Introduction to Game Development

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Introduction to Game Development

Coursera (CC)
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Description

When you enroll for courses through Coursera you get to choose for a paid plan or for a free plan

  • Free plan: No certicification and/or audit only. You will have access to all course materials except graded items.
  • Paid plan: Commit to earning a Certificate—it's a trusted, shareable way to showcase your new skills.

About this course: If you love games and want to learn how to make them, then this course will start you down that path. Making games is a creative and technical art form. In this course you will familiarize yourself with the tools and practices of game development. You will get started developing your own videogames using the industry standard game development tools, including the Unity3D game engine and C#. At the end of the course you will have completed three hands-on projects and will be able to leverage an array of game development techniques to create your own basic games. This course is for individuals interested in becoming a game designer, game artist, or game programmer.

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When you enroll for courses through Coursera you get to choose for a paid plan or for a free plan

  • Free plan: No certicification and/or audit only. You will have access to all course materials except graded items.
  • Paid plan: Commit to earning a Certificate—it's a trusted, shareable way to showcase your new skills.

About this course: If you love games and want to learn how to make them, then this course will start you down that path. Making games is a creative and technical art form. In this course you will familiarize yourself with the tools and practices of game development. You will get started developing your own videogames using the industry standard game development tools, including the Unity3D game engine and C#. At the end of the course you will have completed three hands-on projects and will be able to leverage an array of game development techniques to create your own basic games. This course is for individuals interested in becoming a game designer, game artist, or game programmer.

Created by:  Michigan State University
  • Taught by:  Brian Winn, Associate Professor

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Basic Info Course 1 of 5 in the Game Design and Development Specialization Commitment 4 weeks, 2-5 hours/week Language English How To Pass Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. User Ratings 4.8 stars Average User Rating 4.8See what learners said Coursework

Each course is like an interactive textbook, featuring pre-recorded videos, quizzes and projects.

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Michigan State University Michigan State University has been advancing the common good with uncommon will for more than 150 years. One of the top research universities in the world, MSU pushes the boundaries of discovery and forges enduring partnerships to solve the most pressing global challenges while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 200 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.

Syllabus


WEEK 1


From Game Player to Game Developer



The only thing more fun than playing games is making them. You can make games. All it takes is some time, a willingness to learn and a passion to create. You don't need to be a "coder" to make games. Part of the beauty of games is that they take a variety of skills to make. Art, creativity, and systems thinking are just as important as code. Join us in this journey into game making!


17 videos, 7 readings expand


  1. Video: Course Overview
  2. Video: Meet the instructor: Brian Winn
  3. Video: Who is taking the course?
  4. Video: About MSU
  5. Video: Game Development Overview
  6. Reading: Additional Resources
  7. Video: Intro to Unity3D
  8. Reading: Troubleshooting Tips
  9. Reading: Download and Install Unity3D
  10. Video: Setting Up Your Workstation
  11. Video: Unity3D Editor Configuration
  12. Reading: Unity3D Editor Quick Reference
  13. Video: Unity3D Editor Walkthrough
  14. Reading: Additional Resources
  15. Video: Game Graphics Concepts - Part 1 of 3
  16. Video: Game Graphics Concepts - Part 2 of 3
  17. Video: Game Graphics Concepts - Part 3 of 3
  18. Video: Creating Game Graphics
  19. Video: Game Audio Concepts
  20. Video: Creating Game Audio
  21. Reading: Asset Creation Tools
  22. Reading: Asset Acquisition Resources
  23. Video: The Asset Pipeline
  24. Video: End of Week 1

Graded: Game Development Concepts
Graded: Game Engines and Unity Editor
Graded: Game Asset Concepts

WEEK 2


Intro to Unity3D Development



One of the reasons we use Unity3D is its visual editor which makes creating interactive games accessible to both creative and technical individuals. In this module, you will create your first Unity3D project from start to finish. Using a variety of graphical and audio assets and a library of scripts, you will create a simple model of our solar system. By the end of the module, you should have a good understanding of the Unity3D editor and the workflow for creating games.


12 videos, 3 readings expand


  1. Video: Project Overview
  2. Reading: Download Project Assets
  3. Video: Getting Started
  4. Video: Working in 3D Space
  5. Video: Setting up the scene
  6. Video: Adding Behaviors
  7. Video: Materials
  8. Video: Lighting
  9. Video: Audio
  10. Video: Cameras
  11. Video: Build & Deploy
  12. Reading: Testing WebGL locally in a Browser
  13. Video: Finishing Up
  14. Video: End of Week 2
  15. Reading: Additional Resources

Graded: Working in 3D Space
Graded: Materials, Audio, and Lights
Graded: Cameras, Building, and Deploying
Graded: Solar System Project Peer Review

WEEK 3


Creating Games in Unity3D



Unity3D is a powerful tool for creating games. In this module, you will create your first actual game from start to finish, called Roller Madness. This ball rolling game will introduce you to the concepts of physics, health and damage, pickups, enemies, spawners, a user interface, and a variety of visual and audio effects. This is your right of passage into game development!


17 videos, 3 readings expand


  1. Video: Project Overview
  2. Reading: Downloading Project Assets
  3. Video: Getting Started
  4. Video: Setting Up the Scene
  5. Video: Camera Setup
  6. Video: Project Organization
  7. Video: Physics
  8. Video: Player Control and Appearance
  9. Reading: Using Game Controllers
  10. Video: Health and Damage
  11. Video: Pickups
  12. Video: UI Basics
  13. Video: Game Manager
  14. Video: Enemies
  15. Video: Particles and SFXs
  16. Video: Animation
  17. Video: Spawners
  18. Video: Finishing Up
  19. Video: End of Week 3
  20. Reading: Additional Resources

Graded: Game Objects, Prefabs, and Standard Assets
Graded: Physics, Player Control, and Health & Damage
Graded: Pickups, UI, Game Manager, and Enemies
Graded: Particles, SFX, Animation, and Spawners
Graded: Roller Madness Project Peer Review

WEEK 4


Designing and Coding Gameplay Systems



Now, don't get scared, but games need code. Code is the canvas upon which game systems are painted. However, that doesn't mean you need to be a C# ninja. In this module, you will start to learn the ins-and-outs of programming C# in Unity. You will apply this knowledge to build a first person shooter game, called Box Shooter. By the end of the module, you will have the tools to begin to develop your own custom games!


21 videos, 3 readings expand


  1. Video: Learning to Program
  2. Video: Unity Programming Concepts
  3. Reading: Unity3D Scripting Quick Reference
  4. Video: Project Overview
  5. Reading: Downloading Project Assets
  6. Video: Getting Started
  7. Video: Movable Targets Part 1
  8. Video: Movable Targets Part 2
  9. Video: Movable Targets Part 3
  10. Video: Player Setup
  11. Video: Camera Setup
  12. Video: Projectile Setup
  13. Video: Shooting Projectiles
  14. Video: UI Setup
  15. Video: Game Manager
  16. Video: Play Again
  17. Video: Particles and SFX
  18. Video: Target Prefab Setup
  19. Video: Spawner Setup
  20. Video: Animated Targets
  21. Video: Animator Setup
  22. Video: Finishing Up
  23. Video: End of Week 4
  24. Reading: Additional Resources

Graded: Programming Concepts 1
Graded: Programming Concepts 2
Graded: Player, Camera, Projectiles, and Shooting
Graded: UI, Game Manager, Play Again, Particles, and SFX
Graded: Targets that Spawn and Animate
Graded: Box Shooter Project Peer Review
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