CGRA259 (2024) - Game Prototyping – Programming

Prescription

This course uses game jams and hackathons as a learning environment where students work with commercial developers to learn how to develop new and innovative game prototypes. Students from the Graphics and Games major will be collaborating with students from the School of Design Innovation.

Course learning objectives

Students who pass this course will be able to:

1. Use digital rapid prototyping tools to create, implement and test prototypes.
2. Work in groups with diverse skills to create innovative designs, manage task allocation, communicate ideas, integrate work, and coordinate the production of a digital artifact.
3. Pitch ideas and present prototypes orally and with supporting material.
4. Evaluate the effectiveness of the game prototyping development process and reflect on the learning value.

Course content

This course requires students to successfully contribute to 3 Game Jams across a 12-month period. The Game Jams available include in-person game jams and online game jams. This is course is available for online and remote students. However, remote/online students will benefit from finding a local instance of a game jam. For example, the Global Game Jam has 6 New Zealand sites of 680+ worldwide.
 
Successful participation requires contributing to the design and development of a game in the 48 hours of a game jam. There are options for week long game jams for students who are unable to allocate time over 3 weekend during the year. The department will support 5 game jams with tutor time and lecturer support during the game jam. These will include the Global Game Jam and KiwiJam plus other jams based on student interest and engagement.
 
This course is "AI Green" course where you are encouraged to use AI tools. This includes AI art generation, AI Code generation, and AI narative. You need to declare which tools and to what extent they contributed to the project.

Withdrawal from Course

Withdrawal dates and process:
https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/students/study/course-additions-withdrawals

Lecturers

Teaching Format

Dates (trimester, teaching & break dates)

• Teaching: 26 February 2024 - 31 May 2024
• Break: 01 April 2024 - 14 April 2024
• Study period: 03 June 2024 - 06 June 2024
• Exam period: 07 June 2024 - 22 June 2024
• Teaching: 08 July 2024 - 11 October 2024
• Break: 19 August 2024 - 01 September 2024
• Study period: 14 October 2024 - 17 October 2024
• Exam period: 18 October 2024 - 09 November 2024
• Teaching: 11 November 2024 - 14 February 2025
• Break: 23 December 2024 - 05 January 2025

Set Texts and Recommended Readings

Required

There are no required texts for this offering.

Mandatory Course Requirements

If you believe that exceptional circumstances may prevent you from meeting the mandatory course requirements, contact the Course Coordinator for advice as soon as possible.

Assessment

Assessment Item	Due Date or Test Date	CLO(s)	Percentage

Penalties

There are no penalties as students who struggle in a game jam can enroll in a later game jam to achieve the learning outcomes. If a student is unable to complete 3 game jams they will not pass the course.

Workload

Teaching Plan

Communication of Additional Information

The workload for this course is 150 hours spend over a 12-month period. A game jam is expected to be about 30 hours work during the weekend. The course includes introductory material that needs to be completed before starting the game jams so that students are familiar with the common tools used for game jam prototyping. Each game jam is also followed by a review document which allows the student to document their contribution and reflect on what they have learnt. Thus the course is very flexible and can fit with other courses as the workload is not contant and often falls in periods where students have flexibility such as Global Game Jam at the end of January and KiwiJam in July.

Links to General Course Information

• Academic Integrity and Plagiarism: https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/students/study/exams/academic-integrity
• Academic Progress: https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/students/study/progress/academic-progess (including restrictions and non-engagement)
• Dates and deadlines: https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/students/study/dates
• Grades: https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/students/study/progress/grades
• Special passes: Refer to the Assessment Handbook, at https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/documents/policy/staff-policy/assessment-handbook.pdf
• Statutes and policies, e.g. Student Conduct Statute: https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/about/governance/strategy
• Student support: https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/students/support
• Students with disabilities: https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/st_services/disability/
• Student Charter: https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/learning-teaching/learning-partnerships/student-charter
• Student Feedback on University courses may be found at: http://www.cad.vuw.ac.nz/feedback/feedback_display.php
• Terms and Conditions: https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/study/apply-enrol/terms-conditions/student-contract
• Turnitin: http://www.cad.vuw.ac.nz/wiki/index.php/Turnitin
• University structure: https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/about/governance/structure
• The Use of Te Reo Māori for Assessment Policy:
  Victoria University values te reo Māori. Students who wish to submit any of their assessments in te reo Māori must refer to The Use of Te Reo Māori for Assessment Policy
  He mea nui te reo Māori ki te Whare Wānanga o te Ūpoko o te Ika. Ki te pīrangi koe ki te tuhituhi i ō aro matawai i roto i te reo Māori, tēnā me mātua whakapā atu ki te kaupapa here, The Use of Te Reo Māori for Assessment Policy
• VUWSA: http://www.vuwsa.org.nz

Offering CRN: 35034

Points: 15
Prerequisites: CGRA 151, COMP 103
Restrictions: GAME 203 taken concurrently;
Duration: 26 February 2024 - 16 February 2025
Starts: Trimester 1+2+3
Campus: Kelburn