26 courses with the subject IMGD, each shown exactly as we captured it from the college's catalog, with every element we hold. Where the wording looks broken, that is our reading of the catalog, not the college's text.
IMGD 1000Critical Studies of Interactive Media and Games1/3
This course introduces non-technical studies of computer-based interactive media and games. The course develops a vocabulary for discussing games and other interactive media, and tools for analyzing them. Students are expected to provide written critiques using the critical approaches presented in the course. The games and other interactive media critiqued may be commercially available or under development.
This course discusses the process of game development. It examines the roles of different participants in the development process and how the technical development and the artistic development proceed in tandem. Group work is emphasized, especially the importance of collaboration between technical and artistic efforts. Students are expected to participate in game development using appropriate game development tools. Some sections of this course may be offered as Writing Intensive (WI).
IMGD 1002Storytelling in Interactive Media and Games1/3
This course explores different types of story within gaming and other interactive media. It delineates between linear, branching, and emergent storytelling, identifies hybrids, and finds new modes of making compelling narrative. A variety of games are discussed, including early text-based adventures, role-playing games, shooters, and strategy games. Students will construct characters, situations, and narratives through game play and scripted cut scenes. Students will explore and use visual storytelling techniques.
IMGD 2000Social Issues in Interactive Media and Games1/3
This course reinforces critical examination of the spread of ideas and practices through various media, guiding students in explorations of diverse perspectives on political, social, and economic agendas. Games and other interactive media are inherently political and serve as platforms for the creation of cultural identities, social mobilization, and economic ideologies. The course analyzes positive and negative effects of interactive mediums on society with an emphasis on responsibilities of designers and developers.
This course serves as an introduction to game audio, where the basics of audio theory and production are discussed along with practical applications for use in game development. Topics may include music, sound effects, dialogue, soundscape design, digital signal processing, basic audio engine principles, and the aesthetic vs. technical considerations in game audio production. Lab exercises may include an introduction to audio editing and mixing, dynamics and effects processing, creating and timing sound effects to character animations, mixing for cinematics, and audio integration using a 3D engine. This course assumes no prior knowledge of audio production.
This course familiarizes students with the history of tabletop games and board games, current trends in board game design, and the fundamentals in game design through the study of and creation of board games. Students will gain critical thinking skills through the playtest and revision process of designing their own board games, and students will be exposed to the realities of publishing board games and the limits the production process imposes on design.
Software engineering and art production are the means of digital game development, but the end is an experience. Game design is the process of creating, describing, implementing and iteratively refining that experience. This team-oriented, project-based course provides opportunities for students to develop hands-on expertise with digital game design through a combination of practical implementation, in-class critique and playtesting. A focus of the course is the functional expression of design through the use of game engine scripting. Students keep a weekly journal of their design experiences. A final exam tests their knowledge of design concepts and terminology.
IMGD 2901Design Methods for Interactive Experiences1/3
This course provides students with the opportunity to examine and apply a variety of interactive media project design methods. Topics include audience-centered and iterative design strategies, playtesting best practices, critique and feedback analysis, professionalization, and the importance of play for both designers and audiences. Course activities range from small group design work to sophisticated analysis and discussion.
This course will cover basic concepts of probability and data analysis as they apply to the design and analysis of interactive media and games. Students will study appropriate use of probability distributions in the design of interactive experiences, and the use of data analysis methods to understand user behavior in games and other interactive experiences. Topics will include discrete and continuous probability distributions, programming techniques to produce samples from different distributions, descriptive statistics, exploratory data analysis and using existing tools to collect and analyze data from gameplay. This course counts toward the Quantitative Science component of the university-wide Mathematics and Science Requirement for IMGD majors only.
This course teaches technical Computer Science aspects of game development, with the focus of the course on low-level programming of a computer games. Topics include 2D and 3D game engines, simulation-type games, analog and digital controllers and other forms of tertiary input. Students will implement games or parts of games, including exploration of graphics, sound, and music as it affects game implementation.
Game Audio II serves as an intermediate level audio design course, where digital recording principles and techniques are studied along with their practical applications for use in game development. Students will also gain deeper insight into 2-D vs. 3-D audio propagation, as well as learn more complex techniques in digital editing, mixing, signal processing, mastering, and playback strategies. Lab exercises may include interactive dialogue scripting and recording; loop-based music production; custom sound effects creation and Foley design; and audio engine integration. A team project will be the creation of a comprehensive game sound effects library over the course of the term. This course will be offered in academic years ending in odd numbers.
