CS 426 Spring 2008 Class Schedule & Logistics

Version: January 17, 2008


01/18
  • Guest speaker: Susan Gold
    • Chairperson, IGDA Education SIG
    • Susan is chair of the IGDA Education SIG and serves as an academic consultant for GarageGames. Susan's work with the SIG has created many new tools for instructors in game education. Her current focus is in organizing a knowledge base and resources for educators as well as creating curricular models for the varying academic programs. A key focus for Susan is in developing game industry relations to help build academic resources and recommendations in education. Susan is an artist, teacher, and activist with a specialization in digital art, new media and videogames. She speaks around the world on the IGDA curriculum framework and need for collaboration learning strategies in the classroom. Her artwork and writing have been featured in numerous galleries and museums. As an educator, Susan has helped shape a niche program in entertainment technology. Susan sits on the ACM SIGGRAPH Education Committee and the IEEE WG16.3 Committee on Theoretical Foundation of Entertainment Computing in addition to numerous university advisory boards.
  • Read this important article by Randy Pauch (at Carnegie Mellon University) on his experience as an academic at Electronic Arts 
  • July 6, 2003 Pew Internet & American Life Report by Steve Jones: "Let the games begin
  • Gaming technology and entertainment among college students"- http://www.pewinternet.org/reports/toc.asp?Report=93
  • A local copy here.
  • Also Entertainment Software Association's (ESA) latest gaming trends: here
01/25

  • Class Team formation session
  • Buy Nintendo parts.
  • Start to choose your game engine.
02/01

02/08
  • Class brainstorm discussions
  • Present Game Brainstorms and introduce Game Engines.
02/15
02/22
02/29
03/07
03/14
03/21

  • LSU SPRING BREAK
03/28
  • UIC SPRING BREAK
04/04


04/11
04/18
  • Illinois Institute of Art (Lindsay Grace)
04/25
  • Arun Rao (High Voltage)
05/02
  • FINAL PRESENTATIONS
05/07
FINAL PROJECTS DUE
Post final design documents and full download of source and game on your web site. ftp a zip of your entire game web site and game and put it at ftp.evl.uic.edu/pub/INcoming/spiff/cs426

Email FINAL Personnel Evaluations (These forms are different from Mid-Semester Evaluations)

Class Groups

Assignments

Brainstorm Presentations: In 5 minutes present your game concept showing the class your final storyboards. Post these storyboards on the web. We will be using a web browser to bring each of the storyboard pages up.

Game Engine Presentations: In 10 minutes talk about why you chose the game engine and show me it is working with the Wii controller.

Mid-semester Game Progress Report: Give a 15 minute demonstration and presentation on the status of your game.

You need to ensure the day before your presentation that everything is working perfectly on the system you are going to demonstrate on. You will NOT be allowed to install or fiddle with your demo during your demonstration time.  For all presentations make sure that:
    1. You end your presentation on time. I will kick you off if you go over time.
    2. You have readable slides with large enough fonts and a readable color scheme.
    3. Your thoughts are well organized.
    4. The Demo Works!

FINAL Demonstration: Most of your grade for the class hinges on this.

20 minutes per group.

Grade Scoring

Late assignment turn-in policy

Final Exams

Class Groups


UIC Company Names & Web sites
Game Concept
Caffeine OverDose Productions (joint UIC/LSU team)

Sema's company

Higher Echelon Games

Unlimited Gilgamesh Entertainment

Absolute Game Studio













LSU Company Names & Web sites
Game Concept
Smack Yo Mama Studios

Games Gone Wacky
Plan C Software

Logic Play Games



 LSU's Class Web Site