Bachelor of Software Engineering (Game Programming)

AIP201 introduces students to the fields of Physics & Artificial Intelligence (AI) within the context of software development for digital games. Students will learn to build simple physics & artificial intelligence systems for games. These systems will extend the students’ knowledge in software engineering process skills, modelling techniques and validation by applying these concepts to games physics & AI development.

AIP201 will explore modern techniques and theory for making efficient interactive agents and intelligent systems by exploring the concepts of game theory, path-finding, state driven design and autonomous decision making. Students will also understand the application of Newtonian mechanics in game engines through the use of physics programming, middleware and mathematics.

This subject is designed to provide students with professional experience in an area related to their field of study or the career they are working towards. The aim of providing industry-specific opportunities is to enable students to develop skills that will enhance their prospects of gaining meaningful employment and building their career for the future.
Much of the benefit of work integrated learning comes from observation, practicing under supervision and reflection. Work Integrated Learning is an excellent way to broaden the students learning environment while they are studying. It allows them to see first-hand how what they are learning in their degree translates into practice, as well as how ‘real world’ practice relates to what they are learning at University.
This subject will develop work ready skills and boost students’ employability while they are studying.

There are two work integrated learning options available to students:
Option 1: Internship
Students are offered the opportunity to work within a professional design environment for an extended period of time. It encourages students to build long-term relationships with the design industry and exposes them to the rigour of applied design practice while building their confidence in adapting to new environments. It also provides a context in which to enhance their communication skills and work collaboratively in a professional arena. Students will undertake a series of research tasks, conducting interviews and gathering data in order to understand the key concepts in managing a professional design practice with emphasis placed on the operation of the professional design environment.

Option 2: Industry Live Brief 
This subject requires students to respond to criteria set within the context of an Industry Live Project. An understanding of research methodologies appropriate to professional practice and the documentation of personal creative investigation will be explored. Students will also further investigate and examine entrepreneurial and commercial opportunities through collaborative work practice. The subject is delivered from a cross discipline perspective and draws on both discipline specific and common design practices.
Students are required to work both independently or as part of a collaborative team in order to conduct research, analyse and define project parameters and deliver innovative solutions that expand the notion of an industry live brief.

This subject focusses on developing and producing an industry-ready creative technology project. In the pre-requisite subject (PPR301 Pre-Production Capstone 1), students addressed the pre-production components of a digital game. During this subject, students move from pre-production planning, to product development.

Students will work collaboratively to manage the processes surrounding production, design and development of their projects. They will formulate strategies that can be used to solve problems and adapt to changes and modifications so that the final product aligns with agreed outcomes.

Additionally, students will be required to explore developing technologies that can be incorporated into a digital project, and to reflect on, communicate and document their experiences.

Game Studies introduces students to the study of video games as texts situated within wider cultural and theoretical settings. Students will explore histories of video games as creative technologies and as cultural artefacts. These ideas will be framed through critical analysis of specific case studies, informed by a wider reading of contemporary games scholarship.

Through a series of lecture and seminar-based talks, discussions, and play sessions, students are encouraged to critically analyse the wider context of the game industry in relation to the economic, social, & cultural determinants surrounding the production & consumption of games & game technology.

This look into society develops scholarly skills by encouraging students to research and debate contemporary issues surrounding the production, dissemination, and consumption of interactive media.

This subject introduces students to the statistical models for regression and classification necessary for more specialised subjects in this degree. The main topics covered are Classification Algorithms and Regression Algorithms; the practical use of both methods, how to evaluate the proposed models and how to choose between the different available methods.

Theoretical lectures about the main concepts to be studied are followed by demonstrations of the different applications. Then the students are asked to apply the learned concepts on different classification and regression problems.