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SE 320 – Introduction to Game Development

Lecture 1: IntroductionLecturer: Gazihan Alankuş

Please look at the last two slides for assignments (marked with TODO)

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WARNING

• THIS CLASS REQUIRES YOU TO WRITE CODE!• IF YOU CURRENTLY DO NOT LIKE CODING, AND

ARE CLOSE-MINDED, YOU MAY HATE THIS CLASS… (CODING IS ACTUALLY FUN)

• I WILL WORK HARD TO HELP YOU LEARN ANYTHING THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW (E-MAIL SUPPORT, GOOGLE CHAT, STUDY SESSIONS, VIDEO TUTORIALS, ETC.)

• IF YOU HAVE AN OPEN MIND AND ARE NOT LAZY, YOU WILL DO JUST FINE.2/10/2012

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Outline

• Me• Class– Unity– Games

• Logistics of class• You• HOMEWORK 1!!!

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Outline

• Me• Class– Unity– Games

• Logistics of class• You• HOMEWORK 1!!!

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Instructor

• Dr. Gazihan Alankuş• METU, BS 2002, MS 2005• WUSTL, PhD 2011• Is now an Assistant Professor• Background– Some industry experience (including Google)– I do research on games– Now I get to teach games– reasonable > idealistic

• Please use gazihan.ieu@gmail.com for class-related e-mail exchange2/10/2012

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Can you understand me?

• English language is just a tool, not a goal. – The goal is to communicate and learn.

• Stop me when you don’t understand something.

• In general, be active in class.

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Outline

• Me• Class– Unity– Games

• Logistics of class• You• HOMEWORK 1!!!

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Class

• Using Unity game engine to create video games• This is a new class, there can be mistakes…• Assignment: find the class website– Google “Gazihan Alankuş”– Click on the link that says “SE 320: Introduction to

Game Development, Fall 2012”– There you will find a link to the syllabus• Buy the book!

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Using Unity Game Engine to Create Video Games

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Using Unity Game Engine to Create Video Games

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• Unity is an amazing game development tool

Using Unity Game Engine to Create Video Games

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• Unity is an amazing game development tool– Windows or Mac– C# (or JavaScript or Python (“Boo”))• We will use C#• If you know C++ it will not be difficult

– Unity provides a great blend of visual elements and code

Using Unity Game Engine to Create Video Games

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• We will learn how to use Unity– Gather information• Online videos• In-class demonstrations• Book

– Practice• Homework assignments• Labs• Practice on your own

– You have to learn it very well to succeed

Using Unity Game Engine to Create Video Games

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Using Unity Game Engine to Create Video Games

• This will be different than most of your classes– Using a visual tool– Programming with C#– Coding visual and interactive applications– Designing a game– Developing a game that works well

• I don’t expect you to know any of these already• I expect you to work hard, pay attention, and

learn to be good at them2/10/2012

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Using Unity Game Engine to Create Video Games

• 12:30 – 14:20: Lecture in C 401• 14:30 – 16:20: Lab in (to be announced)• It’s best if you have a laptop that runs Unity– You have to work on your game outside of class– Use the same setup in labs

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Using Unity Game Engine to Create Video Games

• We will try to move to a lab with enough computers for everyone (probably C 601)

• C 609 will have 18 computers with Unity Pro, Unity for iOS Pro and Unity for Android Pro– Also two of them are iMac computers– Hardware that is planned to be purchased:• iPad, iPod Touch, Android tablets

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Using Unity Game Engine to Create Video Games

• In your laptops, install– Unity free version • Not the 30 day trial• Feel free to purchase the Pro version

– Blender– (Optional) Modeling software from Autodesk

(students.autodesk.com)• Maya• 3DS Max

– Gimp2/10/2012

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• “Can we use other game development environments?”– NO!– Other classes rely on this class to teach Unity

Using Unity Game Engine to Create Video Games

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Using Unity Game Engine to Create Video Games

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Using Unity Game Engine to Create Video Games

• Video games are fun!• Video games make money!• Video games can be used for good!

