Computer Games Development (Art) MA

• Process and Practice as ResearchYou will engage with the relationship between research and production. In particular you will explore the process of designing a research project for Art and Design students at Masters level. Lectures and seminars will introduce you to methodology, ethics and exemplars of research methods from a broad range of art and design disciplines. The specifics of designing a research project, such as dealing with failure and evaluating success, will be considered as fundamental aspects of research design. Lectures and seminars will be delivered on a cross-school platform and you will begin to consider alternative paradigms of practice and engage with ideas from outside your own discipline. Using the initial lectures as a starting point, you will be asked to design and undertake a practice-based, self-contained pilot project which tests the scope and limits of a specific research method or methods. Through the research design process you will write a proposal, identify milestones, deliver an outcome and evaluate your pilot project. In group critiques and tutorials within a specialist subject area, you will discuss and support the ongoing progress of each other’s pilot projects.

• Games Development 1Games development is a multidisciplinary endeavour, requiring input from artists, audio technicians, programmers and designers, to produce an entertaining, polished product. On this module you will apply your existing skills to complex inter-disciplinary projects, testing games design theory in a developmental framework that will allow you to collaboratively plan successive games projects. In the process, you will gain hands-on experience of how your particular discipline relates to the demands and requirements of professional games development. Rapid project prototyping will lead you to critically evaluate and assess the games design and highlight areas that you could improve in the development process. Your final assessment will take the form of completed game development projects and your critical report, which will provide a reflective commentary of your development process, a contextual analysis and an evaluation of your projects.

• Games Development 2In this module, you will plan and develop a games project that focuses on creating an innovative games experience. You will be encouraged to focus on engaging player experiences, not necessarily limited to traditional video game platforms. You will be challenged to develop projects with a target platform, audience and reward strategy in mind, and to reflect professional, legal and ethical issues in your game design. The projects you will undertake can either be a complete game development project, or an experimental prototype for the exploration of new ideas, which you can potentially continue in your Major Project. You will collaboratively construct a schedule of development that considers the prioritising of the various skillsets, thus developing your project management and time management skills. You will also work collaboratively, ensuring that you plan and develop the project in consideration of the demands and influences of other team members’ subject specialisms. Your formative assessment will take place at several stages within the module: (i) at pitching sessions; (ii) in two peer assessment sessions; (iii) in one-to-one tutorials. Your summative assessment will take the form of a game development project and a critical report on your game project that includes an analysis of your development process and project in relation to industry practice.

• Digital Arts - Experimental PracticeOn this module you will create and develop a body of work related to your chosen area of computer games and undertake a learning programme to gain the skills you need for further study on the course. You will collate a sustained body of self-directed visual and technical research, supported by supervisory tutorials, peer group learning and seminars, and complete a statement of intent that will inform your programme of practice-based enquiry, supported by theoretical research. Through direct experimental research, you will test and develop the ideas outlined in your statement of intent, with the specific content and mode of work being dependent on the research direction of your individual project proposal. Your work will be analysed in the context of your specific field of research, which you will be asked to evaluate in relation to current digital art practice. You will be supported by seminars on particular technologies relevant to student project topics, as well as contextual issues relevant to the computer games industry. Weekly computing laboratory sessions will also guide and monitor your progress, with an emphasis on supporting appropriate learning activities rather than delivering content. Your assessment will be based on the research, process, documentation, implementation and evaluation of the work outlined in your project proposal. Where group work is specified, your individual contributions will be assessed separately. You will be encouraged to adopt a professional and real world approach, allowing you to undertake work for third party clients and practitioners of the industry, agreed on with your module tutor.

• Master's Project: Art and DesignThe Masters Project represents the culmination of your learning on the programme, and giving you the opportunity to develop and resolve a major area of enquiry. This is a self-directed visual project negotiated with the staff team and peers. You'll need to negotiate, manage, co-ordinate and bring to successful conclusion a complex, practice-based project within your field of art, media or design. You'll start by formally presenting your research proposal to staff and peers, and will be expected to build on your previous modules to identify a complex area for investigation and enquiry, as well as research methods appropriate to the project. Following negotiation with staff, peers and, where appropriate, outside agencies, you'll then submit a written research proposal. Your project may involve external engagement alongside a personal exploration of themes and concepts in your specialist field. You'll need to show your ability to innovate, think strategically and be sensitive to changing cultural and social climates. You'll be assessed by portfolio (a body of work comprising a written project proposal, and developmental and final visual work) and a 1200-word reflective commentary. This commentary will specifically outline the methodological and ethical considerations relevant to your portfolio work, and evaluate your final visual work.

You’ll show your progress through a combination of written and practical work, carried out individually and as part of a team.