Jenkins — Innovating Game Development
Robot Learning and Autonomy at [email protected]
1
CS134: Innovating Game Development –A Course in Games Technology
Chad JenkinsAssistant Professor
Dept. of Computer ScienceBrown University
Jenkins — Innovating Game Development
Robot Learning and Autonomy at [email protected]
Research and Development (R&D)for Games! What entity is responsible for much of the research
and development that has led to today’s games?
! That is, graphics pipelines, computing architectures, networking, artificial intelligence, display technology, etc.
2
Jenkins — Innovating Game Development
Robot Learning and Autonomy at [email protected]
! What entity is responsible for much of the research and development that has led to today’s games?
! The military!
Research and Development (R&D)for Games
3
Interesting story on the post World War II evolution of R&Dhttp://www.economist.com/science/displaystory.cfm?story_id=8769863
Tennis for two (1958)
Spacewar! (1961)
Jenkins — Innovating Game Development
Robot Learning and Autonomy at [email protected]
4
What is Games Research?
– Game design: device-independent game mechanics
– Game development (D): implementing specific games
– Games technology (R): innovating basic technology
! Graphics, AI, computing, networks, interfaces, physics
! Theory, prog. lang., biomechanics, neuro
Jenkins — Innovating Game Development
Robot Learning and Autonomy at [email protected]
What is Games Research?
5
Game Content(e.g. story, modelscharacters, scripts)
Game Technology(e.g. computing, display,network, AI, physics)
User Gameplay(via console or arcade)
Game Engine(e.g. Torque, WiiUnreal, Ogre)
Developed Game(e.g. Halo, Madden,Mario, Gran Turismo)
GameDesign
Basic Research(e.g. scientific exploration)
SystemsIntegration
GamesResearch
PracticalKnowledge
TechnicalConstraints
PerformanceStatistics
GameDevelopment
Game Reviews
Interactive(Virtual)World
Jenkins — Innovating Game Development
Robot Learning and Autonomy at [email protected]
Games = Storytelling (Interactively)
! People play games to have fun and escape reality
– Middle-earth does not exist
– You are likely not NBA or Top Gun material
– although it is fun to pretend
! Technology improves story, but does not replace it
6
Jenkins — Innovating Game Development
Robot Learning and Autonomy at [email protected]
7
Course Objectives
! All about making a technologically novel game
! Capstone course
– use your cumulative knowledge to design and implement an open-ended project
! Final deliverable
– compelling game demo in a distributable form
– intellectual merit with catchy aesthetics
! Prerequisites
– CS 32, 36, or written permission
– More exactly, near completion of your concentration
Jenkins — Innovating Game Development
Robot Learning and Autonomy at [email protected]
Course Staff
! Instructor
– Chad Jenkins (cjenkins), hours MW 10-11
! HTA
– Korhan Bircan (kbircan)
– contact for game engine and tool support
! TAs
– Scott Daniel (sadaniel)
– Neehar Reddy (neehar)
8
Jenkins — Innovating Game Development
Robot Learning and Autonomy at [email protected]
9
Course Structure
! Case Studies
– What makes a game innovative?
! “Onepagers”
– Brainstorming game ideas.
! Preliminary Projects
– Quick familiarity with standard game engines and tools
! Course Project
– Develop and integrate a novel game technology
! External Speakers
– How to put innovation into practice?
Jenkins — Innovating Game Development
Robot Learning and Autonomy at [email protected]
Course Resources
! Mailing list: [email protected]
– make sure you subscribe
! Support for some game engines and tools
– /course/cs134/lib
! Handouts and textbook available in course directory
– /course/cs134/pub
! and course webpage: www.cs.brown.edu/courses/csci1340
10
Jenkins — Innovating Game Development
Robot Learning and Autonomy at [email protected]
Course Resources
! Document handin and feedback via MyCourses
– mycourses.brown.edu
! Extra directory space for project and assignments
– location: TBD
– Implementation handin will occur in project space
11
Jenkins — Innovating Game Development
Robot Learning and Autonomy at [email protected]
Course Textbook
! McGuire & Jenkins, “Creating Games: Mechanics, Content, and Technology”, working draft, AK Peters 2008.
