Games Design BDes (Hons)

Program Overview

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The Games Design - BDes (Hons) program at Belfast provides students with the knowledge and skills to design and develop games. The program emphasizes practical content and outcome through modules heavily focused on studio practice. Students will have the opportunity to work on live projects and industry-generated initiatives, and will be prepared for a variety of career paths in the rapidly growing games industry.

Program Outline

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Games Design - BDes (Hons)

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Degree Overview

This highly creative course focuses on using specialized tools and practices to design and develop games. The curriculum provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to fill a variety of diverse employment opportunities in a rapidly growing field.

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Objectives:

• Enable students to acquire high levels of knowledge, understanding, and experience in game design disciplines and studio development.
• Equip students with the necessary skills to fulfil a range of diverse employment opportunities.
• Offer students the opportunity to work on live projects and industry-generated initiatives to gain essential work-based learning experience.
• Introduce students to the professional contexts of game design disciplines.

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Program Description:

• The BDes Games Design program is a three-year, full-time course that emphasizes practical content and outcome through modules heavily focused on studio practice.
• The program covers the fundamentals of game design, research, and acquisition of skills for developing game prototypes.
• In the second year, students will broaden their scope within the nuances of game design roles, exploring level design, user interface design, and group projects.
• The final year allows students to focus on their desired area of game design and delve deeper into their interests through major projects and dissertations.

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Outline

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Year 1 (Level 4)

• Introduction to Games Asset Development: This module aims to equip students with the knowledge and skills to create a diverse range of assets for game prototypes.
• Game Design: This module covers core game design theory, game mechanics, and presentation techniques.
Students will learn to analyze and evaluate historical and contemporary game titles.
• Game Studies: This module explores key historical events, ideas, and developments in game design, providing students with the context in which games have been made and used.
• Game Prototyping: This module helps students to create vertical slices of previously planned games and gain new knowledge in testing methodologies.

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Year 2 (Level 5)

• Level Design: This module provides students with the foundation and core knowledge on level design theory and the skills involved in planning, designing, and developing a level.
• Launch Title: This module focuses on storytelling theory and narrative techniques in games.
Students will gain essential experience in teamwork and a multidisciplinary setting while developing a narrative-led game.
• User Interface Design: This module equips students with the knowledge and skills to design and develop user interfaces for games.

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Year 3 (Level 6)

• Major Project: This major project allows students to choose a specific topic and develop a significant body of work under the supervision of the module coordinator.
• Game Studio Development: This module explores business theory and funding models for game studios.
Students will also develop business plans and strategies to deal with development and publishing issues.

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Assessment

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Assessment methods:

• The program employs various assessment methods, including examinations, coursework assignments, and presentations.
• The assessment methods are designed to assess students' achievement of the stated learning outcomes for each module.
• Students will receive timely feedback on all coursework assessments.

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Teaching

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Teaching methods:

• The program uses a variety of teaching methods, including lectures, seminars, tutorials, workshops, studio practice, and project work.
• The teaching and learning activities can be in-person or online, depending on the nature of the course.

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Faculty:

• The program is taught by a team of academics with extensive experience in the games industry.
• Faculty members are involved in research and consultancy activities, providing students with the opportunity to learn about the latest developments in the field.

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Unique approaches:

• The program includes opportunities for students to work on live projects and industry-generated initiatives, providing them with essential work-based learning experiences.
• Students have access to VR and AR equipment, allowing them to explore new creative avenues in game development.

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Careers

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Job roles:

• This program prepares students for various career paths, including Game Designer, Game Producer, Level Designer, Narrative Designer, QA Tester, Systems Designer, VR Developer, and more.

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Career options:

• The Games Industry is a rapidly growing field, and this program provides students with the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in this exciting industry.
• Students are equipped with the necessary entrepreneurial skills to develop their own games studios.

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Work placement/study abroad:

• Students are strongly encouraged to undertake an optional work placement to gain valuable industry experience.
• The program has a strong emphasis on collaboration and teamwork, simulating the real-life environment of a game studio.
• Students will have the opportunity to participate in group projects and collaborate with students from other disciplines.
• The program is located in Belfast, a vibrant city with a thriving games industry.