Designing Web Based Games: If I taught a class here is the syllabus I would use
Introduction to Web Based Games (working title)
This is an introduction course to web game design, studying the art, technology, and science involved in the creation and development of video games.
The course covers
· Web game history
· game design theory
· design of computer-based games
· delivery systems
· development cycle, case studies
· ethical and social issues
· emerging technologies and trends
This course emphasizes the understanding and the interdisciplinary nature of web game design.
The initial training component is not Silverlight oriented.
Text: Blogs, online articles as assigned after first class session
Syllabus:
Week 1:
· Lecture:
o Web Game History
· Assignment:
o Review web based game
Week 2:
· Lecture:
o Game Design Theory: Gathering requirements for design
· Assignment:
o Create requirements for building a game
Week 3:
· Lecture:
o Game Design Theory: Design
· Assignment:
o Utilizing the requirements, design your game on paper
Week 4:
· Lecture:
o Game Design Theory: Playability
· Student presentations: Review of web based games
· Assignment:
o Generate a playability survey
o Utilize the survey with statistics
o Implement a plan to fix issues
Week 5:
· Lecture:
o Web based games Infrastructure design (Delivery systems)
· Student presentations:
o Requirements for a web based game
· Assignment:
o Generate a request for proposal for implementation of an Web Farm Infrastructure for a Game
Week 6:
· Lecture:
o Managing Development cycles
· Student presentations:
o Playability survey and results of playability
· Assignment:
o Paper on management tools
Week 7:
· Midterm
· Student presentations:
o Management tools
Week 8:
· Lecture:
o Demonstration of a complete management cycle
· Assignment:
o Student teams work on deconstruction of an existing web based game
Week 9:
· Lecture: Delivery systems
· Student presentations:
o Web Based Game deconstruction
· Assignment:
o
Week 10:
· Lecture:
o Case study of Allegiance (or similar)
· Student presentations:
o Deconstructing Web based games
· Assignment:
o Continue to deconstruct the existing web based game
Week 11:
· Lecture:
o Ethics and social considerations
· Assignment:
o Paper on the ethics of game design: Is violence really bad?
Week 12:
· Lecture:
o Social Considerations: Visual and aural considerations
· Student presentation:
o Ethics
· Assignment:
o Paper on how to design to minimize the impact of visual or aural issues
Week 13:
· Lecture:
o Emerging Technology and Trends
· Assignment:
o Students can choose to build a simple web animation or write a paper on how to do statistical analysis of survey results of playability surveys using ANOVA or Weeble functions
Week 14:
· Final
· Turn in final assignments