Undergraduate BA (Hons) Games Development and Futures Games Programming

Modules & Skills Units

GAM401 Introduction to game futures: working practices, technologies and contexts

This module enables students to understand applications and genres of the games industry and to explore how these are being used in other industries to problem-solve and innovate. It examines the principles and terminology used in professional contexts and requires students to research and investigate the potential futures of games.

GAM402 Games, culture and society

This module enables students to understand the cultural and social aspects of games and gaming and to connect the theory with the practice. Students will consider and compare the impact, structure and method of gaming in global culture and societies. The module requires students to identify and explore themes to review a variety of formats and technologies through this lens.

GAM403 Digital storytelling in the creative industries

This module enables students to examine digital storytelling across a range of media. Students will consider and compare the purpose, structure and method of storytelling in different formats and platforms and to different audiences. The module requires students to review creative industries practices of digital storytelling in a variety of formats and technologies.

GAM404 Psychology and biology of games from individual to mass participation

This module enables students to understand the impact of games and gaming on physical and mental health. Students will consider and contrast the potential and actual positive and negative impacts of gaming in different contexts. The module requires students to consider and analyse the components of video games to support or challenge current research on this topic.

GAM405 Games Laboratory: Game design, game engine and programming

This module enables students to engage in developing a game by rotating across the key disciplines and roles on mini-projects or one large project, and are continuously reviewed by the Games Tutors and their student peers for contribution and potential contribution.

GAM406 Games Laboratory: Art and animation

This module enables students to develop their practical skills and contextual knowledge in this discipline within the context of GAM405.

GAM407 Games laboratory: Game play, applied music and audio

This module enables students to develop their practical skills and contextual knowledge in this discipline within the context of GAM405.

GAM408 Games laboratory: Creative business practices

This module enables students to develop their practical skills and contextual knowledge in this discipline within the context of GAM405.

Modules & Skills Units

GAM501 Games laboratory 2: Agile and collaborative indie development

This module enables students to engage in an indie game environment in the following activities:

• Interdisciplinary communication, problem-solving and collaboration: practices and tools for synchronous and asynchronous teamwork.
• Individual and group coaching: in role and on and off project;
• Reflective journaling/logging: recording individual and community problems, solutions and learning, learning how to learn through practice and practice-theory-practice cycles;
• Iteration and testing: agile, design, build, test, refine, deliver, pitch, review;
Individual and Community Games Curation and Lexicon: curating and referencing individual and teamwork to current or historic professional practices within an indie games context.

GAM503 Indie: game engines and programming

This module enables students to focus on discipline-specific skills, first experienced within Level 4, in preparation for the Indie Game Project GAM501. This enables students to further develop specialist practical skills and contextual knowledge in this discipline within the context of GAM405.

GAM507 Games laboratory 3: Agile and collaborative AAA game development

This module enables students to engage in an AAA (major) game environment in the following activities:

• disciplinary-specific communication, problem-solving and collaboration: practices and tools for synchronous and asynchronous teamwork.
• Individual and group coaching: in role and on and off project;
• Reflective journaling/logging: recording individual and community problems, solutions and learning, learning how to learn through practice and practice-theory-practice cycles;
• Iteration and testing in one specific discipline: agile, design, build, test, refine, deliver, pitch, review;
• Individual and Community Games Curation and Lexicon: curating and referencing individual and teamwork to current or historic professional practices within a AAA games context. Each team is responsible for locating ideas, concepts, principles, approaches, strategies, practices and tools within the field of games and game development; Terminology for publishing in the Game community and industry.

GAM509 AAA: game engines and programming

This module enables students to further develop specialist practical skills and contextual knowledge in this discipline within the context of GAM503 and GAM501.

Modules & Skills Units

GAM604 Games laboratory 4: Game engines and programming

This module is selected by those students who have demonstrated commitment, further developed their skills and problem-solving abilities within this discipline for the Audiences of the future Game Project GAM501. This enables students to further develop specialist practical skills and contextual knowledge in this discipline within the context of GAM513.

GAM601 Independent Portfolio

This module enables students to create a portfolio and digital presence that includes course output, work experience, freelance work or volunteering targeted to professional opportunities or further study.

GAM602 Games Industry Critical Review

This module includes a research or practical project that critically reviews one or more current issues, constraints or practices that impact the Games Industry, the application of games to other industry sectors or broader cultural or workforce issues relating to the Games industry.