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Program Contacts

Quick Facts

About the Video Game Developer Certificate

The Video Game Developer certificate focuses on providing students with skills in high level object oriented programming. Applications used for skill development are 2-D and 3-D video game applications for use on PCs, MACs, Smartphones, the Web, and commercial video game consoles.

Program Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the Video Game Developer Certificate program, the learner will be able to:

  1. Create video games suitable for use on a PC or MAC. (VGD121, VGD122, VGD171, VGD172)
  2. Create video games suitable for use on the Web and handheld devices. (VGD121, VGD122)
  3. Apply refined programming concepts to game structure and assets to create a functional 3D Video game. (VGD121, VGD122, VGD172)
  4. Create static and animated 3D objects, using professional quality software, suitable for use in video games. (VGD151, VGD152)
  5. Design and create video games in multiple genres, using professional programming development environment (IDE), incorporating code with elementary artificial intelligence. (VGD 122, VGD 171, VGD 172)

Program-Specific Requirements

Course Course Title Hours
VGD121 Vid Game Dev/Game Engines I

VGD 121. Video Game Development for Game Engines I (3). Introduction to the creation of video games primarily through the use of drag and drop techniques. Covers the creation of single player games, use of image and sound files in games, creation of simple code logic structures, and the deployment of games. Three lecture.

1. Application software
2. Development environment
3. Interface navigation
4. Basic game program
5. Game objects and materials
6. Terrains and environments
7. Lights and cameras
8. Decision logic
9. Collisions and physics
10. Basic scripting
11. Deploying and publishing a game

1. Install and launch game development software. (1-3)
2. Create a basic playable game. (4-7)
3. Use the logical structures found in software design. (8-10)
4. Develop game software for deployment to others. (11)

VGD122 Vid Game Dev/Game Engines II

VGD 122. Video Game Development for Game Engines II (3). Techniques and skills necessary to create games in multiple genres for recreational and educational uses. Includes the applications of coding, interactive game logic, variables and simple probability when developing video games. Prerequisite: VGD 121. Three lecture.

1. Screen based text and audio files
2. Character controllers
3. Particle Systems
4. Animator and animations introduction
5. Audio
6. Use of variables to maintain object states
7. Use of variables and simple probabilities in determining decision outcomes
8. Introduction to Mobile Development

1. Create interactive game logic to guide game players through tasks. (1,2,5,6)
2. Utilize advanced game design and coding techniques for creating audio and visual user feedback. (1-7)
3. Develop games in multiple genres. (2, 7)
4. Determine appropriate game genre for proposed game tasks. (7)
5. Utilize artificial intelligence techniques for game responses to players. (1,5,6)
6. Create game programs for multiple platforms introduction. (8)

VGD151 3D Modeling and Animation I

VGD 151. 3D Modeling and Animation I (3). Introduction to the techniques used to create 3D objects and animation for games, TV, and movies using professional 3D modeling and animation software. Includes modeling solid objects, object surfacing and shaders, object animation, lighting techniques, camera parameters, and the configuration of rendering engines. Three lecture.

1. Software interface
2. Files and projects
3. 3D geometry
4. Geometry manipulation tools
5. Attribute Editor
6. Object hierarchies
7. Basics of materials
8. Surface maps
9. Animation timeline
10. Key frames
11. Lights and lighting types
12. Ray trace principles
13. Camera parameters and properties
14. Batch rendering
15. Export objects

1. Install and configure 3D modeling and animation software. (1)
2. Construct configured project file structures. (2,6)
3. Use 3D software tools to create object models. (3-5)
4. Create and apply simple surface textures to 3D objects. (7,8)
5. Design and create simple animations. (9,10)
6. Apply camera and lighting principles to animation. (11-13)
7. Apply the rendering process to create short video animation sequences. (14)
8. Prepare 3D objects for use in games. (2, 15)

VGD152 3D Modeling and Animation II

VGD 152. 3D Modeling and Animation II (3). Modeling and animation skills used to develop 3D objects. Includes application of techniques used to create environments and objects with organic shapes. Prerequisite: VGD 151. Three lecture.

1. Organic effects in modeling
2. Tools for environment creation
3. Considerations for environment design
4. Creation of complex organic models
5. Topology designs for animated organic models
6. 3D Paint Tools
7. Bone structures for animation
8. Animation control rigs
9. Surface texturing for organic objects

1. Create environments for use in games or video animation sequences. (1-3,9)
2. Create models of animals for use in 3D projects. (1, 4-9)
3. Rig 3D models for use in creating animated sequences for use in 3D projects. (8)

VGD171 Video Game Development I

VGD 171. Video Game Development I (3). Introduction to modern Object Oriented Programming through the development of video games for a variety of platforms, using an integrated development environment (IDE) and related software. Three lecture.

1. Modern IDE and related development software
2. Game projects
3. Game application code structure
4. IDE Familiarization
5. Editing code using an IDE
6. Code autocompletion
7. IDE Debugger
8. Variable Types and Variable Casting
9. Coding math operations
10. Logical branching tests
11. Code loops
12. Methods
13. Classes
14. Overloading
15. Inheritance
16. Game sprites and sprite motion
17. Testing for object collisions
18. Sound effects in game programs
19. Coding for user input capture from keyboard, mouse, and game controller
20. Game text elements and game scores
21. Coding File Read/Write operations
22. Coding Try/Catch logic
23. Creating game state
24. Game deployment

1. Install the IDE and related development software. (1)
2. Use the IDE to create game software applications. (2-7)
3. Use coding techniques to translate logical processes into programming code. (8-15)
4. Create a functioning game. (16-24)
5. Formulate and incorporate logic structures to connect software applications to data files. (21, 22)
6. Show the value and use of Object Oriented Programming (OOP) through the creation of software applications. (12-15)
7. Prepare applications for deployment. (24)

VGD172 Video Game Development II

VGD 172. Video Game Development II (3). General object oriented programming and specialized coding techniques to build a basic 3D video game. Topics include 3D space coordinate programming for cameras, camera targets, models, object collisions in 3D space and scene lighting. Prerequisite: VGD 171. Three lecture.

1. 3D space coordinates for games
2. Camera and camera target parameters and coding
3. Camera and target movement and tracking in 3D space
4. User input coding for camera and model control
5. 3D models in video game projects
6. 3D object collision detection and resolution
7. Lighting techniques for 3D game space
8. Coding techniques and structures for larger game projects

1. Construct a project framework for a 3D Video Game. (1,2,5,8)
2. Use programming techniques to create camera, camera target, 3D Model, and light object structures. (2,3,5,7)
3. Write code to accurately move cameras, camera targets, and models in 3D space. (3-6)
4. Apply refined programming concepts to game structure and assets to create a functional 3D video game. (8)

