Entertainment Computing

Lecture 1 Introduction October 22nd, 2013

Lecturers
Rainer Malaka malaka@tzi.de Marc Herrlich mh@tzi.de Find us at MZH 5th floor or check our website: dm.tzi.de

Entertainment Computing, Winter Term 2013/2014 Rainer Malaka, Marc Herrlich

And You?
Branch of study?
Semester? Expectations?

Experiences?

Entertainment Computing, Winter Term 2013/2014 Rainer Malaka, Marc Herrlich

About the Course

Goals: Learn about the field of Entertainment Computing
- Game design, game technology and development, application areas, evaluation

Train the necessary skills

- Understanding and discussing the process of creating games and game design - Understanding the technology - Applying your knowledge

Entertainment Computing, Winter Term 2013/2014 Rainer Malaka, Marc Herrlich

Stud.IP
Please register for this course in Stud.IP: https://elearning.uni-bremen.de All the slides and additional material will be available from

the Stud.IP pages of this course! If you dont have an account, ask your colleagues (or us after the lecture)!

Entertainment Computing, Winter Term 2013/2014 Rainer Malaka, Marc Herrlich

General Remarks
Entertainment Computing is a really, really broad field!
It a very dynamic field, i.e., slides and materials will be a

little more in flux than what you might be used to You should be willing and ready to work through additional sources independently if required We will try to keep the lectures as interactive, i.e. seminar style, as possible Practical exercises will certainly require some effort!

Entertainment Computing, Winter Term 2013/2014 Rainer Malaka, Marc Herrlich

What is Entertainment Computing?

Buzzword
Entertainment + Computing Broad topic in general many different aspects: Production processes Game design Technical foundations Application areas Evaluation methods Our plan for the course basically reflects these different

aspects

Entertainment Computing, Winter Term 2013/2014 Rainer Malaka, Marc Herrlich

Production Processes
Process of designing, creating, and implementing a game or

interactive software in general Important documents or artifacts

Design documents, storyboards, models, demos, etc.

Process types and templates From Waterfall to Agile Methods Typical roles Game designer, producer, artists, programmer, level designer, tester, etc.

Entertainment Computing, Winter Term 2013/2014 Rainer Malaka, Marc Herrlich

Waterfall

(Keith 2009)
Entertainment Computing, Winter Term 2013/2014 Rainer Malaka, Marc Herrlich

Scrum

(McGuire 2006)
Entertainment Computing, Winter Term 2013/2014 Rainer Malaka, Marc Herrlich

Game Design
Game concept

Seeing the puzzle, game deconstruction and examining your experience Game mechanics Emotion, immersion, motivation, fun, addiction, etc. Story User Roles, player roles, story providing function User interface design GUI User input
- Game pad, mouse, keyboard, motion sensors, cameras, etc.

Asset design

Images (textures), 3d models, sounds, music, etc. Genres

Entertainment Computing, Winter Term 2013/2014 Rainer Malaka, Marc Herrlich

Levels and Roles in Game Design

Conceptual level Producer, Game Designer Artistic level Level and Content Designer Realization level Game and Level Designer

Entertainment Computing, Winter Term 2013/2014 Rainer Malaka, Marc Herrlich

Conceptual Level
Idea A game about a wizard Rules Wizards cast spells Mechanics/Aesthetics Higher levels unlock better spells Atmosphere Dark and gloomy Interaction Casting spells with mouse gestures

Entertainment Computing, Winter Term 2013/2014 Rainer Malaka, Marc Herrlich

Artistic Level
Level Populating sketched levels with game objects Audio Whooosshh sound playing when a spell is cast Visual Model of the wizard and his broomstick Story Once upon a time

Entertainment Computing, Winter Term 2013/2014 Rainer Malaka, Marc Herrlich

Realization Level
Interface Menus, buttons, icons, etc. Input Mouse movement and gestures Advancement The user has to level up his wizard to advance Story outline The spell book was lost during a battle... Rule to action and reaction If fireball hits then show explosion

Entertainment Computing, Winter Term 2013/2014 Rainer Malaka, Marc Herrlich

Technical Foundations
Computer game architecture and techniques Game object model, user input, game logic, AI, graphics, audio, physics, networks Game Engines
Middleware Tools Technical aspects of assets Image editing, 3d modeling, etc.

