2017-2018 Undergraduate Calendar

Computer and video games can be complex expressive, narrative, experiential, intelligent, cultural and creative systems. They integrate many types of content and media and are presented on a wide range of interactive digital platforms. The creation of computer games requires highly diverse technical and creative conceptualization, design, implementation and production processes. Games are typically produced by teams of people with specialized knowledge and skills who also understand and support the larger enterprise of the game which is to provide a user/player with challenge, agency and experience.

The GAME program combines study at Brock University and Niagara College, focusng on the concepts, contexts and mechanics of computer games. Students may choose one of two study options: Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Game Design and an Advanced Diploma in Game Development or a Bachelor of Science (Honours) Game Programming and an Advanced Diploma in Game Development. Students examine the history, discourses and production of games and participate in three major collaborative projects that result in the creation and production of fully realized computer games in the second, third and fourth years of the program.

Eligibility to continue in the GAME program is based on a student's major average and non-major average. A student with a minimum 70 percent major average and a minimum 60 percent non-major average will be permitted to continue. A student with a major average lower than 70 percent will not be permitted to continue in the GAME program. With the approval of the Director of the Centre for Digital Humanities or the Chair of the Department of Computer Science, a student who is not eligible to continue may be permitted to complete a Bachelor of Arts degree in Interactive Arts and Science or a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science respectively. Required courses not yet completed in these programs will need to be met.

Major Credits

In calculating the major average for a Game Design major the following are included: BTGD 1P10, 1P11, 1P20, 1P22, 2P31, 3P35, 2P41, 2P45, 3P55, 3P65, IASC 1P04, 1P05, 2P04, 2P05, 3P04, 3P06, 4F03, 4P02, VISA 2P97, 2P99.

In calculating the major average for a Game Programming major the following are included: BTGD 1P11, 1P22, 2P31, 3P35, 2P45, 3P55, 3P65, 3P66, COSC 1P02, 1P03, 2P03, 2P05, 3P71, IASC 1P04, 1P05, 2P04, 2P05, 3P04, 4F03, 4P02.

Entrance Requirement

Students applying for the GAME program are required to submit a Statement of Interest as part of their application. See brocku.ca/game for details.

Concurrent Study at Brock University and Niagara College

Students in the GAME program will study at both Brock University and Niagara College each year of the program. The College and University have endeavoured to schedule courses and manage logistics and facilities, including software, hardware and networks, to enable each student's work between both institutions.

Facilities

The Centre for Digital Humanities (CDH) supports the program through a range of media enriched seminar and lab spaces including a state-of-the-art computer graphics lab, game development and game testing labs and two general labs.

The Department of Computer Science maintains a 16 core Redhat Linux server that supports the departmental labs and provides students with access to their files wherever they can connect via the internet. The department has three computer laboratories (MC D205, MC J301 and MC J310) containing multi-core Intel processor computers running both Windows and Linux operating systems with access to development environments, database systems and other special purpose software used in the courses.

Niagara College provides two state-of-the-art gaming labs fully equipped with high end gaming computers and a suite of software used throughout the gaming industry. The program also has a media viewing room with three widescreen monitors to display game development progress with faculty and clients in a multiscreen interactive environment. Small class sizes enhance the experience in using leading industry art production and software development tools.

The CDH and Niagara College partner with The Generator at One in downtown St. Catharines to enable students to work with industry professionals in internships and structured courses that provide access to a world-class media production studio. Students all have access to a sophisticated Motion Capturing System. Workflow is integrated between the green screen/motion capture studio, audio and visual effects suite, 3D scanning and printing, data centre and theatre.

Printer Usage Fees

A non-refundable printer usage fee may be charged for all courses offered by the Department of Computer Science which use departmental or User Services laboratories. Printing beyond the initial quota will incur an additional fee.

Program Notes

Course requirements include those taught at Brock University and Niagara College.

The GAME program works on a cohort basis. Students will only be permitted to transfer from other majors into upper years of the program in exceptional cases. Transfer credits may not be awarded.

In 20 credit degree programs a maximum of eight credits may be numbered 1(alpha)00 to 1(alpha)99; at least three credits must be numbered 2(alpha)90 or above; at least three credits must be numbered 3(alpha)90 or above; and the remaining credits must be numbered 2(alpha)00 or above.

In some circumstances, in order to meet university degree and program requirements, more than 20 credits may be taken.

Bachelor of Arts Game Design (Honours only)

Game Design prepares students to analyze and build games and other interactive media expressions. Students create games on varied platforms and gain fluency in computing and scripting. They will learn the principles of and use industry standard technology for 3D modelling, character design, environment design and animation. Students will integrate narrative, writing, art direction, level and game design.

