity, and for the ethics of scholarship
An expectation of the need to undertake lifelong learning, and the capacity to do so.
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
Code | Name | Teaching period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
COMP10003 | Media Computation | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
OR
Code | Name | Teaching period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
COMP10001 | Foundations of Computing |
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Summer Term (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
OR
Demonstrable equivalent knowledge of computing
Corequisites
Non-allowed subjects
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Assessment
Description | Timing | Percentage |
---|---|---|
One individual written report critically evaluating a contemporary game (1000 words), identifying specific design goals and applying player experience evaluation techniques to assess the results. Approximately 20-24 hours of work. Due in week 5. Addresses Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO's) 1, 2 & 4.
| Week 5 | 20% |
A group project to design a novel game in teams of two-three. Assessment tasks include, projection and demonstration of prototypes, a short video, and written reports inlcuding the results of playtesting. 1000 words per student. Requiring approximately 40-48 hours of work. Addressess ILO's 1 to 5.
| Week 12 | 40% |
Take-home exam: A written take home exam (1500 words). Approximately 30-36 hours of work per student, including preparation throughout semester. Addresses ILO's 2, 3 & 5.
| End of semester | 30% |
Participation in workshop activities throughout the semester. Addresses ILO's 1 to 5. | Throughout the semester | 10% |
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Dates & times
- Semester 1
Coordinator Martin Gibbs Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 48 hours, comprising 2 x 1-hour lectures and 1 x 2-hour workshop per week Total time commitment 170 hours Teaching period 27 February 2023 to 28 May 2023 Last self-enrol date 10 March 2023 Census date 31 March 2023 Last date to withdraw without fail 5 May 2023 Assessment period ends 23 June 2023 Semester 1 contact information
Assoc. Prof. Martin Gibbs
Time commitment details
170 hours
What do these dates mean
Visit this webpage to find out about these key dates, including how they impact on:
- Your tuition fees, academic transcript and statements.
- And for Commonwealth Supported students, your:
- Student Learning Entitlement. This applies to all students enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP).
Subjects withdrawn after the census date (including up to the ‘last day to withdraw without fail’) count toward the Student Learning Entitlement.
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
There are no specifically prescribed or recommended texts for this subject.
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Major User Experience Design - Breadth options
This subject is available as breadth in the following courses:
- Bachelor of Arts
- Bachelor of Biomedicine
- Bachelor of Commerce
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Acting)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Animation)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Film and Television)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Music Theatre)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Production)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Screenwriting)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Theatre)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Visual Art)
- Bachelor of Music
- Bachelor of Science
- Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
Additional information for this subject
Subject coordinator approval required.
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
This subject is available to students studying at the University from eligible overseas institutions on exchange and study abroad. Students are required to satisfy any listed requirements, such as pre- and co-requisites, for enrolment in the subject.
Last updated: 31 January 2024