This course emphasizes the practical aspects of creating computer games through a combination of block week lectures and a semester long group project.
All lectures will be in the block week. Lectures will be co-taught by the course instructor and industry professionals, who will provide their insights and experiences. A group project will span the entirety of the Winter 2025 semester.
Instructors: TBA
Guest Speakers: TBA
Course outline: TBA.
Course schedule: TBA.
Course material website: https://d2l.ucalgary.ca/
To get an idea of how this course was run in the past, see Winter 2024 website.
Example past game project: King of Buggies.
Lectures: Monday, Jan 6 to Friday, Jan 10, 2025 (9:00am to 5:00pm, with an hour break for lunch) in ICT 516.
Note that this course consists of lectures during a 5-day block week. Every day in the block week is equivalent to roughly 3 weeks of regular lectures. Students must attend every day in the block week to receive a passing grade in the course.
During the regular Winter 2025 semester, your TA will meet with each group every week to support the group project.
To express interest in taking the course, submit the sign-up form above.
CPSC 453 - Computer Graphics. SENG 300 and CPSC 457 are also encouraged but not officially required.
No. It is important that you have completed CPSC 453 before you take 585. If you don't have CPSC 453, but have CPSC 413, consider taking my other course: CPSC 599.11 (AI in Games).
We need to confirm that the students taking CPSC 453 in Fall 2024 have completed the course.
No, as long as the student is not on academic probation.
No, but we do want to make sure you are not constantly failing/withdrawing from courses.
No. CPSC 585 is open to all students who have successfully completed its pre-requisite course, CPSC 453.
Admission decision is based on a combination of academic record (how often have you failed/withdrawn from courses?), your interest, and the information provided in the sign-up form. Basically, the more you can show you are prepared to work on a 4-month-long game project (and not quitting halfway and hurting your groupmates), the stronger your application is.
CPSC 585 does not have any written exams. The course is group project based.
Typically, there will be 5 students per group.
No. CPSC 585 is about creating a game from scratch using C++. I teach another course, CPSC 599.11 (AI in Games) every Winter semester, that uses the Unreal game engine. An advisor can enroll you in 599.11 and you do not need permission from me.
More questions? Feel free to email Dr. Richard Zhao (richard.zhao1 at ucalgary.ca).