For Niagara College course descriptions see niagaracollege.ca/media-studies/programs/ba-game-design/

Year 1

	APCO 1P00
	CPCF 1F25
	IASC 1P04, 1P05 and 1P06
	BTGD 1P10/9810, 1P11/9811, 1P20/9820 and 1P22/9822 (Niagara College courses)

Year 2

	IASC 2P04 and 2P05
	VISA 2P97 and 2P99
	BTGD 2P31/9831, 2P33/9833, 2P35/9835, 2P41/9841, 2P44/9844, 2P45/9845 (Niagara College courses)

Year 3

	APCO 1P50
	COMM 2P90 or STAC 3P14
	COMM 2P91 or VISA 3P10
	IASC 3F91, 3P04 and 3P06
	BTGD 3P55/9855, 3P64/9864 and 3P65/9965 (Niagara College courses)

Year 4

	IASC 4F03 and 4P02
	two credits from DART 3F61, 3P92, IASC 3P95, 3P99,VISA 3F96
	one and one-half credits from COMM 3P26, 3P90, 3P92, EDUC 4P62, IASC 3P96, 3P98, STAC 3P97, 3P98, 4P72

Bachelor of Science Game Programming (Honours only)

Game Programming enables students to analyze and build games and to design and create the underlying program structures. Students gain fluency in basic art and technology tools specific to games. They will create games on varied platforms and develop a depth of knowledge in the concepts that underlie game mechanics involving computer science and related mathematics. Students will engage in practices associated with game programming while also participating fully in the entire game production process.

For Niagara College course descriptions see niagaracollege.ca/media-studies/programs/ba-game-programming/

Year 1

	COSC 1P02 and 1P03
	CPCF 1F25
	IASC 1P04 and 1P05
	MATH 1P66 and 1P67
	BTGD 1P11/9811, 1P22/9822 (Niagara College courses)

Year 2

	COSC 2P03 and 2P13
	IASC 2P04 and 2P05
	PHYS 1P21
	BTGD 2P31/9831, 2P33/9833, 2P35/9835, 2P44/9844 and 2P45/9845 (Niagara College courses)

Year 3

	APCO 1P50
	COSC 2P05 and 3P71
	IASC 3P04 and 3P06
	MATH 1P12
	BTGD 3P55/9855, 3P64/9864, 3P65/9865 and 3P66/9866 (Niagara College courses)

Year 4

	IASC 4F03 and 4P02
	one credit from COSC 3P91, 3P94, 3P98
	one COSC credit numbered 3(alpha)90 or above
	MATH 1P97 or 1P98
	BTGD 4P76/9876 and 4P77/9877 (Niagara College courses)

Descriptions of Courses

See relevant calendar entry for course descriptions.

Prerequisites and Restrictions

Students must check to ensure that prerequisites are met. Students may be deregistered, at the request of the instructor, from any course for which prerequisites and/or restrictions have not been met.

BTGD 1P10

Digital Graphics for Gaming I

An introductory course in Computer Graphic Imaging and Visual Design within the Adobe workflow. The course is geared specificallytowards the Gaming, Animation and Illustration Industries with Photoshop being the primary software used in this class in conjunction with a Wacom tablet. Students will explore Art & Design fundamentals such as Color, Composition, Line weight, Form, and Perspective and will produce original artwork, layouts, concepts, roughs and compositions consistent with the expectations of the gaming industry.

Note: Niagara College course BTGD 9810.

BTGD 1P11

Fundamental 3D and Multimedia Technologies

This course introduces the fundamentals of 3D animation for markets such as games, architecture, visualization and web. Industrystandard software will be used in this course and topics covered include the navigation of software interface, low and high poly 3D modeling,creating materials, lighting and rendering, key framing and path animation.

Note: Niagara College course BTGD 9811.

BTGD 1P20

Digital Graphics for Gaming II

During this course students will continue to develop their knowledge in Computer Graphic Imaging and Visual Design. Students will build onthe foundation of traditional Design and Illustration theory that was applied to the Adobe Photoshop work flow in Digital Graphics forGaming I course. They will continue to grow and expand their capabilities as artists through the exploration of other industry leading software packages. This will include transferring previously learned processes from Photoshop to vector based production in Illustrator. It will also involve applying painting and sculpting fundamentals to 3dimensional meshes in Mudbox. As students examine these programs and hone their skills, they will be expected to produce concept art andconstruct game assets for a number of industry related projects. This course will culminate with placing the created digital graphics and models into the Unity 3D game engine.

Note: Niagara College course BTGD 9820.

BTGD 1P22

Game Engine Fundamentals

In this course, the fundamental skills required for the development of a 2D game will be studied by students. It will require examining many industryrelated techniques in the areas of graphic production, animation, and interactive scripting, and how they relate in a production pipeline utilizing a game engine. Keeping in mind the continuously changing landscape of game development, students will develop a set of core skills that can be applied to other engines and production environments. Learning tools for this course may include the Adobe suite, Unity gameengine and C# gaming scripts.

Note: Niagara College course BTGD 9822.

