Upper-Division

CMPM 110 Writing for Game Technologies

Game writers create worlds, characters, and stories, and also craft computational systems so that players can experience these fictions interactively. This course covers the fundamentals of authoring fictions and systems that work together toward powerful player experiences.

Credits

5

Instructor

Noah Wardrip-Fruin

Requirements

Prerequisite(s): CMPM 120, or by permission of the instructor.

Repeatable for credit

Yes

Quarter offered

Fall

CMPM 115 Lead by Design: Experiential Learning Collaborative

Students work in teams to develop a template for a 10-week-long engineering design project. Teaches teamwork, leadership skills, inclusive team practices, Agile process, engineering ethics, and identity formation in engineers.

Credits

5

Instructor

Jim Whitehead, The Staff

Requirements

Enrollment is restricted to juniors and seniors.

General Education Code

PR-E

Quarter offered

Winter, Spring

CMPM 118 Collaborative Research Experience in Engineering

Guides small student teams through the performance of a quarter-long research project. Provides an overview of the process of performing research, research communities, and processes for finding and presenting research results.

Credits

5

Instructor

Jim Whitehead, David Lee, James David

Repeatable for credit

Yes

Quarter offered

Fall

CMPM 120 Game Development Experience

Teaches the concrete programming and collaboration skills associated with making a digital game from start to finish, including but not limited to: establishing a team, concepting, storyboarding, prototyping, producing, and testing a game for release. Students are organized into groups and work together to create and produce a playable game. This course is taught in conjunction with ARTG 120 which covers the skills required to design and critique digital games.

Credits

5

Instructor

Adam Smith, Nathan Altice, Jim Whitehead

Requirements

Prerequisite(s): CMPM 80K; and FILM 80V; and CSE 15 and CSE 15L or CSE 30 or CMPM 35; and ARTG 80G or ARTG 80H or ARTG 80I; and concurrent enrollment in ARTG 120. Enrollment is restricted to juniors and seniors or by permission of the instructor.

General Education Code

PR-E

Quarter offered

Spring

CMPM 121 Game Technologies

Introduction to construction of games using game engine technology, using a specific game engine as a focus. Covers major game engine features: input, collision, animation, model import, lighting, camera, rendering, textures, particle systems. Introduction to a specific game scripting language, custom game logic, game programming patterns.

Credits

5

Instructor

Adam Smith, Jim Whitehead

Requirements

Prerequisite(s): CMPM 120.

Quarter offered

Fall

CMPM 122 Business of Games

Ten-week course to provide instruction on important business topics for videogame creators—many related to the games themselves and others for pursuing success in bringing the games to customers: publishing, distribution, marketing, funding, operations, and more.

Credits

5

Instructor

David Lee

Quarter offered

Fall

CMPM 131 User Experience for Interactive Media

Theories and practices for approaching the design problems of interactive media holistically, beyond usability and accessibility. Includes hands-on learning, application of human-centered design and evaluation skills in group projects, and peer critique.

Credits

5

Instructor

The Staff, Steve Whittaker, Sri Kurniawan, Steve Whittaker

Requirements

Enrollment is restricted to juniors, seniors, and graduate students.

Quarter offered

Spring

CMPM 132 Interaction Design Studio

Practice-based interaction design studio course. Students learn about design-led approaches to Human-Computer Interaction through participating in group projects. Course offers introductions to design methods and actionable strategies to do interaction design work and design-led technology research.

Credits

5

Requirements

Enrollment is restricted to juniors, seniors, and graduate students.

CMPM 146 Game AI

Course provides a comprehensive introduction to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in computer games. Building on fundamental principles of AI, course explains how to create non-player characters (NPCs) with progressively more sophisticated capabilities.

Credits

5

Instructor

The Staff, Adam Smith, Michael Mateas

Requirements

Prerequisite(s): CSE 101; familiarity with C++. Enrollment is restricted to sophomores, juniors, seniors, and graduate students.

CMPM 147 Generative Design

Introduces generative methods for design. Uses algorithmic techniques to generate and evaluate game content (images, sounds, map designs) along with mechanics and progression systems. Search-based and learning-based techniques with connections to artificial intelligence are also covered.

Credits

5

Instructor

Adam Smith

Requirements

Prerequisite(s): CMPM 120.

CMPM 148 Interactive Storytelling

Covers a range of design approaches and technologies including storytelling in games, interactive fiction, interactive drama, and artificial intelligence-based story generation. Through a mixture of readings, assignments, and project work, students explore the theoretical positions, debates, and technical and design issues arising from these approaches.

Credits

5

Instructor

The Staff, Michael Mateas, Noah Wardrip-Fruin

Requirements

Prerequisite(s): CSE 101 or CMPM 35. Enrollment is restricted to juniors and seniors.