IMGD 3100Novel Interfaces for Interactive Environments1/3
This course focuses on the design and evaluation of novel user interfaces that provide greater input and output expressiveness than the keyboard, mouse, or game pad. The course covers the related applications of immersive gaming, teleoperated robotics, and mobile users. Input sensors, such as those providing motion, attitude, and pressure data, are used to explore novel input methods, and how they may be effectively used to design innovative experiences. Through a combination of lecture and hands-on work, students learn to build prototype systems and to critically evaluate different alternatives. Students are expected to program several alternative input/output systems as part of this course This course will be offered in academic years ending in odd numbers.
This course focuses on the unique problems presented to the artist when working in game development. Students will learn game art pipelines and how to prepare art assets for use in game engines. Topics may include modular level design, 3D architecture, texturing and shaders, high poly and low poly workflows, environments, lighting, particle effects, and character animation for games. Students will create original art for compelling game experiences by designing their own levels.
4000 Level Interactive Media and Game Development Courses Item # Title Units CS 4100/IMGD 4100 Artificial Intelligence for Interactive Media and Games 1/3 CS 4300/IMGD 4300 Graphics, Simulation, and Aesthetics 1/3
This course focuses on the application of advanced Computer Science topics as they impact game development. Networking and distributed systems issues are addressed, including scalability and latency compensation techniques, for designing games for a online multi-player environments. AI, graphics and physics techniques specific to game development are discussed. Students will implement games or parts of games that apply advanced Computer Science topics.
This course provides students the opportunity to gain hands-on proficiency with the complete audio development pipeline for interactive applications, from concept and asset creation to post-production and integration. Topics may include custom recording techniques; procedural audio generation; audio object states and conditions; asset management; automated effects processing; and spatial presentation of audio in stereo, surround and mixed/virtual reality formats.
Arranged by individual faculty with special expertise, this course explores emerging and experimental topics that are not covered by the regular IMGD offerings. Content and format varies to suit the interests and needs of the faculty and students. Specific course descriptions are disseminated by IMGD program in advance of the offering. This course may be repeated for different topic offerings.
IMGD 4200History and Future of Immersive and Interactive Media1/3
This course will familiarize students with the history of the development, deployment, commercialization, and evolution of immersive and active media. The lesson plan will cover a broad range of enabling technologies, such as geometric perspective drawing, pre-20th-century panoramic displays, photography and the stereoscope, sound recording and reproduction, motion pictures, radio and television, the planetarium, immersive and 3-dimensional cinema, and special attraction venues, with a particular focus on digital games. Current trends and future directions will also be considered. Students will attend seminars and lectures, read and discuss texts on media history and aesthetics, and write an original research paper. Midterm and final exams test students’ knowledge and understanding of important events and developments. A student may not receive credit for both IMGD 4200 and IMGD 3200. This course will be offered in academic years ending in even numbers.
This course explores the application of the technologies and design principles of interactive media and game development beyond traditional entertainment. The purpose of such applications is typically to change people’s behaviors, knowledge and/or attitudes in diverse areas including health care, training, education, simulation, politics, marketing and art. Students read about, experiment with, compare and discuss examples, as well as the underlying philosophies and issues specific to this genre, such as domain analysis and rigorous evaluation. Students in groups also research a new application and produce a detailed design document and mock-up. Advanced programming skill is not required, but a background in game design is strongly recommended. This course will be offered in academic years ending in even numbers.
IMGD 4700Level Design and Environmental Storytelling1/3
This course covers the broad topic of designing environments, maps, and spaces for games and interactive media. The course uses a variety of lenses, such as architecture, visual composition, drama, and interactive design, introducing key concepts through texts, analyzing them in designed spaces from digital media and elsewhere, and then applying them through creative work in a range of formats. Interactive spaces embody more than the tools, perspectives, or disciplines they are built from, and this course focuses on mastery of overall design principles as a synthesis of these, including presentation of finished works in document, image, and video capture.
This studio course will provide students an opportunity to collaborate on the creation of an original game project, with an emphasis on the importance of scoping and a thorough, well-documented design. Students will form project teams, create a team Web site, and design, implement and test their project using industry-standard tools and methods. This course will be offered in academic years ending in even numbers.
