Class focuses on narrative aspect of video game design
By Areim Omar
Jan. 5, 2010 9:46 p.m.
Gamers rejoice! Video game enthusiasts as well as those new to the world of gaming can participate in a lab section creating new concepts and ideas for video games.
The course, open to all UCLA students, is aimed at concept development and allows students to take part in the writing of the narrative and the creation of the virtual world. Rather than the technical aspect of video game design, the course focuses on the narrative aspect of the digital, character development and the spatial architecture of the game world, said Larry Tuch, professor of the course and head writer and interactive designer for Paramount Pictures’ StoryDriveâ„¢ Engine project.
“It will invite students to build on a combination of elements, to create the game world. They put them all together to demonstrate an exciting result,” Tuch said.
The concept of the course, titled “Independent Video Games: Concept Development Laboratory,” is based on the interest in the storytelling and creation of a new, somewhat different world than the real. The ideas that go into the video game design process are rooted in traditions of drama, film and television.
The appeal of the course extends much further than the gaming community, with enrollment ranging from computer science students to ethnomusicology students. As we are a generation that grew up playing video games, the desire to create them is an ongoing one.
“These are students who are just interested in applying their specific studies in the realm of video games. The more varied the students are in the course, the more varied the game will be. With that variant will come a very interesting game will be developed,” said Daniel Baker, teaching assistant for the course.
The laboratory aspect of the course provides hands-on experience for the students to apply the traditional methods taught as well as attempts to renovate with their own specialized ideas. At the end of the quarter, one or two lab teams will be given the prize of furthering their game concepts in the newly developed video game development lab in Broad Hall.
The teams most invested in their game concept will be able to create a concrete end result, Baker said.
The course is only the beginning of a yet unforeseeable collaboration, already beginning to present itself in different areas of study. Departments on campus, including theater, film and television, the host of the course, and computer science have presented courses relating to video game design in both its theory and practice, said Jeff Burke, director of technology research initiatives for the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television.
The title of the course includes the word “independent” to evoke a sense of authorial spirit as is common in the independent film and music industry. The indie attachment allows for a focus on the spirit of the design and the author of the game, rather than an exclusive focus on the market aspect. Although the latter is undoubtedly on the creator’s mind, the concept and ideas going into the game become much more personal and boundless in possibilities, Tuch said.
“It gives opportunity to be experimental … exploring (video game design) as an art form. There is a balance between understanding the field, and being open for experimentation,” Burke said.
The constant presence of video games in this generation has created a generation of smart consumers, Tuch said. Because the video game industry is relatively new, there is more room to experiment since there are no prescribed rules, only tradition off of which to build. The consumers and gamers have a direct presence in the game, in that they know what they want from it and can now create it themselves. The important implication of this opportunity is its social impact, Tuch said.
“We ask how interactive media can be put to work to open windows of experience. Serious games are entertaining and educational. They address questions that society has, educating another generation. It’s a big deal,” he said.
