Introduction

 Course Differences  Who’s in the class?  Class structure  Introduction to content

 Base course  Counts toward the BA or BS  Includes team development of a game for an external client  More about this later

 Additional requirement  Research on how games can apply to a technology or how a technology can be applied to games  Software development and/or paper  Additional meeting on Friday  External speakers  Project reports  Who should take it?  Need the H to stay in the honors program  Want to do the research  Who should not?  You think that’s the only way to get into this course  Eligibility: honors program or 3.0

 Does not count toward the COMP SCI major  Intended to bring different perspectives  Expected top contribute to the development but not at the same level  That’s the honors part  Eligibility: honors program or 3.0

 If you are registered  Course change or initial  If not  Course you want to be in  Class that needs to be swapped out

 Name  When you graduate  Major  Your favorite game or piece about games

 Game Critique  30 Minute Presentation  Game Development  Take Home Final Exam  paper design

 Everyone critiques a serious game  No duplication  List of potential games  Additions welcome  6 bazaars  Short presentation  Written critique  Time for classmates to come and test it out  Must be able to play it!

 Topic of interest related to games  2 person teams  30 minute presentation  Sample topics  last year's calendar last year's calendar

 Client Proposals  4-person teams (1 185, 3 585)  Preferred platform is Unity but not all appropriate  Teams meet with instructor every week  Work with client  Range of projects (partial list)partial list  Augmented reality games  Individual and cooperative games  Frameworks and standalones  …  Presented at final game fest

 2009 US revenue $19.7B ($21.4B ‘08)  Software $10.5B  Hardware $9.2B  Movies: $10B  Subscribers  World of Warcraft: 12.5M subscriptions  Second Life: 1B hrs Sept 2009

Computer games Board games Card games Parlor games Sports games Miniatures games Role-playing games Alternative reality games

PLAY GOAL RULES

 What’s the difference?  Games: restrictive rules, limit-testing strategies  Toys: fantasy and free play.  Children  captivated by versatility of toys  Adults  lose interest in toys  Create games around toys  tactics, strategies, results (Schiesel 2008)

are an activity have rules have conflict have goals involve decision making are artificial are safe are outside ordinary life provide no material gain are voluntary have uncertain outcome are a representation are make believe are inefficient have closed systems are a form of art

 Play  “work consists of whatever a body is obliged to do, and … play consists of whatever a body is not obliged to do.” Adventures of Tom Sawyer  Pretend  The Magic Circle (Huizinga)  Goal  Challenges  Win, Loss, Termination  Rules  Meanings, gameplay, sequence of play, goals, metarules

 games with a serious purpose beyond entertainment  built for serious purpose  used for serious purpose

 Education  Training  Social change  Health education  Pain control  Rehabilitation  Business  Art

 Online gamers  middle income ($35,000-$75,000)  age  Casual gamers  76% female  71% 40 or older (47% 50 or older)  46% college graduates (14% adv degree)  53% income $50,000 or more  67% married (53% at least one child )

44%: card, puzzle, arcade, word games 25%: family-oriented games 19%: RPGs, MMOGs CAVEAT: lots of contradictory stats