IGB200 Game Studio 2: Applied Game Development

Unit Outline: Semester 2 2024, Gardens Point, Internal

Overview

In Game Studio 2 you will develop a digital game-based experience to meet a defined project brief. Game Studio units are fundamental to the BGIE, and focus on the integration of design principles with practical development skills. In many contexts, game designers and developers work towards a predefined design brief, and in this unit you will build a game to meet the requirements set by an industry partner. You will work in transdisciplinary teams to create this interactive experience, applying your discipline expertise and emerging project management skills. You will employ an agile development process that allows for evaluation of the emerging product. The processes employed throughout the unit will extend your understanding of industry practices, allowing you to develop the professional and interpersonal skills required to succeed within this profession.

Learning Outcomes

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

1. Analyse and interpret stakeholder and system requirements in the design of a game prototype
2. Use design thinking and creative problem solving approaches to generate solutions to games problems.
3. Apply knowledge and skills from across game development disciplines to create a game prototype and game.
4. Collaborate in a transdisciplinary team to manage a project, team and self using agile project management skills to ensure timelines are met.
5. Communicate professional with peers and project stakeholders in written, oral and visual formats.
6. Critically reflect on professional practice, cultural issues and ethics.

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 will form the basis of the teaching and learning process for this unit.

Workshops will explore critical issues related to game design and development through the examination of existing games, as well as active discussion of original game ideas that you develop. You will be required to report on design/development progress both formally and informally during workshops. Group presentations will give you a structured opportunity to apply workshop concepts through presenting your progressive design and development work to your peers. Weekly practical sessions will provide you with the technical skills associated with game design and development. Working in transdisciplinary teams, you will implement an agile project management techniques to manage the development of your game prototype. Teams will engage in professional processes and practices to manage the cross discipline and cultural interactions.

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. Additionally, you will receive feedback from your industry partner and from users through playtesting.

Assessment

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Game Prototype and Documentation

This assessment tasks involves you in working in transdisciplinary teams to respond to an industry brief. You will be required as a group to analyse the client brief and using a design thinking methodology your team will generate ideas that will result in the development of a small group prototype with an accompanying individual design document, where you will be expected to discuss any gender, social or ethical issues. The artefacts produced through this task should be included in your professional portfolio.

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Assessment: Presentation

You are required to give a formal presentation of your ideas relating to the industry project.

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Assessment: Final Game

Working in your transdisciplinary team, you will action the feedback received on the prototype and develop the the final game product for the client using agile project management methodologies. In addition to contributing your specialist knowledge and skill to the product development, you will be expected to engage in regular sprint reviews with your peers, lead a scrum meeting and the playtest the product with users. As part of this assessment you will engage with a self and peer evaluation process. The artefacts produced through this task should be included in your professional 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 is minimal health and safety risk in this unit. It is your responsibility to familiarise yourself with the Health and Safety policies and procedures applicable within campus areas and laboratories.

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: Game Prototype and Documentation, Final Game
2. Apply creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving skills to generate solutions to design challenges.
   Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, Game Prototype and Documentation, Final Game
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: ULO3, Game Prototype and Documentation, Final Game
4. Collaborate effectively in transdisciplinary teams to achieve shared goals and to manage projects in professional contexts.
   Relates to: ULO4, Game Prototype and Documentation, Final Game
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: ULO5, Game Prototype and Documentation, Presentation, Final Game
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: ULO6, Game Prototype and Documentation
7. Evidence the development of your learning, professional capabilities and skills through creating a curated portfolio of work.
   Relates to: ULO3, Game Prototype and Documentation, Final Game