Bringing a pioneer games project to the next level

Abstract

Many universities with a computer science (CS) curriculum nowadays offer a game development course in a variety of flavors. However, it is not always clear what is the fundamental standpoint that leads their particular course design. Delft University of Technology introduced project-based education in its CS curriculum five years ago, including a second year games project. Initially designed as little more than a companion to the computer graphics course, the games project matured into a large project integrating a broad range of computer science topics. More importantly, though, the current games project brings CS students for the first time to work in a realistic and interdisciplinary game development team, involving students pursuing a Game Design and Development degree at the Utrecht School of the Arts. We believe that the key to the huge success of our games project lies in the consistent combination of this careful interdisciplinary organization with the deployment of professional technology and working environment specifically crafted for an educational environment. We also conclude that a streamlined collaboration among students of related disciplines works as a very powerful catalyst in their personal and academic development.