Overview
This is an introductory course in game design and development. This course covers many of the concepts involved in game design, beginning with the history of gaming and an examination of the software engineering aspects of game design. Other topics include the programming environment, game hardware, mathematical concepts, physical concepts, and graphics. This course will prepare students for advanced courses in game design.
Outline
COMP 318 consists of the following fourteen units:
- Unit 1: A Brief History of Video Games
- Unit 2: Games and Society
- Unit 3: Game Design
- Unit 4: Teams and Processes
- Unit 5: Programming Fundamentals
- Unit 6: Debugging Games
- Unit 7: Game Architecture
- Unit 8: Memory and I/O Systems
- Unit 9: Mathematical Concepts
- Unit 10: Collision Detection and Resolution
- Unit 11: Graphics
- Unit 12: Artificial Intelligence
- Unit 13: Networks and Multiplayer Mode
Learning outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to
- explain all game development stages.
- explain story creation.
- select a suitable programming language.
- carry out needed mathematical and physical analysis.
- develop further skills in graphics, multimedia, artificial intelligence, and more.
Evaluation
To receive credit for COMP 318, you must achieve a course composite grade of at least D (50 percent) and D (50 percent) on the final examination. The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:
| Activity | Weight |
| 13 Quizzes (4% each) | 52% |
| Final Exam | 48% |
| Total | 100% |
The final examination for this course must be requested in advance and written under the supervision of an AU-approved exam invigilator. Invigilators include either ProctorU or an approved in-person invigilation centre that can accommodate online exams. Students are responsible for payment of any invigilation fees. Information on exam request deadlines, invigilators, and other exam-related questions, can be found at the Exams and grades section of the Calendar.
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.
Materials
Digital course materials
Links to the following course materials will be made available in the course:
Rabin, S. (2011). Introduction to game development (2nd ed.). Cengage Learning.