1. COMP 585/585H/185H/790-093 Serious Games
Introduction
COMP 585/585H/185H/ Serious Games

2. Today’s agenda Course Differences Who’s in the class? Class structure
Introduction to content

3. Course differences

4. COMP 585 Base course Counts toward the BA or BS
Includes team development of a game for an external client
More about this later

5. Comp 585H Additional requirement Who should take it? Who should not?
Research project
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

6. Comp 185H Does not count toward the COMP SCI major
Cannot take both 185 and 585
Intended to bring different perspectives
Expected to contribute to the development but not at the same level
That’s the honors part
Eligibility: honors program or 3.0

7. Comp 790-093 For MEITE Students
Intended to bring different perspectives and focus on design
Expected to contribute to the development but not at the same level

8. Sign up sheets
585
185H
585 -> 585H

9. Who’s in the class

10. Tell us Name When you graduate Major
Your favorite game or what you like about games

11. CLASS STRUCTURE

12. assignments Game Critique 50 Minute Presentation Game Development
Take Home Final Exam

13. Game critique Everyone critiques a serious game 7 minute presentation
No duplication
List of potential games
Games matched to topics
3 games per day
Additions welcome
7 minute presentation
Gameplay (video or live)
Relevance to topic

14. Research presentation
Topic of interest related to games
4 person teams
50 minute presentations
Individual or team
Topics on specific dates (calendar)

15. TOPICS Narrative Graphic styles Sound
Game play (game mechanics and balance)
Level design Physics engine (3D)
Game systems (consoles, VR, AR)
Music (emotions, mood)
Characters
Graphics implementation (including light, camera)
Procedural generation
AI in games
Evoking emotions: empathy, horror, perspective, moral decisions)
Health
Education
Training
Social change
Accessibility
Gender
Marketing (use of games in advertising, marketing of games, in game advertising)
Networking
How games change us (age, violence)

16. Game development Client Proposals (Jan 25)
4-person teams (1 185H/790, 3 585/585H)
Preferred platform is Unity but not all appropriate
Teams meet with instructor or TA every week
Work with client
Range of projects (partial list)
Augmented reality games
Individual and cooperative games
Frameworks and standalones …
Presented at final game fest

17. The business of games

18. Games ARE Serious Business
2015 US revenue $13B ( $7B since ‘08)
Software $5B
Hardware $5B
Accessories $3B
Why decline?
Players
World of Warcraft: 5.5M subscriptions (from 12.5M)
165m mobile phone gamers

19. Who is a Gamer? Online gamers Casual gamers
middle income ($35,000-$75,000)
age 25-44
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 )

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

21. What is a game?

22. Alternative reality games
Types of Games
Computer games
Board games
Card games
Parlor games
Sports games
Miniatures games
Role-playing games
Alternative reality games

23. TOY PUZZLE GAME
PLAY
GOAL
RULES

24. Games vs. Toys What’s the difference? Children Adults
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)

25. Games…
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

26. What is a game? Play Pretend Goal Rules
“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

27. games with a serious purpose beyond entertainment
Serious games are
games with a serious purpose beyond entertainment
built for serious purpose
used for serious purpose

28. What is a serious purpose?
Education
Training
Social change
Health education
Pain control
Rehabilitation
Business
Art
Learning!