Quarter offered

Spring

CMPM 150 Creating Digital Audio

Introduces digital sound recording and editing technologies, sound synthesis, and concepts in sound design for media production. Covers the basics of sound capture, microphones, audio manipulation and editing, effects, sound formats, mixing and dynamics, synthesizers, audio software, and game audio.

Credits

5

Instructor

Nathan Altice

Requirements

Enrollment is restricted to sophomores, juniors, and seniors.

General Education Code

PR-C

Quarter offered

Fall

CMPM 151 Algorithmic Music for Games

Introduces compositional techniques and procedural audio as exhibited in the sound and music of video games. Surveys different styles of music implemented in video games and associated compositional approaches. Students develop skill in procedural audio via a series of workshops and assignments.

Credits

5

Instructor

Nathan Altice

Requirements

Prerequisite(s): CSE 14 and CSE 14L, or CSE 11.

Quarter offered

Spring

CMPM 152 Musical Data

Surveys the relationship between music and data as exhibited in industry and research implementations of sonification and music information retrieval. Students introduced to various styles and algorithms of sound analysis and modeling and develop skills to program unique approaches in this area.

Credits

5

Instructor

The Staff

Requirements

Prerequisites: CMPM 35 or CMPM 120 or CMPM 150 or CMPM 151 or by permission of instructor. Enrollment is restricted to juniors, seniors, and graduate students.

CMPM 163 Game Graphics and Real-Time Rendering

Introduces real-time, hardware-accelerated graphics programming suitable for game development, visual effects, and interactive multimedia projects. Emphasizes contemporary shader-programming techniques and developing custom effects using game engines and multimedia software.

Credits

5

Instructor

The Staff

Requirements

Prerequisite(s): CMPM 120 (exceptions granted in special cases with permission of the instructor).

Quarter offered

Winter

CMPM 164 Game Engines

Covers the graphic elements in computer games. Topics include modifying, optimizing, adding components, and building a game engine. Course evaluation based on exams and several programming projects, including a game built using the student's game engine.

Credits

5

Instructor

Adam Smith

Requirements

Prerequisite(s): CSE 160. Concurrent enrollment in CMPM 164L is required.

Quarter offered

Spring

CMPM 164L Game Engines Lab

Provides hands-on experience in using, designing, and building game engines. Students also explore different special effects, such as particle systems, spring systems, and game physics.

Credits

2

Instructor

Adam Smith

Requirements

Prerequiste(s): CSE 160. Concurrent enrollment in CMPM 164 is required.

Quarter offered

Spring

CMPM 169 Creative Coding

Surveys seminal and contemporary artworks and interactive installations that utilize and critically analyze new media, new technologies, and new algorithms. Students introduced to creative coding practices and encouraged to emulate existing digital arts techniques and to develop their own computational arts projects.

Credits

5

Instructor

The Staff

Requirements

Prerequisites: CMPM 35 or CMPM 120 or CMPM 163 or by permission of instructor. Enrollment is restricted to juniors, seniors, and graduate students.

Quarter offered

Winter

CMPM 170 Game Design Studio I

First of a three-course capstone sequence for the computer game design program. Students work in teams to develop a comprehensive game design for a substantial computer game, including detailed storyline, level design, artistic approach, implementation technologies, and art-asset pipeline. Emphasis placed on creating novel, artistic game design concepts. Includes design reviews and formal presentations. Companion lectures cover advanced topics in game design, game programming, and software project management.

Credits

5

Instructor

The Staff, Jim Whitehead, Michael Mateas, Noah Wardrip-Fruin, Nathan Altice, Adam Smith

Requirements

Prerequisite(s): satisfaction of the Entry Level Writing and Composition requirements; CMPM 120, ARTG 120 and CSE 111. Enrollment is restricted to Computer science: computer game design majors.

Quarter offered

Fall

CMPM 171 Game Design Studio II

Second of a three-course capstone sequence for the computer game design program. Students work in teams on the software design, implementation, and testing of the computer game designed in CMPM 170. Includes design reviews, progress reviews, and formal presentations. Companion lectures cover topics in software engineering, including design, testing, and project management. Game design and game programming also covered.

Credits

7

Instructor

Jim Whitehead, Michael Mateas, Edeard Melcer, Nathan Altice

Requirements

Prerequisite(s): CMPM 170 and CMPM 176 and one computer game engineering elective. Enrollment is restricted to computer science: computer game design majors.

Quarter offered

Winter

CMPM 172 Game Design Studio III

Third of a three-course capstone sequence for the computer game design program. Students work in teams on the software design, implementation and testing of the computer game designed in courses 170 and 171. Includes progress reviews and formal presentations. Companion lectures cover topics in software engineering, including user and software testing, release engineering and project management; also covered are game design and game programming.

