CODMW III Announced!

See the video.

Midterm and Final

At the November 9 due date, a number of people had not completed the midterm. Anyone who uploaded files later on the 9th is still in the running for a maximum grade.

Those who have not finished have one more week. The maximum grade for work submitted by November 16 is B.

The ActionScript lesson scheduled for November 9 has been shifted to November 11. We will no longer have assigned readings or quizzes at our Wednesday meetings, but will devote the time instead to working on ActionScript for the Breakout game (see below). Research-in-Play sessions will continue as scheduled. Monday sessions will be devoted to the Platformer project (see below).

Please read the assignment for the final project. Note two things. First, you are encouraged to work in pairs. Second, there are two options. The first is intended for those who had difficulty with the coding requirements of the midterm.

I have revised the course syllabus. Please note the changes.

Annotated and Improved Examples

I've posted two Zipped archives that could be helpful with the midterm.

One contains annotated versions of the class files from two of our more crucial demos: the keyboard control project (make a sprite move back and forth in response to keys), and the raindrop project (spawn and animate raindrops... or apples). The other contains a simplifed version of the keyboard control project, without the embedded animation, which makes the code simpler, and more like the bucket in Apple Season.

See the code resources page for both packages.

Schedule Reminder

Please pay close attention to the syllabus for the next four weeks. I am meeting no classes the week of October 19.

ALL CLASSES WILL MEET THE FOLLOWING WEEK, beginning October 26. These meetings are VERY IMPORTANT. In COSC 160, I will assign and prepare you for the midterm. In COSC 150 and IDIA 619, I will be available to help with the midterm project. COSC 320 will wrap up work on the Unity tutorial and prepare for the final project.

We do not meet again in the week beginning November 2, but we DO MEET the week beginning November 9.

I will read e-mail during the non-meeting weeks, but since I will be traveling, there may be delays in response.

Web site/company mentioned by Nicole Wheeler yesterday, selling neural-interface headsets: www.emotiv.com.

AC 219 is open for walk-in use the following hours this Fall:

Monday

2:00 - 5:30 PM

Tuesday

4:30 - 5:30 PM

Wednesday

4:30 - 5:30 PM

Thursday

4:30 - 5:30 PM

Friday

12:00 - 5:00 PM

Saturday

10:30 AM - 4:00 PM

If AC 219 is not open when you arrive, please look for a Lab Assistant in AC 216, AC 224, or AC 223. He or she will open the lab for you.

The UB Office of Diversity Education is sponsoring an Asian Film Festival this November 4-5. The festival features three great films, all in the UB Student Center Theatre:

HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE

November 4 at 4:30 PM

THE HOST

November 4 at 7:00 PM

LUST, CAUTION

November 5 at 7:00 PM

Mark your calendars!

The following suggested reading from your classmate Gabriel Kabik:

Analysis: Portal and the Deconstruction of the Institution by Daniel Johnson

www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=23960

- A great analytical/semiotics-based approach to understanding how Portal communicates feelings of repression, submission and powerlessness, along with encouraging deviancy, through subtle design/art choices.

Ken Levine on Studio Culture: From Looking Glass to 2K Boston

www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/4082/ken_levine_on_studio_culture_from_.php

- From the Producer of Bioshock and a design lead from System Shock 2 and Freedom Force, a great interview about his transition from Looking Glass Studios in Austin to heading up 2k Boston, and what he's learned with all of his experience, and what his studio looks for in a prospective employee.

From Brian White, President of TBN:

The SDE interest group To Be Named (TBN) is getting started for the fall semester. We're in process of moving all our information to a Facebook group, and we are holding our first meeting of the Fall Semester September 1st 4:30-5:30 PM on the fifth floor of the Student Center.

We are currently planning on meeting every week at that same time. The topics for the first week include:

• Review of TBN objectives
• Where are we going to meet this semester?
• What makes an efficient content generation group?

In addition to the physical meetings, there will also be a weekly update to the Facebook group including at least one tutorial relevant to the current classes at UB.