ITM21012 Introduction to Game Programming (Spring 2016)

The course is connected to the following study programs

This course is compulsory for

• Bachelor in Digital Media Production
• Bachelor in Digital Media

This course is elective for other study programmes.

Prerequisites

The course requires knowledge equivalent to the course Introduction to Programming.

The student's learning outcomes after completing the course

Knowledge

On completion of the course, the student has:

• gained an understanding of what makes games interesting and entertaining
• gained knowledge of basic game development
• have knowledge of game programming with OOP

Skills

On completion of the course, the student can

• plan, design and document a simple game
• programme small to medium-sized games in an object-oriented language

General competence

On completion of the course, the student can:

• develop applications where there are multiple participants
• understand the purpose of planning and documentation before starting implementation

Content

The course is divided into three parts:

Part 1: Graphic elements

• Drawing (text and colours)
• Animation
• Building a sound structure for the graphics/animation
• Multimedia animations (including sound, images, video)
• Interactivity (control the time line)

Part 2: Programming

• OOP and basic programming elements
• Control graphics/animations with programming code
• Store and retrieve data

Part 3: Game development theory

• The emphasis in the teaching will be on Part 2.

Forms of teaching and learning

The course structure is such that the first part is intensive, with lectures being given on these three parts. Thereafter, the emphasis is placed on working on the project and entails few lectures.

The course is heavily reliant on students finding and familiarising themselves with more in-depth information on the topics that are covered and that are necessary in the respective projects.

Examination

Development project in groups

The students undertake a development project in groups for a game in an object-oriented programming language/environment that is chosen at the start of the course. The project also includes documentation of both the game and the development process.

Individual grades are awarded. Grading scale A?F.

In the case of resit exams or rescheduled exams, the content of the development project must be agreed with the course instructor. Resit exams and rescheduled exams may be held in new groups or individually. This is decided by the course instructor on an individual basis.

Course evaluation

This course is evaluated as follows:

• Mid-semester evaluation (optional)
• Final evaluation (compulsory)

The course instructor prepares a course report on the basis of student feedback and on his/her own experiences of the course. Course reports are discussed with the Committee for Study Quality at the Faculty of Computer Sciences.

Literature

Web resources and handouts are available on the course website.