Objective

To provide a realistic experience for teams of five or six undergraduate students in the design and development of a computer game or digital entertainment product. Students will be selected from a variety of backgrounds including but not limited to: computer sciences, radio-television-film, fine arts and engineering. They will work as a team to create one or more working prototypes. Students will meet with UT faculty as well as professionals from the gaming industry during the term to develop concepts and skills pertinent to the gaming and on-line entertainment fields.

Participants

Students applied for the course through the Digital Arts and Media Bridging Disciplines Program and were selected on the basis of their past academic record and creative and/or technical achievements. From the twelve students admitted, two teams were assembled into a group that resembles a small game/media company.

Assessment

Work will be assessed on a project progress basis. In consultation with the program leader, each team will first form a plan of work including a definition of the project they intend to complete and a timetable to achieve these goals. They will also assign tasks to each member to be completed within each milestone. Teams will give verbal reports every two weeks describing their progress to date and plans for the next milestone. Final assessment will consist of an evaluation of the completed work and the team’s ability to work within their own project guidelines.

Team Members

Project Manager (1 per team)

This team member will serve as a producer overseeing all aspects of the projects. The project manager will be responsible for the story/fiction of the work. They will also serve as support to the rest of the team including production schedules, documentation and other tasks as needed.

Artist, Scripter (1 or 2 per team)

The artist/scripter will be familiar with 2D art programs especially Photoshop and have a demonstrated flair for drawing and illustration of game characters and scenes. This position will include scripting within various software packages during the implementation phase.

Mapper/Modeler (3 per team)

These three team members will have at least a working knowledge of Autodesk 3ds or similar software products. They will be responsible for implementing assets into a working game including designing and implementing levels of play. Familiarity with the Half Life engine and related software packages will be helpful.

Sound Design/Music (1 or 2 per team)

The sound design/music team members will be responsible for all aspects of audio including foley art, game play sounds, soundscapes and music. Familiarity with sound and music synthesis tools and digital audio editing will be essential.

Course Leaders and Mentors/Visitors

Dr. Bruce Pennycook, Butler School of Music/Dept of Radio-TV-Film. The University of Texas at Austin. Composer and digital media specialist.

Dr. Arie Stavchansky, Freelance 2d, 3d artist, web designer, human-computer interaction specialist.

Michael Augustin, Founder of Gendai Games. Graduate of CMU ETC program and programmer, designer for many commercial entertainment products.

Throughout the 16 week course, professionals from the local gaming industry will visit and meet with students to discuss their progress.

Acknowledgements

Prof. Pennycook wishes to thanks to Dr. Paul Woodruff, Dean of Undergraduate Studies, Dr. Jeanette Herman, Director of the Bridging Disciplines Program and the BDP Digital Arts and Media Staff, Dr. Douglas Dempster, Dean of the College of Fine Arts, Prof. Sharon Strover, Chair of the Department of Radio-TV-Film, College of Communication, Kristy Bowden, Director of the Digital Media Council at Skillpoint Alliance in Austin, Dr. Sussana Herndon, Associate Director of DIIA and Keene Haywood, Manager of Computing Services at DIIA. Everyone on this list plus others I may have overlooked (with apologies) have contributed to the design and implementation of this course.