Course Overview
The BA (Hons) Creative Computer Games Design course introduces students to the essential skills and practices used within the Games Industry along with the ability to academically analyse and evaluate their own game ideas and designs.
The modules all feed into a single game idea over the first two years of the course, allowing students to work within a production group to develop work using a simulated development cycle. The first year of the course will have the students working within their teams to produce all concepts, characters, assets and game documentation.
The second year of the course will have each student (still within their production teams) implement all work from the first year into a game engine environment and eventually into the creation of a working game demo.
The third year develops these ideas further with the students producing a game demo/proof of a concept, based on their own specifications, as part of their final major project.
Academically the students evaluate their work in the form of reports and analytical documents throughout the three years of the course as well as a dissertation and major project report in the third year.
100% of UWTSD's BA (Hons) Creative Computer Games Design students were satisfied with their overall experience - NSS 2016.Key Features
This programme gives priority to the creative exploration of computer games design. You are given all the necessary knowledge to develop new and innovative work in the fields of character creation, 3D graphics, animation, motion-capture systems, character and environment modelling, texturing, interface design, and concept art. Games mechanics and rule systems ("ludology") are explored often using paper-based concept mock-ups. You are encouraged to explore and develop your ideas in and around the subject area in a series of thought-provoking contextual study modules.
Student learning is primarily through practice: the degree is focussed on your producing working computer games of your own design, and culminates in a series of personally directed projects which allow you to direct your studies towards a preferred specialist area. The emphasis is on personal expression!
The School of Film & Digital Media has excellent links with games production companies both locally and nationally. Through dialogue with industry and the application of the latest developments in games, graduates from this programme are suitably equipped to enter their industry as practitioners. Areas of employment might include: Level Artist, Environmental Modeller, Character Artist, Character Modeller, Texture Artist, and Traditional/Digital Concept Artist.
Modules
Year 1/Level 4
- Game Design & History
- Visual Studies for Film & Digital Media
- Character Design & Animation
- Ways of Thinking
- Ways of Perceiving
- Creative Practice 1
- Creative Practice 2
- Environment & Level Design
Year 2 / Level 5
- The Game Designer's Context
- Creative Practice 3
- Creative Practice 4
- Entrepreneurship
- Creative Research
- Research Practices
- Game Design & Asset Creation 1
- Game Design & Asset Creation 2
Year 3 / Level 6
- Dissertation
- SFDM Major Project Stage 1
- SFDM Major Project Stage 2
- Game Design & Critical Analysis
- Critical Review
International
Erasmus
During your time with us you will have the opportunity to study abroad with the Erasmus exchange programmes currently running with Universities in Norway, Barcelona and Sweden.
Study Abroad
Students can also take up the opportunity to study a semester in the USA and Canada.
For more information please click here.
Course Tutor(s)
- John Carroll
- Julian Hainsworth
Assessment
A majority of assessments on the course are practically-based assignments (for example, a full designed and built game environment)
The taught part of each module will typically comprise a tutor-led exposition, together with supported practical/seminar sessions. Students are strongly encouraged to interact with the lecturer during the taught sessions to ensure that they fully understand the material. Problems that require a significant amount of thought or further reading will be set as exercises to be discussed at a subsequent session.
On the days where there are no taught modules it is expected that students will be reviewing the material from previous lectures and undertaking further study based on the recommended reading list. Most importantly, students should be working to complete all the exercises and assignments set during the programme and investigating problems set or encountered during tutorials.
Career Opportunities
Graduates from the BA (Hons) Creative Computer Games Design programme could develop specialisms in any of the following industrial contexts:
- Web and Mobile Gaming: designer, 2D artist, 3D artist, project director.
- 4th Generation Platform Games Development: level designer, character designer, character modeller, animator, materials artist, lighting artist, storyboard artist, assistant level designer, assistant character modeller, lighting assistant, assistant texture artist, assistant concept artist, trainee game designer, asset modeller, game Q&A.
- Animation Production House: character designer, character modeller, animator, materials artist, lighting artist, storyboard artist, project director.
- Game journalist.
Students from the course have worked on a number of critically acclaimed games over the past few years including: Grand Theft Auto 5, Alien: Isolation, and Lego Star Wars 3. The course has links with games companies such as:
- EA
- Rockstar North
- Rockstar Leeds
- Codemasters
- Rare
- Lionhead Studios
- Microsoft Studios
- Traveller's Tales
- Oysterworld
- Creative Assembly
- Chaos Trend
- XD Studios
Related Courses
- BA 3D Computer Animation
- MArts Creative Computer Games Design
- BA Music Technology
- Certificate of Higher Education Art and Design Foundation
Additional Costs
Our students have access to a diverse range of equipment and resources, which in most cases are sufficient to complete their programme of study. We provide the basic materials necessary for students to develop their practical work within our extensive workshop and studio facilities. However, it is likely that art and design students will incur some additional costs to extend their investigation of their personal practice. For example, purchasing their own specialised materials and equipment, joining in optional study trips, and printing.
