ludossier

After two months of waiting, I got yesterday a letter from the Open University saying that I passed the computer games course (Digital worlds: designing games, creating alternative realities) with score 80%. Not bad. I’m sure I got marks deducted for going over the word count limit in the description of my charity game design; and in other questions I was probably too terse. It’s always a fine balancing act of return for time invested.

The important thing is I enjoyed the course. It covers a wide range of topics, from the economic impact of the game industry and the social perception of videogames culture, to how modern games are produced and getting a small taste of it by designing and implementing our own little maze or platform game with GameMaker. Topics like serious games and games with a purpose were also included. The assessment’s questions were as wide-ranging as the course, but I can’t give any further details without getting into serious trouble. I can safely recommend this short course, but then, being an OU employee, I’m obviously biased.

If video games existed at the time historical figures lived, who would you like to have designed one? And which kind of game would they design? Some curious suggestions at the Guardian’s game blog. I especially like the proposal for a one-level platform game by Escher. Something along the picture on the left, I imagine. A single level would be mind-boggling enough, let alone having to face further levels if you manage to escape this building!

I’m currently taking the pilot (i.e. not public) presentation of Digital worlds: designing games, creating alternative realities, a new 10-week distance learning course about computer games, their history, their economic and cultural impact and their design. As a practical taster of the issues surrounding the design of games, we get to create our own games using GameMaker. Read more… »