Description of McCoy's TCS198 seminar about game platforms as a Pico-8 game. Press Z, X, C, V, N, M, S, F, E, D,  left shift, A, tab, or Q to advance!

Here is a tentative outline of the course:

Description

This course studies game platforms and their effect on development, design, the player, and the public. The domains of the class will be focused around video games including their design, development, and production while exploring platforms and their contexts through a holistic perspective  Through developing a set of games in and for the Pico-8 platform, students will further their technical skills in procedural literacy, content and asset creation, development of gameplay systems, and problem solving in digital media. Alongside technical development, production methods (e.g. game design documents, team software development methodology, playtesting, etc.) will be required. Finally, students will communicate their games to the outside world through pitches, open play testing sessions, press kits, and making their game accessible on the internet.

 

Rubric:

• 20% Platforms Studies Presentation
• 30% Game 1
• Design Document
• Peer Review
• Code Review
• Game Critique
• Report
• 40% Game 2
• Pitch
• Design Document
• Peer Review
• Play Testing and Development Iteration
• Code Review
• Game Critique
• Publishing and Press Kit
• 10% Participation and Attendance

 

Materials

 

A copy of Pico-8

One of the Platform Studies Series of books depending on your workgroup.

 

Schedule

 

Week	Meeting 1	Meeting 2
1	Introduction to Video Game Environments Introduction to Platform Studies Introduction to Pico-8	Basics of Lua Programming in Pico-8 Overview of Pico-8 Tools and Structure Game 1 Ideation and Team Formation Assign Platform Studies Groups
2	Basic Game Systems: Movement, Input, and Physics Pixel Art Game Design Workshop: Battle Battle	Game 1 Check-in Primitive and Structured Datatypes in Lua Game Design Workshop: Battle Battle
3	Analysis of Pico-8's System Constraints Managing Game States	Game 1 Play and Report Game Production Cycles Understanding Playtesting
4	Pitch for Game 2 Basic Game Loops and Events Simulation of Time	Game 2 Teams Due Game Design Documents
5	Debugging Collision Detection	Game 2 Design Document Economy of Tokens Game Design Workshop: MDA
6	Platform Studies 1 Games and Rhetoric	Game 2 Prototype Version Control
7	Platform Studies 2 Level Design	Development Team Methodologies
8	Platform Studies 3 Graphics Systems	Game 2 Playtesting
9	Platform Studies 4 Audio Systems	Game 2 Workshop
10	Artificial Intelligence for Games Game 2 Workshop	Game 2 Critique Discussion About the Course Evaluations
Finals	Games Showcase