This course is an introduction to the theory and practice of video game design and programming. Video game programming is one of the most challenging disciplines in Computer Science because it attempts to combine, in real time, concepts in: computer graphics, human computer interaction, networking, artificial intelligence, computer aided instruction, computer architecture, and databases. In this class students will form project groups consisting of both Science and Art majors, to design, build and demonstrate a simple video game. Some of the topics you will learn include:

• Video game history
• Taxonomy of video games
• Gameplay design - components of a video game experience
• Software architecture for video games
• Intro to 3D graphics and stereoscopic computer graphics
• Hardware architecture of contemporary video game platforms
• Human physical and perceptual limits & stereoscopic computer graphics
• Game AI (artificial intelligence)
• Multiplayer game design
• Game physics
• Intro to real time shading effects, such as Toon Shading, Reflections, Lens flares, Shadow

This course is jointly taught by the University of Illinois at Chicago and Louisiana State University, using state of the art video conferencing technologies. Most of the lectures, and the course material, will be provided by Prof. Jason Leigh through the UIC Course CS426, and LSU students will take part in the UIC lectures interactively from the class room at LSU. Students will take part in interdisciplinary project teams involving programmers and artists to design and develop video games, some of these teams will be distributed between LSU and UIC.

Acknowledgements: This course would not be possible without the support of the LSU Center for Computation & Technology, the Louisiana Optical Network Initiative, the LSU Communication Across the Curriculum program, and the faculty and staff of the Electronic Visualization Laboratory (EVL) at UIC.

Instructors and Enablers

Dr Robert Kooima (Primary Instructor)
Center for Computation & Technology, Louisiana State University
Email: rkooima@cct.lsu.edu
Office: 335 Frey Building
Phone: 225 578 7150
AIM: robertlkooima
Office Hours: 2pm to 3pm, Monday and Wednesday

Dr Gabrielle Allen (Assisting)
Department of Computer Science, Louisiana State University
Email: allen@bit.csc.lsu.edu
Web: http://www.cct.lsu.edu/~gallen
IM: gridrebel

Dr Rod Parker
School of Art, Louisiana State University
Email: rparke5@lsu.edu
Web: http://www.cct.lsu.edu/~sdbeck

General Information

Location: Coates Hall, Room 202 (Communication across the Curriculum Multimedia Classroom)
Times: Friday 2pm to 5pm

Prerequisites

Suggested Prerequisites: CS1351, CS2259, with some algorithms covered in CS3102

Textbook

Core Techniques and Algorithms in Game Programming
Daniel Sanchez-Crespo Dalmau
New Riders Press.

Grading

Grading scale will be fixed during the first few weeks. Most of the marks will be provided for the final project.

Class Policies and Other Notes

1. Students are responsible for checking their mail regularly using their LSU addresses.
2. A mail list for the LSU class has been set up, gamestudents@cct.lsu.edu
3. If you email the instructors make sure the subject includes CS4700

Gaming Lab

Students will need to use their own laptops or PCs for the course, however we will be working to establish a class lab.

Lecture Schedule

Please refer to Prof Leigh'sCS 426 Spring 2009 schedule.