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Date
|
Topic
|
Reading Assignments due
(Read before coming to the class of that date)
|
Writing Assignments due
|
| W |
08-23 |
Overview and self-introduction |
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| F |
08-25 |
General historical perspectives and aspects for studies of the computer game |
1. Wolf: Foreword, pp. iv-xvi
2. Introduction, pp. 1-9
3. Video: Ralph Baer
4. Video: Nolan Bushnell |
1. Questionnaire
2.
pre-class assignment |
| M |
08-28 |
Computer game as a medium |
Wolf: Chapter 1 |
pre-class assignment |
| W |
08-30 |
Emergence of the computer game
Timeline regarding the computer game development events in the history |
1. Wolf: Chapter 2
2. Video: Atari (the video and audio are slightly out of sync in some places)
3. Video: Game Boy (the video and audio are slightly out of sync in some places)
4. Video: Pac-Man (the video and audio are slightly out of sync in many places)
5. Optional: Video: Playstation
6. Optional: Video: Dreamcast
While you are watching the videos and reading the chapter, note down the years and the names of the key products (consoles and game titles) in the video game industry. You will need this information to complete the pre-class assignment. |
pre-class assignment |
| F |
09-01 |
Critical and analytical writing |
1. 6 sample essays to score
2. Scoring guide for these essays |
pre-class assignment |
| M |
09-04 |
Issue Writing |
1. For the previous 6 essays ("best ideas"): GRE's commentary and strategy
2. Another 6 sample essays to score (generalists vs. specialists)
3. For the 2nd set of the essays (generalists vs. specialists): GRE's commentary and strategy |
pre-class assignment |
| W |
09-06 |
Exercises: Identify writing problems |
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| F |
09-08 |
Exercises: Identify writing problems |
|
|
| M |
09-11 |
Exercises: Identify writing problems |
|
|
| W |
09-13 |
Space in the computer game
|
Wolf: Chapter 3 |
pre-class assignment |
| F |
09-15 |
Space in the computer game (cont'd)
- Human Perception of Depth
- One-point Perspective
- True 3D and real-time 3D computation
- Demo of 3D projects
- viewing of black-and-white film examples referenced in the chapter
|
1. Wolf: Chapter 4
2.
Video: Prince of Persia (pay attention to the segment at 12:30-13:30 of the video regarding time in this game) |
pre-class assignment |
| M |
09-18 |
Time in the computer game |
|
short paper #1 due (based on the space aspect of games) |
| W |
09-20 |
continue: Time in the computer game
Narrative in the computer game
About the full paper |
1. Wolf: Chapter 5
2. Optional: Video: Mario (the video and audio are in sync now)
|
pre-class assignment |
| F |
09-22 |
Library session on literature research -- Bobbie Collins.
Class will meet in ZSR Library Room 476 (level 4 of the Wilson Wing); bring Thinkpad if possible |
Link to the research guide for this course, shown in class |
|
| M |
09-25 |
continue: Narrative in the computer game
|
|
|
| W |
09-27 |
continue: Narrative in the computer game
|
1. Raessens & Goldstein book: #14 "Games Telling Stories?" by Jesper Juul
2. Video: The Legend of Zelda
3. Video: Final Fantasy |
pre-class assignment |
| F |
09-29 |
continue: Narrative in the computer game
About the full paper
|
Wolf: Chapter 6 |
pre-class assignment |
| M |
10-02 |
continue: Narrative in the computer game
Mythology and storytelling
Intro to Alice |
|
|
| W |
10-04 |
Genre and the video game
Intro to 3d animation using Alice: add object, say and think methods, add camera dummies
Creating an interactive 3d animated story segment using Alice
Bring Thinkpad
|
More 3d models for Alice are available at Alice's gallery Web site
Criteria for this 3-D animation project
|
1. Download and install Alice (right-click on the link to save the Alice.zip in a folder, say in userdata, then right-click on the Alice.zip file and choose WinZip > Extract to here; you should then have a folder called Alice)
2. Go through Tutorials 1 and 4 |
| F |
10-06 |
Computer programming basics
Creating an interactive 3d animated story segment using Alice
Bring Thinkpad |
|
Go through Alice Tutorial 3 (pages 1-38) |
| M |
10-09 |
Creating an interactive 3d animated story segment using Alice
Bring Thinkpad |
|
|
| W |
10-11 |
Creating an interactive 3d animated story segment using Alice
Bring Thinkpad |
|
Full paper #1 (formal analysis of a game) due 5pm on Oct 12 (Thu) |
| F |
10-13 |
Fall break |
| M |
10-16 |
No class
(Dr. Wong has grand jury duty.)
