IGB100 Game Studio 1: Mini-Game Development

Unit Outline: Semester 1 2024, Gardens Point, Internal

Overview

In Game Studio 1, you will begin to apply your emerging discipline knowledge within small scale game development activities. Game Studio units are fundamental to the BGIE, and focus on the integration of design principles with practical development skills. In this first studio unit, you will have the opportunity to experience, at a small scale, all facets of game development, from animation and design, through to implementation and production. In this unit you will collaborate in transdisciplinary teams to engage in the tasks that designers and developers carry out in order to create engaging mini-games that utilise simple game mechanics and rules. This unit aims to provide you with foundational knowledge of game development activity, and to nurture the skills necessary for execution of effective designs in an integrated studio environment. Importantly, it will be invaluable in assisting you to build your professional portfolio.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

1. Identify interrelationships across the game development disciplines
2. Employ design thinking, generative and creative processes to produce mini games.
3. Design, develop and playtest a mini-game using agile methodologies.
4. Collaborate with others in a transdisciplinary team to respond to a design prompt.
5. Critically reflect on professional practice, cultural issues and ethics.
6. Communicate and justify design ideas through a design portfolio and documents.

Content

Learning Approaches

This unit embraces a game design studio pedagogy designed to simulate a "real world" games design studio experience, which is supported by design workshops and technical practical classes that form the basis of the teaching and learning process for this unit.

Workshops will explore issues related to game design and development. Through active participation in a range of workshop activities you will also learn agile project management techniques, strategies for managing team interactions, and ways to effectively communicate game ideas in a range of formats (visual, written, oral). You collaborate with your peers to generate multiple game ideas, and explore methods that can be employed to produce simple prototypes that will result in the production of a mini-game. Practical sessions each week will provide you with the technical skills associated with game design and development.

You can expect to spend between 10 - 15 hours per week on average involved in attending all scheduled interactive lectures and workshops, completing assessment tasks, and undertaking your own independent study to consolidate your learning.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

You will have a range of opportunities to receive feedback on your learning and progress in this unit including formative in-class individual or whole-of-class feedback on your work by tutors and peers as well as individual feedback on assessment tasks via a rubric and written feedback. Individual consultations with your tutor can be arranged at a mutually convenient time.

Assessment

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Mini Game 1

You will be given a design prompt for a mini-game and will be required to submit a design portfolio that illustrates the development of your ideas and a working prototype of your game. As part of the design portfolio you are expected to explain how any gender, accessibility, inclusivity, cultural or ethical issues have been addressed with the design. Artefacts produced through this assessment could be included in your portfolio.

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Assessment: Proof of Concept Prototype

You will be given a design prompt for a mini-game. Working in transdisciplinary teams you are required to develop a proof of concept prototype and design document.As part of the design portfolio you are expected to explain how any gender, accessibility, inclusivity, cultural or ethical issues have been addressed with the design. This task includes an individual peer assessment component. Artefacts produced through this assessment could be included in your portfolio.

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Assessment: Final Product

This task build upon Assessment Task 2. Working in transdisciplinary teams you are required to action the feedback provided to your group on Assessment Task 2 and to develop your proof of concept into a game prototype. You are expected to keep a record of changes you have made to the design and justify your changes. As part of this task you will be required to complete a self and peer assessment task. Artefacts produced through this assessment could be included in your portfolio.

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to engage in learning and assessment at QUT with honesty, transparency and fairness. Maintaining academic integrity means upholding these principles and demonstrating valuable professional capabilities based on ethical foundations.

Failure to maintain academic integrity can take many forms. It includes cheating in examinations, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, and submitting an assessment item completed by another person (e.g. contract cheating). It can also include providing your assessment to another entity, such as to a person or website.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Further details of QUT’s approach to academic integrity are outlined in the Academic integrity policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Breaching QUT’s Academic integrity policy is regarded as student misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Resources

Risk Assessment Statement

There are no unusual health or safety risks associated with this unit.

Course Learning Outcomes

IN05 Bachelor of Games and Interactive Environments

1. Demonstrate broad knowledge of games and interactive environments principles and theory, with an in-depth knowledge of one games-related discipline.
   Relates to: ULO1, Proof of Concept Prototype, Final Product
2. Apply creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving skills to generate solutions to design challenges.
   Relates to: ULO2, Mini Game 1, Proof of Concept Prototype, Final Product
3. Create engaging and meaningful games experiences for specific target audiences in partnership with diverse industry and community stakeholders using industry-relevant software and technologies..
   Relates to: ULO2, ULO3, Mini Game 1, Proof of Concept Prototype, Final Product
4. Collaborate effectively in transdisciplinary teams to achieve shared goals and to manage projects in professional contexts.
   Relates to: ULO4, Proof of Concept Prototype, Final Product
5. Communicate complex concepts at all stages of the development cycle to specialist and non-specialist audiences in written, oral and interactive visual formats.
   Relates to: ULO6, Mini Game 1, Proof of Concept Prototype, Final Product
6. Critically reflect on social, ethical, cultural, legal and accessibility issues in the context of games and interactive environments, including as they relate to First Nations Australians.
   Relates to: ULO5, Mini Game 1, Proof of Concept Prototype
7. Evidence the development of your learning, professional capabilities and skills through creating a curated portfolio of work.
   Relates to: ULO2, Mini Game 1, Proof of Concept Prototype, Final Product