Game Design Concepts: free online class!
Earlier today I noticed that Theory of Fun was listed as “frequently bought with” Understanding Comics on Amazon. And also with Challenges for Game Designers, by Brenda Brathwaite and Ian Schreiber. I thought it was neat, I tweeted it, the end. Then I get replies piling in saying that it is because of Game Design Concepts, a cool thing that Ian is doing this summer: a free class in game design, conducted over the web by blog.
This blog is a course in game design (specifically, non-digital systems design).
- Tuition: none. This class is open to all.
- Prerequisites: none. It is my intention to make this course accessible to all levels of experience, while providing useful additional resources for those who are advanced.
- Schedule: Monday 6/29/2009 through Sunday 9/6/2009. Posts will be made twice per week. You can read them at your own pace. The course lasts ten weeks.
- Audience: anyone with an interest in game design. This includes students who are interested in game design; faculty who teach courses in game design and would like to compare course material; game developers with an interest in design or a desire to see an example of what students are being taught these days; or relatives of game designers who are curious about what these people do all day.
Course Description:
This course provides students with a theoretical and conceptual understanding of the field of game design, along with practical exposure to the process of creating a game. Topics covered include iteration, rapid prototyping, mechanics, dynamics, flow theory, the nature of fun, game balance, and user interface design. Primary focus is on non-digital games.
I am guessing this may be of interest to some who read this blog. 🙂 Not sure how I missed it before!
8 Responses to “Game Design Concepts: free online class!”
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Thanks! I’ve signed up and (unusually for me) rushed the book shipping.
I actually heard about this a couple months ago Raph and signed up for it, partly out of curiosity and partly because one should never stop learning. I expect it will be quite interesting indeed.
Ah, neat! Thanks for the gentle shunting in the right direction 🙂
I have the book somewhere! I think it’s hiding under Bartle’s tongue-in-cheek masterpiece… now where did I put that…
Can I get college credit for this?
Well, it is a damn awesome book. In fact, I think you might want to know that at our school, it is a pretty recommended read during our ludology and gamedesign classes.
What school is that, Cridia?
LSK, I believe the answer to that is on the website for the class.
I was one of those that signed up to the course and got all three books. I have finished yours, Understanding Comics and am about half way through Brenda and Ian’s book. Great books and I am so glad to have added them to my collection. We never used them in college (yet!) but I will be making sure to point some of my lecturers in their direction.