The course covers the structure of the industry: its history (literature, media studies and design), the market, game genres, distribution and publishing channels, typical business models, and a competitive landscape of the industry. Topics include: market size and trends, retail and Internet distribution channels, single and multi-player game genres, PC, console, and cell phone platforms, and major industry players. Also included in this course are the history of computers, electronic games and toys, and the construction and critique of a canon of significant and influential games.

Prerequisites: None

Required Textbook (Available at the ACC Bookstore): Introduction to the Game Industry by Michael Moore. Prentice Hall ISBN 0-13-168743-3

The course is designed for those interested in managing their own Game products, or those in established companies who have a need to better understand the business issues in Game products. The course will cover the basics of business management. Topics include: How to start it: incorporation, sole proprietorship, sub chapter S corporation, versus a normal corporation; How to do it: market analysis & marketing/sales, managing development, manage a budget, what costs don't you expect, tax implications, cost estimation, subcontracting work; How to protect it: negotiation, contracts, and intellectual property. Subject matter experts will give lectures.

Prerequisites: GAME 1026 Video Game Industry

Required Textbook (Available at the ACC Bookstore): Business & Legal Primer for Game Development; Gregory Boyd & Brian Green; Charles River Media; 15-Nov-06; 1st; ISBN: 1-58450-492-7

This course will provide a general understanding of the many facets of game development (programming, art, design, production, audio, QA, marketing, publishing) and how they all fit together. Material will include case studies and postmortems from popular games, as well as guest lectures from industry professionals. Students will learn about specific processes for console/PC/mobile/handheld platforms and receive real-world advice on preparing for a job in game development.

Prerequisites: GAME 1026 Video Game Industry

Required Textbook (Available at the ACC Bookstore): "Game Development Essentials: An Introduction" by Jeannie Novak, Edition / Copyright: 1st, 2004, Thomson/Delmar Learning, ISBN: 1401862713;

Step by step through all the stages. Game development and publishing are complex collaborative efforts. Issues of design documentation, content creation, team roles, group dynamics, risk assessment, people management and process management are addressed in this course to begin to understand video game product development. Five phases of product development management are covered: requirements synthesis to technical definition, development plan construction, plan management, problem management, process assessment and improvement and QA/Test. Show the differences in developing for PC versus console or wireless. The console portion focuses on why you need to and how to get approval from a hardware manufacturer, the steps to manufacture, and the importance of a bug-free release.

Prerequisites: GAME 1026 Video Game Industry