! Covers process of game development and mechanics, and some enabling technologies
! You will be responsible for reading this own your own.
! Selected topics will be discussed in class.
12
!!
!!
!!
!!
Creating Games:Mechanics, Content, and Technology
McGuire & Jenkins
2007 A. K. Peters
Jenkins — Innovating Game Development
Robot Learning and Autonomy at [email protected]
13
Lessons from CS 196-2, Spring 2006
! A wide range of guest speakers
– Industry: Harmonix, Mad Doc, Ironlore, Demiurge, etc.
– Academia: databases, NPR, biofeedback, game theory
! Take away messages
– New technologies work properly at 50%-85%
– Mask technological shortcomings with gameplay
– Leverage external systems/libraries (“NIH syndrome”)
– Build a simple version first; then refine
– Start early, you have less than 4 months
Jenkins — Innovating Game Development
Robot Learning and Autonomy at [email protected]
Grading
15
Starting next week, class meetings will be devoted exclusively to presenting case studies.
SIGN UP FOR PRESENTATION SLOTS NOW!!!
Written submission viaMyCourses.
Format outline on cs134 webpage.
Jenkins — Innovating Game Development
Robot Learning and Autonomy at [email protected]
Grading
16
Starting next week, 2 onepagers aredue every Friday viaMyCourses
Format outline on cs134 webpage.
Jenkins — Innovating Game Development
Robot Learning and Autonomy at [email protected]
Grading
17
Introductory assignments will be covered during TA sessions.
We support Ogre, Irrlicht, and XNA. Other engines require approval.
Jenkins — Innovating Game Development
Robot Learning and Autonomy at [email protected]
Grading
18
Proposal describes your class project and has a rough working prototype. Must be approved by spring break
Written submission and sta" feedback via MyCourses.
Format outline on cs134 webpage.
Jenkins — Innovating Game Development
Robot Learning and Autonomy at [email protected]
Grading
19
Two graded implementation due dates.
Intermediate prototype has full integration with incomplete components.
Final implementation is the final working game.
Public demos of final games
Jenkins — Innovating Game Development
Robot Learning and Autonomy at [email protected]
Grading
20
Final report for the project outlining pros/cons of project, lessons learned, and technical detail of innovative contributions
Jenkins — Innovating Game Development
Robot Learning and Autonomy at [email protected]
Grading
21
Ask questions and provide weekly progress reports on your project.
Jenkins — Innovating Game Development
Robot Learning and Autonomy at [email protected]
Grading
22
Turn your work in on time or we will apply significant late penalties.
Collaboration:Case studies and onepagers are to be done individually. Other work can be collaborative. External sources must be cited!
Jenkins — Innovating Game Development
Robot Learning and Autonomy at [email protected]
23
B. LeesE. Taylor
M. ten Bosch
D. DadushC. SwepsonJ. PerezN. Mehta
Noteworthy Gamesfrom Spring 2006
Jenkins — Innovating Game Development
Robot Learning and Autonomy at [email protected]
24
SwordplayD. Ignatoff, M. Katzourin, L. Quirk
! Swordfighting/ spellcasting game
! Vanquish as many hostiles as possible
! 2 6DOF wands in CAVE display
! Innovation
– Incorporation of symbol recognition
M. Katzourin, D. Ignatoff, L. Quirk, J. LaViola, O. Jenkins, “Swordplay: Innovating Game Development through VR", IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications, pp. 15-19, November/December, 2006.
Jenkins — Innovating Game Development
Robot Learning and Autonomy at [email protected]
25
Sword and Shield InterfaceConcept
Prototype
Final
Jenkins — Innovating Game Development
Robot Learning and Autonomy at [email protected]
26
Bow and Arrow Interface
Concept
Final
Jenkins — Innovating Game Development
Robot Learning and Autonomy at [email protected]
27
Spellcasting Interface
Concept
Final
Jenkins — Innovating Game Development
Robot Learning and Autonomy at [email protected]
Upcoming Schedule
! Friday: games technology fast forward
– global illumination, learning algorithms, physical simulation, transaction processing, speech recognition, peek-a-boom, inertial sensing, exercise-based gaming, multi-core programming, etc.
! Next week: case study presentations
– remember to sign up to present your selected game
– outlines are in the course directory
28
