Students who are concerned about not meeting the prerequisites for this course are encouraged to contact the course coordinator before registering.
Overview
This is an introductory course in game design and development. This course covers many of the concepts involved in game design, beginning with the history of gaming and an examination of the software engineering aspects of game design. Other topics include the programming environment, game hardware, mathematical concepts, physical concepts, and graphics. This course will prepare students for advanced courses in game design.
Outline
COMP 318 consists of the following fourteen units:
Unit 1: A Brief History of Video Games
Unit 2: Games and Society
Unit 3: Game Design
Unit 4: Teams and Processes
Unit 5: Programming Fundamentals
Unit 6: Debugging Games
Unit 7: Game Architecture
Unit 8: Memory and I/O Systems
Unit 9: Mathematical Concepts
Unit 10: Collision Detection and Resolution
Unit 11: Graphics
Unit 12: Artificial Intelligence
Unit 13: Networks and Multiplayer Mode
Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, you should be able to
Explain all game development stages.
Explain story creation.
Select a suitable programming language.
Carry out needed mathematical and physical analysis.
Develop further skills in graphics, multimedia, artificial intelligence, and more.
Evaluation
To receive credit for COMP 318, you must achieve a course composite grade of at least D (50 percent) and D (50 percent) on the final examination. The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:
Activity
Weight
13 Quizzes (4% each)
52%
Final Exam
48%
Total
100%
The final examination for this course must be requested in advance and written under the supervision of an AU-approved exam invigilator. Invigilators include either ProctorU or an approved in-person invigilation centre that can accommodate online exams. Students are responsible for payment of any invigilation fees. Information on exam request deadlines, invigilators, and other exam-related questions, can be found at the Exams and grades section of the Calendar.
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.
Materials
Rabin, S. (2010). Introduction to Game Development, 2nd ed. Boston, MA: Charles River Media. (eText)
The remaining learning materials for Computer Science 318 are distributed in electronic format. At this time, those materials include
Computer Science 318 Study Guide
Course Evaluation Form
Links to Other Web-based Course Resources
Special Instructional Features
COMP 318 is offered through Moodle, a Learning Management System that can be accessed through the Web. COMP 318 can be completed at the student's workplace or home. COMP 318 is an elective in all undergraduate programs offered by the School of Computing and Information Systems.
Athabasca University reserves the right to amend course outlines occasionally and without notice. Courses offered by other delivery methods may vary from their individualized study counterparts.