Experimental Game Interaction

Course Code: KD332A

Institution:

School of Arts and Communication

Revision:

1

For students admitted fall 2013   fall 2012  

Approval

The course was established 09 February 2012.
This course syllabus (version 1) was approved 24 February 2012 by the Board of Studies at Faculty of Culture and Society (k3).
The syllabus is valid from 03 September 2012.

Education level

Advancement in relation to the degree requirements

Entry requirements

Learning outcomes

• Be able to identify the potential of new forms of game interaction and discuss them from the perspective of their design and research relevance.
• Be able to demonstrate familiarity with a specific genre of game interaction.
• Be able to reflect upon and explain the concepts of the chosen game interaction mode with reference to basic design texts and research literature.

• Be familiar with a range of appropriate methods for exploring experimental game interaction through prototyping and evaluation.
• Be able to design new forms of playtesting to evaluate experimental game interaction.
• Be able to design and prototype a playable experimental game that demonstrates novel interaction in a longer project setting.

• Demonstrate professionalism, responsibility for design outcomes, and the ability to make well articulated design decisions.

Assessments

Student performance will be evaluated with verbal critique through the following assignments:
1. Seminar presentation on a specific game genre or interaction mode.
2. Final gameplay prototype
Students will write a written reflection at the end of the course in which they relate their design process and outcomes to the course lectures and readings.



Course content

Rather than focusing on games as abstract rule systems mediated by new technologies, this course will instead explore the contributions of play peripheries to novel game interaction. We will highlight the physical and sensory spaces of play, and develop game prototypes set in broader social and cultural contexts.


Learning activities

With focus on a larger, term-long project, this class seeks to explore new interaction possibilities through student-led seminars on different game forms, in which seminar leaders present an overview of the current interaction modes possible within those forms, and propose areas with strong interactive potential that are currently underexplored.

The course combines lectures, seminars and design critiques as a means of supporting the process of creating novel game interaction. We take fieldtrips to visit industry partners. We are supported by the resources of K3, including the prototyping lab for exploring electronics and sensor-based interaction, as well as the workshop for constructing physical prototypes.



Grading system

A,B,C,D,E,U.


Reading list and other media

Required: Salen and Zimmerman, Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals.

Recommended: Salen and Zimmerman, The Game Design Reader: A Rules of Play Anthology

In addition, there will be weekly reading and playing recommendations, and students will be encouraged to identify other resources.



Course evaluation

Evaluation is an integral part of the course. A final written evaluation based on the learning outcomes is done at the end of the course. This evaluation is used as a starting point for an oral evaluation which includes a discussion of measures to be taken to develop the course. The result of the evaluation is summarized and made available in a report to be used as a basis for future courses.