BTGD 2P31

Environment Design

During this course students will develop the skills necessary for designing and building expansive 3D game environments. Students will be expected to combine traditional level and map developmenttheory with the design and graphic techniques required to bring them to life in a modern game engine. This course will examine industry leading techniques and software for generating terrains, architectural structures and the props and vegetation needed to populate them. It will also build on texturing, lighting and particle techniques that are available for enhancing the atmosphere and game play experience from a first person point of view. This will also include an exploration of mechanical animation techniques, sound effects, and the production ofGUI elements and will utilize software such as Unity Pro, 3DS max, Mudbox, Photoshop & audio editing software.

Note: Niagara College course BTGD 9831.

BTGD 2P33

Database Essentials

To prepare students for today’s work environment, this course will provide in depth instruction on relational database design strategies as well as fundamental Structured Query Language (SQL) syntax. By the end of thecourse, students will be able to design, create, and maintain a relational database.

Note: Niagara College course BTGD 9833.

BTGD 2P35

Game Design and Development I

This course explores game design and development aspects utilizing a game engine in conjunction with scripting. Design elements of various game genres are explored with emphasis on using the game engine to further the students’ understanding of game design techniques. The scripting, and graphics concepts introduced are practiced in this WYSIWYG environment. Students will use the game development environment to complete several micro-game projects.

Note: Niagara College course BTGD 9835.

BTGD 2P41

Character Modelling and Animation

This course will walk through all the necessary steps in the process of taking a character from sketch to game engine. This course will utilize leading modelling, lighting, and texturing techniques from the gaming industry as well as many advanced skills desired in the film, architectural and pre-visualization fields. This course covers low and hi poly modelling techniques, the application of texture maps, and methods of rigging, binding and animating characters. This course will culminate with your fully realized character coming to life in the Unity game engine. Software packages in this course may include Unity, 3DS max, Mudbox, Photoshop & Motionbuilder.

Note: Niagara College course BTGD 9841.

BTGD 2P44

Project Management

This course is targeted towards conducting team based project work in an effective and professional manner. After completing this course, students will be able to apply the following set of general project management skills within a variety of contexts: client relationship and communications management, team and leadership development, product and service quality promotion, time management, and project documentation. Course work will be centered on a common class project and/or case studies.

Note: Niagara College course BTGD 9844.

BTGD 2P45

Game Design and Development II

In this course students are placed into mini teams to collectively build on their previous game development skills. Student teams will add more advanced animations, particle effects, and lighting techniques to realize a higher level ofrealism. By managing input devices, animated models, game mechanics, terrain influences and audio sound effects, the students will create more engaging player game experiences.

Note: Niagara College course BTGD 9845.

BTGD 3P55

Game Production I

In this course, students will be assigned to a game development production team. Student teams will work closely to conceive, design,document and prototype a new game concept. The end result of term work will be a fully realized and documented game design, accompanied with relevant prototypes and a detailed production schedule. Student teams will move to production in the Game Production II course.

Note: Niagara College course BTGD 9855.

BTGD 3P64

The Game Industry Business

This course is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of thecomputer/video gaming business and how to successfully market themselves within it. Majortopics include the business environment, planning and organizing a software development/gaming business, preparing a business plan, funding approaches, development contracts, hardware/software procurement, techniques involved in producing game marketing trailers, developing online companies, and the preparation and marketing of digital portfolios.

Note: Niagara College course BTGD 9864.

BTGD 3P65

Game Production II

In this course students will transform their proposed game project, developed in the Game Production I course, into reality. Following theestablished Game Design and Detailed Production Schedule documents, students will engage in full video game production activities. Student teams will demonstrate functionality requirements at regular intervals throughout the course utilizing presentations, walkthroughs and playable demos resulting in a cohesive, polished and fully functional game.

Note: Niagara College course BTGD 9865.

BTGD 3P66

Graphics Programming Fundamentals

This course is designed to establish a fundamental understanding of video gamegraphics programming through the examination of both two and three dimension space. Studentswill be introduced to standard graphics techniques such as: texture and sprite manipulation, transformations, scaling, rotations, 3D rendering and texture mapping. A standard computer graphics API will be used for programming assignments.

Note: Niagara College course BTGD 9866.

BTGD 4P76

Network Game Programming

Some of the most powerful features of computer use are the ability to access network resources and communicate with others. This course provides you the opportunity to implement cabled and wireless computer networks through the installation and configuration of connection devices, communications protocols, peer and client/server services, and additional web and server services supporting networked gaming environments.

Note: Niagara College course BTGD 9876.

BTGD 4P77

Mobile Game Development

This course covers a mix of important conceptual knowledge and practical programming skills for developing mobile device applications. A key goalfor this course is to make students better software developers and to prepare them for developing new and innovative mobile products.

Note: Niagara College course BTGD 9877.

Last updated: March 20, 2018 @ 10:34AM