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Using Unity Game Engine to Create Video Games

• Some infographics– http://www.vizworld.com/2010/01/infographic-vide

o-game-statistics/– http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/20

11/06/infographic-video-game-industry-statistics/239665/

– http://www.vincentabry.com/en/us-uk-video-game-industry-infographic-918

– http://www.uproxx.com/gaming/2011/06/infographic-of-the-day-videogames-pwning-hollywood-in-release-week-sales/

– http://www.1001oyun.com/infographic/video-game-addiction

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Using Unity Game Engine to Create Video Games

• We will learn how to design video games• Video game concepts• How to make games– Fun– Engaging– Etc.

• You will use these in your projects

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Using Unity Game Engine to Create Video Games

• Projects– While you are learning Unity, you will also come up

with game ideas (start thinking right now)– We will select some of the ideas, and form groups

around them. (max. 3 people)– You will develop those games using Unity– You will give presentations in class as a group– You will each send me private weekly reports as

simple e-mails

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Outline

• Me• Class– Unity– Games

• Logistics of class• You• HOMEWORK 1!!!

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Logistics• Homeworks

– There will be homeworks in the first part of class while we learn Unity– These will mostly be watching educational videos and performing simple game

development assignments• Quizzes

– I will use quizzes to test whether you have understood what you were supposed to learn in your homeworks

• Labs– In the lab hours you will have game-related assignments to do with Unity

• Midterm (around week 9)– Questions about what we learned. There will be no final!

• Project– You will develop a game as a group project (see previous slides for details)

• Google group– I will send announcements using Google groups (we’ll talk about it soon)

• Weekly meetings and reports– Groups will meet weekly– Everybody sends me private weekly reports about what you did that week related to this

class (homework, project, tutorial, etc.)2/10/2012

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Outline

• Me• Class– Unity– Games

• Logistics of class• You• HOMEWORK 1!!!

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My Expectations of You

• Enthusiastic about developing video games• Likes to learn new things. • Can learn something on your own if you need

to. You’re not going to use “I don’t know this” as an excuse.

• Hard-working. Can spare a lot of time for the class. There will be time-consuming homeworks and a big term project.

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Some Suggestions and Comments

• If you are looking for an easy elective course, this is not it. – If you could not find any other course, let me know and maybe

I’ll find someone that wants to swap courses with you. • This is a full-house class! There are enthusiastic students

that could not take the class… • I will be stricter than last year as I’m a full-time faculty now• I will not be easy on grading. If you pass this course, that will

mean you can actually create games with Unity.• Everybody will contribute to the project in the group. Group

members may get different grades. • I will not tolerate laziness. • I will not tolerate attempts to trick me. 2/10/2012

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It’s Going to Be Great

• Just spare some time each week• You will create a game!– Create something cool with your

programming skills– Amazing portfolio entry

• Work in groups and learn from each other

• I’m usually online for chat or e-mail support

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Questions?

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Let’s get to know you• Introduce in detail, from where, etc.• What grade? Option programme?• You and games• Registered? Why?• What do you expect

– from this class?– to see happen by the end of semester?

• Programmer?– C#? IDEs? Debugging? Open source? – C++? Data Structures?

• Artist?– Graphic designer? Sound maker?

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TODO: Google Group

• Do either one of these:– Go to

http://groups.google.com/group/ieu-se320-games-fall-2012 and apply for a membership.

– Or, send an e-mail to gazihan.ieu@gmail.com and I will invite your e-mail to the Google group. You will have to accept the invitation.

• I will use this for class announcements• You can also send questions, comments, helpful

tips, or announcements to it but I will moderate your e-mails.

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TODO: Homework 1

• Install all the software mentioned on Slide #17• Watch these videos:– Videos 1 thru 8 here:

• http://www.digitaltutors.com/11/training.php?pid=572

– All the videos here:• http://unity3d.com/support/documentation/video/

• While watching them, use your Unity installation with the AngryBots game to practice what you see.

• There will be a short quiz about it next week!2/10/2012