BA Game Design
School of Media, Dublin Institute of Technology
What we do
game design
Ludology & Play, Context & Culture
Games programming
This set of modules over years 1 and 2 will focus on the practical aspects of making games. Starting with board games this intensive theme is core to the whole programme with the principles learned here being brought into your digital work
Games, like any other disicpline have a set of characterisitcs. Things like flow, progression, reward, mechanics and so on. This module lays out the context for games. Its defines what games are and why we play them. This module starts our analytical approach to game design
There is no getting away from code, even with all the tools out there that enable designers to make games. But the fact remains you need to understand game logic and code. We teach programming in a very interesting way, It's not that hard but you'll enjoy it. We promise you!
Production studio
game tools
Mechanics
Building games is a process, a process that begins and ends with the player. We place huge empahsis on finish and testing games. In this track we will take industry approaches like AGILE and SCRUMM applied to production while conduting the class like a real studio.
Tools are NOT the 'be all and end all'. But hey, we need them and there are some great game design tools out there. While we are technology agonostic we use Unity3D a lot. It's a great tool, if you know how to use it and that's what this set of modules are about.
Behind every game there are mechanics. Mechanics are essentially the systems that facilitate play within any game. You need to know how to design them on paper, how to anaylse them in games and how to build them on a computer.
Worldbuilding
usability
prototyping
Games take place in worlds, you as a game designer create those worlds. Those worlds had better be interesting are you'll have no players. There are many ways of creating worlds, through sound, storytelling and role play. "It might be fun they said"
The player needs to be kept at the heart of any game. Forget about them and you can forget about it. As you progress through the degree we have a whole theme dedicated to understanding how to conduct, analyse & test gamers and games. No white jackets needed.
Once we're satisfied that you know the basics of game design we start looking at creating smaller more complex game systems. The focus here is not on the game but on the components that make up the game. Its like experimenting but without the chemicals
Games for Change
the business of games
games research
Games are fun, but they also are very powerful forces for change. Games can be used for education, medicine & health and for solving real world problems. In this module we get you thinking literally outside the box. This is where you invent the game that changes the world.
We all know the games industry is a multibillion even multigazillion (at this stage) euro industry. There is gold in them there hills but, designers need to be able to put the food on the table. This module looks at how to become a professional as well as a designer.
Games have been around for centuries. We learn about the world around us as kids by playing. Now that people are playing more games than watching TV it's having a huge societal impact. We prepare you for how to research games in this wider context.
placement / civic partnership
major project
and theres more......
DIT has strong industry & community partners. Many of our graduates run game companies. There are always opportunities for placements and in year 3 students will have an chance to go on one or to work on a community based game project or problem
Every artist has a masterpiece. At this point on the course you get to create yours. Either on your own or as part of a group. This is your major project and an opportunity for you to apply everything you've learned in the course to close off your course portfolio.
And that's not all. Along the way you will have optional modules to hone your specialisms. You can choose from modules in Digital Media, App Development, More Programming, Sound Design, Maths, User Interface Design, Games AI and much more.