Honours Project: Learning Contract

Learning Contract

Module Code: AG1084A

Module Title: Honours Project

Student Name: Ritatsu Thomas

Student Number: 0800111

Telephone Number: **********

Email Address: ***********@gmail.com

Project Title: Game Aesthetics: Systemic and Visual Significance

Project Aim:

This project seeks to unravel the aesthetic experience of game players, but more specifically to evaluate and consider what impact systemic significance (gameplay design) and visual significance (art design) have within aesthetics. As the main researcher and implementer of this project, my personal aim is to be self-driven in seeing that the project will be completed to its highest degree taking in regards the objectives and major tasks.  

Objectives:

1.    Establish a critical framework based on aesthetic experience through refining the views of what creates a satisfying experience focusing on systemic and visual significance.

2.    Analyse two games using the created critical framework as case studies which successfully explore systemic and visual significance.

3.    Develop a 2-D interactive prototype which encapsulates values and insights learnt from prior research in the two previous objectives.

4.    Critically evaluate the results of the interactive prototype using the created critical framework and summarise how results materialized in regards to the project aim.

Major Tasks:

·        Establish the appropriate research needed in order to form the correct framework through documenting academic, theoretic, media and industry opinion pertaining towards game aesthetics, followed by system and visual significance within games.

·        Record the research and development process of all the findings through a blog or sketchbook.

·        Extrapolate that research through developing a theory out of the consistent trends that convey successful system and visual significance to create a critical framework with no more than six attributes within in a graph/table format.

·        Produce a case study of two games, one which is thought to excel in successful aspects of systemic significance, and the other which is thought to excel in visual significance.

·        Create the art assets for the game: including characters, enemies, backgrounds, objects, logos.

·        Create a prototype of the game whilst incorporating aspects of the found research.

·        Create a simple and effective GUI for the game in order for the user to be able to start the game and to set the stage.

·        Create a minimum of 6,000 word dissertation document which will discuss and detail all the major findings of the project and evaluate the outcome.

·        Create presentations in order showcase a coherent display of the research.

·        Prepare the external display of the showcase by printing off relevant materials and prepping software.

Submission Deliverables:

• Concept Development Log – Consisting of a blog/sketchbook
• Pre-Production Portfolio - Consisting of a blog/sketchbook
• Research Proposal
• The Honours Project Portfolio – This consists of a framework and interactive game prototype
• Dissertation – Digital and physical submission
• Exposition
• Progress Presentations
• End of Year Presentation
• Personal Development Portfolio - Consisting of a blog/sketchbook

Resources:

• Unity3D 4.0
• Adobe Photoshop
• Adobe Illustrator
• Adobe Flash
• Adobe Premier
• Microsoft Word
• Computers with relevant software
• Meeting space