Game Lab 3 - Serious Games

SPO2110

GameLab is a work simulator aiming to give the students a controlled environment in which to learn how to work together in a development team. GameLab should be treated by the students as a normal day at work in a video game production company. The subject includes a mixture of theoretical and practical sessions.

The aim for the teams is to produce a game or an experience product based on technologies and topics taught in other subjects like Programming Fundamentals, CG art and CG animation

As a work simulator, Game Lab 3 trains the students for working on actual game development projects. The course provides an insight into the design of digital games for multiple purposes other than exclusively entertainment. Serious or social impact games often aim to teach, train or inspire and leave the player with an altered understanding of one or more topics, ranging from school subjects to larger concepts, such as social justice.During this semester, the students get regular feedback from one or more experts within the game industry. Students are also encouraged to work with external stakeholders on the development on their game. Furthermore, the game lab workdays are complemented with workshops and sessions within a range of topics relevant to game development. This includes introduction to concept art and various topics related to professional development, including game development documentation. At the end of the course, each team should have developed a playable serious game.

Reserved for students on the bachleor program Games and entertainment technology

SPO1110 Programming fundamentals and SPO1310 Game Lab 2.

The candidate ...

Knowledge

Has broad knowledge within the field of social impact games
Has knowledge about working in a project with a defined deadline
Has knowledge about working in and organizing work in a team project
Has knowledge about how the individual parts of a project organization functions as a bigger unit
Knows of the concepts regarding developing and pitching ideas, and starting up own companies
Has basic insight into concept art

Skills

Can develop a digital game with clear elements of social impact elements
Has skills within the topics the student has chosen to improve his or hers special competence through the project
Has skills within project management and process development within teams
Can make use of concept art for developing product ideas
Is able to develop product, business ideas and a business plans

General competence

Knows of social impact mechanisms in society
Has experience on working in organized teams
Knows about important elements of participating in practical projects
Can evaluate their own and others efforts in a team

No tuition fees. Semester fees and cost of course literature apply.

Mandatory

Seminars, team meetings and project work. Online and on campus.

The work mainly consists of project work. Additionally - workshops on concept art and different sessions on theoretical topics, as well as a session on writing product/ business proposals for a business purpose.

Evaluation using mid-term and final surveys. Students are also encouraged to participate in the central quality surveys.

Portfolio

Theory: 3 assignments approved/not approved

Practice: Group project with associated individual reports.

Total assessment of the group work and the individual reports. The groups are considered as units, with the group members' individual reports, work logs and assessments of themselves and each other as a basis for individual grade.

Språk

Engelsk

Studiepoeng

Studiested

Levanger

Ansvarlig fakultet

Fakultet for samfunnsvitenskap

Emneansvarlig

Førsteamanuensis

Helga Dis Isfold Sigurdardottir

helga.d.sigurdardottir@nord.no