Credits

7

Instructor

The Staff, Jim Whitehead, Michael Mateas, Noah Wardrip-Fruin, Michael John, Adam Smith

Requirements

Prerequisite(s): CMPM 171. Enrollment is restricted to Computer science:computer game design major.

Quarter offered

Spring

CMPM 176 Game Systems

Presents game design as the interplay of multiple interacting game systems. Surveys various game systems: movement, combat, reward, economic, logistics, quest, information visibility, narrative. Students explore systems via study, design, and play of board, card, and computer games.

Credits

5

Instructor

The Staff, Nathan Altice, Elin Carstendottir

Requirements

Prerequisite(s): CMPM 80K.

Quarter offered

Fall, Winter

CMPM 177 Creative Strategies for Designing Interactive Media

Surveys tactical, structural, contextual, and other methods to enhance creativity and innovation in the design of games and other interactive media. Investigates strategies for creativity and innovation drawn from diverse fields, including interactive affordances, narrative and poetics, biology, contextual inquiry, and design research. To innovate in a field of fixed genres is challenging: the allure of modeling exemplars is strong. Although imitation can be successful in the marketplace, the most creative action occurs on the leading edge of change. Innovation benefits from strategies and methods that are directly aimed at exploring new perspectives and structures to learn through the process of discovery.

Credits

5

Instructor

Katherine Isbister, Leila The Staff

Requirements

Enrollment is restricted to juniors and seniors.

Quarter offered

Fall

CMPM 178 Human-Centered Design Research

Students move through a rigorous design-research process involving skills and principles in human-centered design research as well as selected formal research methods. They learn to use tools for ideation, human-centered qualitative research, domestic probes, mock-ups, and prototypes.

Credits

5

Instructor

Sri Kurniawan, Katherine Isbister, David Lee

Requirements

Enrollment is restricted to juniors, seniors, and graduate students.

General Education Code

PR-C

Quarter offered

Winter

CMPM 179 Game Design Practicum

Provides the opportunity to practice the creation of novel computer games. Students learn a new game-making technology, then create three games using this technology.

Credits

5

Cross Listed Courses

ARTG 179

Instructor

The Staff, Jim Whitehead, Nathan Altice

Requirements

Prerequisite(s): CMPM 120 and CMPM 80K.

Repeatable for credit

Yes

General Education Code

PR-C

CMPM 194 Group Tutorial

Provides a means for a small group of students to study a particular topic in consultation with a faculty sponsor. Students submit a petition to the sponsoring agency.

Credits

5

Repeatable for credit

Yes

Quarter offered

Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer

CMPM 194F Group Tutorial

Provides a means for a small group of students to study a particular topic in consultation with a faculty sponsor. Students submit a petition to the sponsoring agency.

Credits

2

Repeatable for credit

Yes

Quarter offered

Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer

CMPM 195 Senior Thesis Research

Students submit a petition to the sponsoring agency.

Credits

5

Quarter offered

Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer

CMPM 195F Senior Thesis Research

Intended for majors. Students submit a petition to the sponsoring agency.

Credits

2

Quarter offered

Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer

CMPM 198 Individual Study or Research

Students submit petition to sponsoring agency.

Credits

5

Repeatable for credit

Yes

Quarter offered

Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer

CMPM 198F Individual Study or Research

Intended for majors. Students submit petition to sponsoring agency.

Credits

2

Repeatable for credit

Yes

Quarter offered

Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer

CMPM 199 Tutorial

For fourth-year students majoring in computational media. Students submit a petition to the sponsoring agency.

Credits

5

Repeatable for credit

Yes

Quarter offered

Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer

CMPM 199F Tutorial

For fourth-year students majoring in computational media. Students submit a petition to the sponsoring agency.

Credits

2

Repeatable for credit

Yes

Quarter offered

Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer

Cross-listed courses that are managed by another department are listed at the bottom.

Cross-listed Courses

CSE 245 Computational Models of Discourse and Dialogue

Focuses on classic and current theories and research topics in the computational modeling of discourse and dialogue, with applications to human-computer dialogue interactions; dialogue interaction in computer games and interactive story systems; and processing of human-to-human conversational and dialogue-like language such as e-mails. Topics vary depending on the current research of the instructor(s) and the interests of the students. Students read theoretical and technical papers from journals and conference proceedings and present class lectures. A research project is required.

Credits

5

Cross Listed Courses

LING 245, CMPM 245

Instructor

Marilyn Walker

Requirements

Enrollment is restricted to graduate students. Undergraduates may enroll with permission of instructor.