Introduction to Games
Games sit at the intersection of technology, art, and culture, so success within the games industry requires you to understand all three. This course explores why we love games, what role they play in society, and the industry that produces them. You’ll also learn the basics of game development. This course was developed in partnership with Unity and the IGDA to help everyone interested in the games industry start on the right foot.
Course Topics
The Games Industry
The video games industry generates over $200,000,000 a year in revenue. Students will learn the history of how this industry has grown from virtual nonexistence to global prominence in less than 40 years.
Gaming Technology
Games are fundamentally shaped by technological innovation. Students will learn how the development of computing technology has affected the types of experiences the games industry is capable of creating.
Introduction to Game Creation
Students will be provided with a high-level overview of game design and the process by which a game is created from both a business and development perspective.
Critical Thinking in Game Design
Students will be introduced to a variety of topics to improve their critical thinking, idea generation and problem solving skills.
Game Genres
Students will learn about the most common game genres and will explore the structure of games and heuristics and aesthetics of play.
Games and Society
Whether by sparking public outrage, or entering the global cultural canon, games have had a profound societal impact. Students will explore this impact and the cultural trends of the games industry.`
100
Disclosure
This course is delivered online through an institution of the Lower Cost Models Consortium (LCMC) that is different than your degree-granting institution that awards the academic credit for the course.
