Games Development (Design) BA(Hons)

The Games industry relies on professionals who work effectively in multi-disciplinary teams. This module gives you an early experience of both developing game assets and working as part of a team in which such artefacts are planned, designed, implemented and evaluated. The module aims to provide you with an understanding of industry best practices within the games industry. This includes reflective and peer assessment of contribution to the team effort. You will gain introductory experience of a product development cycle, technology limitations, and possible future developments relevant to the course.

The module has been designed to introduce you to the principles of 3D asset creation for current generation video games and integration into games engines. During the module you will examine workflows for specific platforms and technologies, while developing an understanding of the requirements of developing assets to specific design briefs and styles.

The aim of this module is to provide you with a range of core transferrable skills that you will need in your studies and, looking further ahead, in your career. The module focuses on broadening your understanding of Computer Games Development/Design by exploring cutting edge technologies, innovation, research and career opportunities in the context of the Games industry. The first part of the module explores the support and resources available to you at the university, leading to the creation of a personal development plan. Building on this foundation, the second part of the module focuses on developing your research and academic writing skills.

The module aims to develop your technical skills and knowledge in game engine prototyping, using a state-of-the-art game engine, to design and develop a game prototype. Practical studio themes will be developed by tutors which are aimed at helping you to gain an understanding of how the theory fits in with computer games design. You will be introduced to the concepts and principles that underpin the creation of game prototypes and will use a visual scripting language to control actions, interactions and animations.

The module will introduce you to the practical principles and theoretical knowledge of creating digital 3D characters. Examining a broad range of applications for 3D production and optimisation for games development you will create your own characters, from introductory models to complete character production pipeline.

You will partake in multiple weeklong game jams, working as part of a team to design, develop and produce a game. The module will allow you to develop your understanding and practical abilities in games production processes on both a technical and professional level, with a strong focus on team and communication skills and encouraging an active approach to individual professional development and team responsibilities. You and your team are expected to conform to professional working standards and follow an agreed code of conduct as part of the module; individual contributions to teamwork and attendance on timetabled sessions contribute to assessment and will be monitored.

In this module you will build on your knowledge and understanding of key design principles relating to computer games. The module will encourage innovation and creative thinking for the development of design ideas, as well as extending research and practical skills. You will progress initial concepts into workable design solutions with an emphasis on balancing creative ideas against technical and design requirements and constraints.

The module gives you the opportunity to study principles and approaches of computer games design and analysis. This module aims to provide a platform to research, deconstruct and critically analyse existing commercial games, and to leverage what can be learned through game analysis to design high-quality products with original solutions suitable to satisfy an intended target player group.

The module aims to expand your technical skills and knowledge gained in your first year into tool development for games. Example tools might take the form of templates, procedural systems, VFX systems, modular building systems, car configurators or character customisation system, all designed to aid other artists and designers in rapid prototyping of game concepts. You will be introduced to the concepts and principles that underpin the design, specification and development of tools for use in game engines. You\ will use an object-based programming or scripting language to develop the game tool and test its success at meeting the product specification.

Teams of approximately 8 students will form a games development team, allocating production roles and responsibilities as per standard games industry studio structure. Working from an agreed design outline, you will develop a professional quality game, to either a publishable standard or in the case of larger titles a vertical slice with the potential to attract publisher investment. You are expected to conform to professional working standards and an agreed code of conduct, this will include polished pitching and proposals, collaborative team working driven via sound project management and structured task assignment alongside an Agile development approach.

In this module you will build on your knowledge and understanding of key design principles relating to computer games. The module will encourage innovation and creative thinking for the development of design ideas, as well as extending research and practical skills. You will progress initial concepts into workable design solutions with an emphasis on balancing creative ideas against technical and design requirements and constraints.

The module encourages an examination of the role of context, pre-production, production and post-production techniques in the commission, design and development of digital game art. A combination of current theory and case studies will provide the context for you to explore a range of analytical frameworks from which to critique contemporary game culture and your own working pipeline and practice. You will then further explore specialised topics and design practice through independent research, defining a suitable brief before synthesising their individual knowledge, conceptual and practical skills into an original body of visual work for a defined context.