Computational Media: Videogame Development
IDEA 350
Spring 2025
| Section:
01
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| Crosslisting:
FILM 250, COMP 350, CIS 350 |
| Course Cluster and Certificates: Integrated Design, Engineering & Applied Science Minor |
This course examines the interplay of art and science in the development of contemporary videogames using the Unity development platform and commercial artistic game tools. Students develop a comprehensive understanding of computational media, including legal and commercial aspects, combined with hands-on experience in a creative process that integrates design, art, and coding. There will be discussions with invited industry leaders in various subject areas. Students will have the opportunity to work as part of development teams and create working prototypes to better understand the challenges and rewards of producing graphic interactive software within a professional context. |
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| Credit: 2 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
NSM IDEA |
| Course Format: Lecture / Discussion | Grading Mode: Graded |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (COMP)(EDST)(FILM-MN)(FILM)(IDEA-MN)(IDEA)(IDEA-COMP)(NS&B)(STS) |
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Past Enrollment Probability: Not Available |
| SECTION 01 | | Special Attributes: CQC |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
Adams, Ernest and Christopher Weaver [Tech. Ed]. FUNDAMENTALS OF GAME DESIGN. Second Ed. Berkeley: New Riders Division, Pearson Education, 2010. ISBN-13: 978-0-321-64337-7 Bates, Bob and Andre LaMothe, eds. GAME DESIGN: THE ART AND BUSINESS OF CREATING GAMES. Boston: Premier Press, 2001. ISBN: 1-59200-493-8 Laurel, Brenda. UTOPIAN ENTREPRENEUR. MIT Press, 2001. ISBN: 9780262122443 Stone, Allucquère Rosanne. THE WAR OF DESIRE AND TECHNOLOGY AT THE CLOSE OF THE MECHANICAL AGE. Cambridge, MIT Press, 1998. ISBN: 0262691892
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Examinations and Assignments:
Interpretive questions (15%), paper (10%), mid-term report (25%), final project (40%). |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
For your POI request application to be considered:
1. Submit your POI request(s) through WesPortal for your preferred section(s) of IDEA350
2. Submit a new/updated entry for the upcoming semester to the IDEA350 POI Response Form found at the following link: https://forms.gle/1aGsFctsos9zoj9h8
3. Due to the working prototype requirement of the course, anticipate evenings and weekends for lab time. In addition, all students are expected to participate in an intensive Hackathon session that runs the third weekend of each Spring term starting Friday at 1800 and ending Sunday at 1800. There will be one or two field trips to visit local schools with younger children in order to obtain empirical feedback of actual use to compare against assumptions of use. These feedback exercises are an important component for students to better understand and appreciate the importance of field research when designing for a specific audience. Students will need to commit a significant amount of time outside of class to participate in group meetings during the process of development and completion of class demo projects. Self-directed teams meet regularly to stay on a tight development schedule. A minimum expectation for such additional time will be no less than 7 hours per week. |
| Instructor(s): Weaver,Christopher Times: ..T.R.. 01:20PM-02:40PM; Location: SCIE184; |
Permission of Instructor Required
Enrollment capacity: 20 | Permission of instructor approval will be granted by the instructor during pre-registration through the Electronic Portfolio. Click "Add to My Courses" and "To request a POI electronically, click here" to submit your request. |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 4 | 1st Ranked: 3 | 2nd Ranked: 0 | 3rd Ranked: 0 | 4th Ranked: 1 | Unranked: 0 |
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