COVER FEATURE Play-Centric Games Education Tracy Fullerton USC School of Cinema-Television The interactive media program at the USC School of Cinema-Television combines a broad liberal arts education with the technical expertise needed to create games that provide players with a narratively rich and emotionally immersive experience. n the past few decades, interactive entertainment has more than 80 such programs exist in North America grown to rival Hollywood in both market size and cul- alone. Recognizing the overwhelming interest in guide- tural impact. Game industry revenue has increased at lines for teaching game design, the International Game double-digit rates for years and recently eclipsed Developers Association (www.igda.org) established a I domestic theatrical box office receipts. Studies indicate committee to help educators craft a curriculum that that 90 percent of US households with children have rented reflects the real-world creative process of professional or owned a videogame or computer game,1 and that young game designers. The “IGDA Curriculum Framework” people in the US spend an average of 20 minutes per day sidebar describes this committee’s efforts. playing videogames.2 Digital games are now the second Unfortunately, many of today’s programs exclusively most popular form of entertainment after television. address the technical aspects of game design. Such pro- The extraordinary imagery in today’s games, which is grams effectively prepare students for entry-level positions comparable to that found in film and TV, coupled with in the game industry, such as a 3D animator, but, by depriv- its increasing complexity and realism, have broadened ing them of a broad liberal arts education, do not encour- the appeal of electronic entertainment to include adults age the kind of critical thinking necessary to transcend as well as adolescents and children. To fully realize the existing boundaries of content and expression. Nor does expressive potential of these sophisticated platforms and a tools-focused curriculum offer a rigorous exploration of satisfy the demand for more challenging and immersive history, theory, and practice as is typically found in the gaming experiences, the industry is looking to the next study of film, music, architecture, theater, and other arts. generation of designers and visual storytellers. Skeptics may question whether game design should be Similar to the explosion of interest in screenwriting and taught beside more established disciplines. However, games directing that accompanied the growth of the film and TV predate computer science, and, as cultural historian Johan industries, many creative thinkers today see interactive Huizinga asserts, play may in fact predate culture itself,3 entertainment as the most innovative and culturally per- making game design one of the oldest arts rather than the tinent mode of expression available to them. Skyrocketing newest. In addition, while film programs abound on col- sales of videogames and computer games have likewise lege campuses today, similar doubts were raised about spurred interest in game design as a career path. studying the “flickers” in the industry’s early days. In Hamlet on the Holodeck: The Future of the GAMES EDUCATION TODAY Narrative in Cyberspace, Janet Murray, an internation- Major universities around the world now offer degree ally recognized digital media theorist, points to a future programs in game design in response to student demand; in which games enjoy the same level of prestige currently 36 Computer Published by the IEEE Computer Society 0018-9162/06/$20.00 © 2006 IEEE IGDA Curriculum Framework Today’s game industry is filled with people who care pas- that require working within cross-disciplinary teams and sionately about the future of their medium. Many of them understanding aesthetic goals not traditionally covered in belong to the International Game Developers Association, such courses. which has formed several committees to focus on issues Visual design: Designing, creating, and analyzing the visual important to the industry, including diversity, business components of games.This topic includes visual design funda- practices, quality of life, and education. mentals across a broad range of media. Content areas The industry recognizes that digital games have changed include history, analysis, and production of traditional art dramatically over the past 30 years and will likely continue media as well as other design disciplines including architec- to evolve. Next-generation game developers will need very ture and industrial design and time-based media like anima- different skills than previous designers to lead that process tion, and filmmaking. Special emphasis is on how visual wisely and effectively. aesthetics play a role in the player’s experience of the game. In an effort to shift games education away from the existing Audio design: Designing and creating sound and sound environ- trade school model to a more comprehensive, humanistic ments.This topic includes various theoretical and practical approach, the IGDA education committee spent three years audio-related areas such as recording studio skills, sound exploring the needs of publishers, developers, students, and editing and mixing, electronic sound generation, sound envi- academic institutions to develop its Curriculum Framework ronment creation, music theory and history, and music com- (www.igda.org/academia/curriculum_framework.php). position. Special emphasis is on the role of the audio Comprised of more than 50 professional games educators experience within the larger context of a game. As with and industry veterans from around the world, the commit- visual design, this topic focuses on design fundamentals tee espouses an expansive and forward-thinking template rather than on specific technical knowledge. for games education that includes numerous core topics. Interactive storytelling:Traditional storytelling and the chal- Critical game studies: Analysis and history of electronic and lenges of interactive narrative.Writers and designers of inter- nonelectronic games.The primary goal of this topic is to active works need a solid understanding of traditional develop and refine a vocabulary for articulating game aes- narrative theory, character development, plot, dialogue, thetics, including the distinctive features unique to games as backstory, and world creation as well as experimental well as those shared with other forms of media and culture. approaches to storytelling in literature, theater,and film that Games and society: Understanding how games reflect and have relevance to games. In addition, interactive storytelling construct individuals and groups.This topic offers key sociolog- requires familiarity with new tools and techniques, including ical, anthropological, cultural, and psychological insights into the technical aspects of writing for this new medium, algo- worldwide gaming culture. It includes scholarly work on rithmic storytelling, and collaborative story construction. online economies and community building, fan cultures and Game production: Practical challenges of managing game their creative reworkings of game content, the role of play in development. Games are among the most complex forms of human culture, and the relationship between online and software, and game development and publishing are intricate offline identity. collaborative efforts. Along with the technical challenges, Game design: Principles and methodologies behind the rules this topic addresses issues of design documentation, content and play of games.This topic addresses fundamental concepts creation, team roles, group dynamics, risk assessment, people behind the design of electronic and nonelectronic games. It management, and process management. is a detailed study of how games function to create experi- Business of gaming: Economic, legal, and policy aspects of games. ences, including rule design, play mechanics, game balancing, This topic examines the ways games are funded, marketed, and social game interaction, and the integration of visual, audio, sold and the relationships among publishers, developers, dis- tactile, and textual elements into the total game experience. tributors, marketers, and retailers. Market and industry trends, Game programming: Aspects of traditional computer science licensing management, the dynamics of company and product modified to address the technical aspects of gaming.This topic value, and business differences between major game platforms includes mathematics, programming techniques, algorithm are all important aspects of the business of gaming. design, game-specific programming, and the technical aspects While the IGDA education committee acknowledges that of game testing, much of which could be taught under the no single program can effectively address each and every core auspices of a traditional computer science curriculum. topic within the Curriculum Framework, the members agree However,games present specific programming challenges that these are all essential to a well-rounded games education. accorded cinema.4 “Every age,” she writes, “seeks out ines a “great procedural virtuoso” capable of using the the appropriate medium in which to confront the unan- intrinsic properties of digital media to evoke experiences swerable questions of human existence.” Murray imag- that a book or film cannot capture in the same way. June 2006 37 By offering a formal, well-designed games education • analytical, creative writing, and critical thinking skills