|
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Alice animation due 12:00 noon |
| W |
10-18 |
Student presentation of their 3d animation stories
Students presenting today:
Greg, Nick, Min Jai, Michael, Dylan, Jamie, Matthew, Akira
|
|
|
| F |
10-20 |
Student presentation of their 3d animation stories
Students presenting today:
Courteney, Tiffany, Dominic, Steve, Jessie, Josh, Jake, Zach |
|
|
| M |
10-23 |
Computer game in society and culture |
1. Wolf: Chapter 9
2. Reality Bytes: Eight Myths About Video Games Debunked |
pre-class assignment |
| W |
10-25 |
Computer game in society and culture
Entrepreneurs in the computer game industry |
1. Raessens & Goldstein: #8 Holmes and Pellegrini, Children's Social Behavior During Video Games
2. Video: Will Wright |
pre-class assignment |
| F |
10-27 |
Computer game in society and culture
Entrepreneurs in the computer game industry |
Video: Richard Garriott
(the audio is slightly out of sync in some parts of this video) |
pre-class assignment |
| M |
10-30 |
Computer game in society and culture
Entrepreneurs in the computer game industry |
1. Raessens & Goldstein: #22 Jeffrey Goldstein, Violent Video Games
2. Video: Bioware |
pre-class assignment |
| W |
11-01 |
Computer game in society and culture
Entrepreneurs in the computer game industry |
1. Raessens & Goldstein: #23 Griffiths and Davies, Does Video Game addiction exist?
2. Video: Peter Molyneux |
pre-class assignment |
| F |
11-03 |
In-class programming exercise #1: start programming a rudimentary Pong game (Part 1)
Bring Thinkpad
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install Macromedia Flash 8 trial version |
| M |
11-06 |
In-class programming exercise #1: continue programming the Pong game (Part 2)
Bring Thinkpad
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|
| W |
11-08 |
In-class programming exercise #1: continue programming the Pong game (Part 3--finish up)
Bring Thinkpad |
|
Full paper #2 (social or psychological aspects of the computer game) due
|
| F |
11-10 |
In-class programming exercise #2 platform game (Part 1: making the hero jump)
Bring Thinkpad
Entrepreneurs in the computer game industry |
1. Chapter 7
2.
Video: Sid Meier
|
1. pre-class assignment of the Flash file for the in-class exercise
2. pre-class for reading and video |
| M |
11-13 |
In-class programming exercise #2 platform game (Part 2: landing on platform and making an item disappear)
Bring Thinkpad
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|
|
| W |
11-15 |
In-class programming exercise #2 platform game (Part 3: making the platform scroll, refining the jump, animating items)
Bring Thinkpad |
A checklist of the platform game progress so far |
|
| F |
11-17 |
In-class programming exercise #2 platform game (Part 4: making the platform be able to scroll "FOREVER")
|
Email Dr. Wong your finished platform game .fla file at the end of the class
|
1. install Alias Maya PLE (download the installer from Autodesk's Maya PLE download site)
2. Look at Maya Essential Skills Movies:
#1. Zoom, pan and roll
#2. Move, rotate, scale
#4. Component selection
3. pre-class assignment description |
| M |
11-20 |
In-class exercise: 3D polygon character modeling
Bring Thinkpad
|
review in-class demo
Email Dr. Wong your finished Maya file (before smoothing) by Tuesday (Nov. 21) |
email Dr. Wong your final project ideas before class |
| W |
11-21 |
Thanksgiving |
| F |
11-24 |
| M |
11-27 |
tie up loose ends, recap, last-minute questions, and teaching eval |
Maya file: sample model with skeleton |
|
| W |
11-29 |
Student presentation:
Greg
Nick
Steve
Dylan
Michael
|
| F |
12-01 |
Student presentation:
Jessie
Dominic
Min Jai
Josh
Courteney
(Last day of class)
|
| M |
12-04 |
2:00PM (scheduled exam time; we don't have an exam but we use the time for the oral presentation)
Meet in the same classroom as usual class (Manchester 17)
Student presentation:
Akira
Jake
Jamie
Matthew
Tiffany
Zach
Attendance is required even if you are not presenting. |
| W |
12-06 |
final project report (Short Paper #2) due
(This is not a class day or exam day for this course; there is no class meeting; just the due date for the revised short paper (Short Paper #2) of your final project.) |