Entertainment Computing, Winter Term 2013/2014 Rainer Malaka, Marc Herrlich

Application Areas
Games solely for entertainment
Serious Games Educational Games Exergames Human Computation Games Special effects for film and live performances Simulation .

Entertainment Computing, Winter Term 2013/2014 Rainer Malaka, Marc Herrlich

Serious Games in a Nutshell

Short story: All Games are Serious (B. Sawyer) Concept of Serious Games not clearly defined For now: Any game or game technology used not solely for entertainment purposes. More when we talk about application areas

Entertainment Computing, Winter Term 2013/2014 Rainer Malaka, Marc Herrlich

Americas Army

Entertainment Computing, Winter Term 2013/2014 Rainer Malaka, Marc Herrlich

ReMission

Entertainment Computing, Winter Term 2013/2014 Rainer Malaka, Marc Herrlich

Wuppdi!

Entertainment Computing, Winter Term 2013/2014 Rainer Malaka, Marc Herrlich

Human Computation in a Nutshell

Human Computation:
Is the combination of human mental abilities and the

computational power of computers to solve problems not yet solvable by an artificial system alone.

Entertainment Computing, Winter Term 2013/2014 Rainer Malaka, Marc Herrlich

ESP Game

Entertainment Computing, Winter Term 2013/2014 Rainer Malaka, Marc Herrlich

OnToGalaxy

Entertainment Computing, Winter Term 2013/2014 Rainer Malaka, Marc Herrlich

Are Games Art?

The Graveyard

Entertainment Computing, Winter Term 2013/2014 Rainer Malaka, Marc Herrlich

Grim Fandango

Entertainment Computing, Winter Term 2013/2014 Rainer Malaka, Marc Herrlich

Shadow of the Colossus

Entertainment Computing, Winter Term 2013/2014 Rainer Malaka, Marc Herrlich

Unfinished Swan

Entertainment Computing, Winter Term 2013/2014 Rainer Malaka, Marc Herrlich

Evaluation Methods
Evaluation of games and interactive software systems Usability Playability User Experience Qualitative and quantitative methods Different foci for different game types Leisure-time Games Serious Games Human Computation Games Tools and methods

Entertainment Computing, Winter Term 2013/2014 Rainer Malaka, Marc Herrlich

While Talking about Usability

(Silverman 2008)
Entertainment Computing, Winter Term 2013/2014 Rainer Malaka, Marc Herrlich

Administrative Stuff

Assessment and Grading

Exercises: 60% Correct Deadline Contents Interview (Fachgesprch): 40%

Entertainment Computing, Winter Term 2013/2014 Rainer Malaka, Marc Herrlich

Exercises
Small groups (4-5 students)
Three exercises Game analysis/deconstruction Game concept/design Game prototype (aka GGJ) Tutorials will take place on demand only!! Trouble with your exercises, request for a specific tutorial on some technology, Time slot: Tuesdays, 2pm, MZH 1090

Entertainment Computing, Winter Term 2013/2014 Rainer Malaka, Marc Herrlich

Global Game Jam

http://globalgamejam.org/ January 24-26th, 2014

Entertainment Computing, Winter Term 2013/2014 Rainer Malaka, Marc Herrlich

Agenda (Tentative)
22.10.13 Introduction
29.10.13 What is a Game? 05.11.13 Game Production Process 12.11.13 Introduction to Game Design

19.11.13 Game Design contd

26.11.13 Game Technology Introduction: Game Engines 03.12.13 Game Loop, Game Object Model and Game Logic 10.12.13 Real-Time Graphics and Animation

17.12.13 Collision Detection and Physics

07.01.14 Game AI / Audio 14.01.14 Application Area: Serious Games 21.01.14 Evaluation Techniques

28.01.14 Evaluation contd / Wrap-up

Entertainment Computing, Winter Term 2013/2014 Rainer Malaka, Marc Herrlich

References
McGuire (2006). Paper Burns: Game Design With Agile Methodologies. http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20060628/mcguire_01.shtml
Silverman (2008). http://videogames.yahoo.com/feature/gamer-juggles-over30-warcraft-characters/1255554 Keith (2008). Beyond Scrum: Lean and Kanban for Game Developers. http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3847/beyond_scrum_lean_and_kan ban_for_.php Keith (2009). Waterfall Game Development. http://www.agilegamedevelopment.com/2009/01/in-dawn-of-video-game-

development.html

Entertainment Computing, Winter Term 2013/2014 Rainer Malaka, Marc Herrlich