Designing games strays from traditional software development because successful game creation ties together diverse perspectives that include computer graphics, game architecture, game mechanics and interaction, software development, strategy, and artificial intelligence. ECE Professor Michael S. Hsiao teaches a course on video game design where he acts as a guide for students who brave the mazes, shoots, hoops, and labyrinths of game design.

Over the course of the semester-long class, students learn to integrate domains in order to create fun, engaging games from first concept to implementation.

In the first half of the semester, students design and develop simple games that address the fundamental concepts of game design.

For the final project, the students implement more sophisticated games.Typically, the games would include tilemaps, perspective/views, state-driven design, some physics, particle systems (explosions, etc.), and AI for controlling non-player characters.