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What is the IGDA?

International Game Developers Association

Special Interest Group

Mission: To create a community resource that will strengthen the academic membership of the IGDA while enhancing the education of future and current game developers.

How we do itlistserv

wiki

conferences & professional development

community

curriculum framework

http://www.igda.org/education

Curriculum Knowledge Base

Education Summit

History2000 - 1st academic summit at GDC

2002 - 2nd academic summit at GDC

2003 - 1st version of the framework released (v2.8 beta)

2006 - Creating the SIG

2007 - collecting an archive of course outlines and syllabi to guide the next revision / international outreach

2008 - 2nd version of the framework released (v3.2 beta) at GDC

Goals of the Framework

Provide a conceptual guide to game-related educational programs

Describe the knowledge areas & practical skills required

Define a set of Core Topics

The Framework

Does not expect you to do EVERYthing

No single curriculum can apply to the vast number and types of institutions that have/plan game programs

We do not suggest specific courses or degree requirements

Guiding Principles

Shared Identity

Fields of Study

Collaboration & Shared Vocabulary

Theory & Practice

Living/Evolving Document

Practical SkillsSpeaking & Communication

Writing

Collaboration

Working in large teams (4 or more)

Working with people outside of their area of expertise

Respecting those disciplines

What are Games?

A game is an activity with rules. It is a form of play often but not always involving conflict, either with other players, with game itself, or with randomness/fate/luck. Most games have goals, but not all. Most games have defined start and end points, but not all. Most games involve decision making on the part of the player, but not all.

and so....

A videogame is a game that uses a digital video screen of some kind, in some way.

Game Design

Game design is the process of crafting a system of play in which players’ actions have meaning in the context of the game environment. [Salen and Zimmerman, Rules of Play, 2004]

Game Development

Game development is a process that involves the cooperation of technical disciplines like software engineering and creative disciplines like art and music to implement a game design in a playable real-world format [Rabin, Introduction to Game Development, 2005]

Game Studies

Game studies deals with conceptual basis and vocabulary used to study and analyze games. Related to game audiences, game history, videogame history, technology/platform history, game criticism, games for educational and instructional purposes.

Core Topics

Core TopicsCritical Game Studies

Games & Society

Game Design

Game Programming

Visual Design

Audio Design

Interactive Storytelling

Game Production

Business of Gaming

Critical Game Studies

Criticism, Analysis & History of Electronic & NON-Electronic Games

Approaches from history, literature, media studies and design. Goal: develop and refine a critical vocabulary for articulating the aesthetics of games.

Games & Society

Understanding how games reflect and construct individuals and groups as well as how games reflect and are constructed by individuals and groups.

Game Design

Principles and methodologies behind the rules and play of games. Fundamental ideas behind gameplay, storytelling, challenges, basic interactive design, interface design, information design and world interaction.

Game Programming

Aspects of traditional computer science and software engineering that also address the technical aspects of gaming. This includes physics, mathematics, programming techniques, algorithm design, game specific programming and the technical aspects of game testing.

Math & Science Techniques

Style & Design Principles

Information Design

Game Engine Design

Prototyping

Programming Teams

Design/Technology Synthesis

System Architecture for Real Time Game Environments and Simulations

Computer Architecture

Tools Construction

Graphics Programming

Rendering

Animation

Sound & Audio Programming

Artificial Intelligence

Networks

Game Logic

Play Analysis

Visual Design

Designing, creating and analyzing the visual components of games. Fundamentals of traditional (painting, drawing and sculpture), communication (illustration, typography and graphic design) and time-based media (animation, filmmaking) design that study the history, analysis and production.

Audio Design

Designing & Creating Sound. Range of theoretical and practical audio related areas such as: music theory, history, composition, recording, 3D sound processing and generative audio structures.

Interactive Storytelling

Traditional storytelling and the challenges of interactive narrative. Such as: narrative theory, character development, plot, dialog, back-story as well as experimental approaches to storytelling in literature, theater and film (with relevance to games).

Game Production

Practical challenges of managing the development of games. Games are complex and focus on collaborative efforts. Learning how to manage the technical challenges, design documentation, content creation, team roles & dynamics, risk analysis as well as people and process management are not necessarily intuitive and have to be experienced.

Business of Gaming

What type of student does industry want?

What type of student does industry want?

T

TBreadth

Versed in all aspects of the industry, be it their subject of expertise

or that of members of their team

TBreadth

Having a sense of history of the medium

TBreadth

Studies the classics as well as modern literature to understand the culture

TBreadth

Has a passion for videogames and has the ability to collaborate

TDepth

Top in area of expertise, well read, honed their skills.at least one

Create Portfolios

Create Portfolios

Special Thank You

Yusuf Pisan

Magy Seif El-Nasr

Tracy Fullerton

Thank You

Susan Gold

goldfile@gmail.com

http://www.igda.org/education