COM5403 - Games Technologies

Objectives:

Assessment tasks are designed to enable students to demonstrate the Learning and Employability outcomes for the relevant level of study. Level Learning Outcomes are embedded in the assessment task(s) at that level. This enables a more integrated view of overall student performance at each level.

Content:

This module introduces students to look at the use of existing the practical and technical foundations of game technologies currently used in computer games development and seek out opportunities for innovation within the field through hands-on programming.
By understanding and exploring the current state of game technologies and identifying technical fundamentals in relation to games development, students can identify areas where they can push the boundaries and introduce new and creative ideas.
Students will learn to implement simple gameplay mechanics, interactions, and behaviours using an appropriate engine and programming language.

The module will emphasise accessible mathematical concepts, structured programming, and core engine workflows.
Students will build small prototypes that demonstrate their unders

Learning and Teaching Information:

Workshops
Hours: 60
Intended Group Size: Cohort

Guided independent study
Hours: 240

Further Details Relating to Assessment

The learning and teaching method for this module is centred on a series of predominantly practical guided programming activities, initiated by short theoretical introductions (e.g. 3D maths, collisions, engine architecture).

The gaming industry is one of the fastest-growing sectors in entertainment and technology, offering numerous career opportunities.
Understanding game development technologies is crucial for students aspiring to enter this dynamic field.
The emphasis is on understanding game development as a software engineering discipline: designing robust behaviour, working with real-time constraints, reasoning about performance, and applying mathematical models.
Students develop practical skills by implementing core game mechanics and systems using code rather than visual scripting.

A workshop could cover key aspects of game development, including game design principles, programming and the use of popular game engines such as Unity and Unreal Engine Workshops and practical labs encourage experimentation, iteration, and incremental development of working game prototypes, ensuring students acquire relevant skills for the industry.
The goal is to develop the students’ critical perspective while gaining up-to-date domain knowledge through practical work.
Each session includes preliminary exercises and readings based on online materials conducted by students on their own.
After the workshop, students individually consolidate their understanding through additional activities and further readings.

Assessment:

001 Game Technologies Document; 1,400-word equiv; Mid-semester 2 40%
002 Game Technologies artefact; 1,600-word equiv; End of semester 2 60%

Fact File

Module Coordinator - Lesley May
Level - 5
Credit Value - 30
Pre-Requisites - NONE
Semester(s) Offered - 5S2

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