MFA Program Structure
The Game Center MFA is a two-year program built on an “art school” model – the core of the program is hands-on game creation within a context of advanced historical, critical, and theoretical literacy.
Core Curriculum
Semester One
In the first semester of year one students all take the same set of foundational classes:
Games 101
Games 101 is the foundational course for the NYU Game Center. The focus of Games 101 literacy – a shared understanding of games as complex cultural and aesthetic objects. The class will incoprorate lectures, discussion, readings, and writing assignments, but the primary activity of the class is critical play – playing games in order to better understand and appreciate them. The class will cover games on and off the computer, including classic and contemporary board and card games, sports, and games on the PC, internet, and consoles.
Game Design 1
Game Design 1 explores the fundamentals of game design. The focus of the class is the actual creation of several non-digital (off the computer) games. Just as art students might take “fundamentals” classes in figure drawing or color theory as part of their education to become visual artists, this class remains rooted squarely in the basics. It focuses on the elements common to all games that are fundamental for a game designer working in any format, from sports to board games to computer and video games. Although the focus of the course is on the creation of non-digital games, digital games will also be discussed and one of the assignments is the creation of a digital game concept pitch.
Game Studies 1
An introduction to the critical and analytical approaches to the subject of digital games. Though the history of video games spans roughly fifty years, and although more than half of the population plays them, video games have only recently emerged as a field of serious study. This class introduces students to the theory of video games, and answers questions such as: How are video games structured? What types of experiences to video games give? Who plays video games, when and why?
Game Studio 1
Game studio 1 is the Game Design M.F.A. program’s introductory game development course. Students will gain experience with two game engines with complementary strengths and capabilities, working in teams on a series of four game development project cycles.
Semester Two
In semester two all students continue on to the next phase of Game Studio:
Game Studio 2
This class builds on the game development focus of Game Studio 1. However, rather than a series of small games, Game Studio 2 focuses on the creation of a single digital game over the course of the semester. Students will work in teams to conceive, design, and produce a playable videogame. In addition to creating a great game, the emphasis of the class is understanding the development process, including the roles that team members play, the iterative prototyping process, production planning and risk assessment, as well as team dynamics and communication.
Students also choose 3 out of the 5 following classes:
Game Design 2
This course is a continuation of Game Design 1 and goes deeper into understanding the essential problems of game design. Working primarily off the computer, students collaboratively create a series of card games, board games, social games, and physical games. The focus of Game Design includes is advanced game design problems, particularly those with relevance to videogames, such as designing complex game economies, designing games around social communities, designing game levels, and designing AI routines for singleplayer games. We also take a close look at the communicative aspects of game design, including writing game design documents and pitches, as well as effectively communicating a game concept through visual and other means.
Game Studies 2
Game Studies 2 is a research-focused course that examines methodological and foundational issues in the study of video games. In addition, a current topic relating to video game culture, design, or theory will be explored every semester. The class is thereby focused on allowing students to actively participate in the development of video game theory, with specific attention to how video game studies evolve as a theoretical field, and how it interacts with changes in the design and culture of video games.
Games and Players
Game and Players gives students an overview of player-focused approaches to understanding game play, from a variety of methodological and theoretical frameworks. The class combines readings and analysis with exercises that give students hands-on experience with the methods discussed.
Code Lab
Beyond simply learning to program, students in this class will explore models and algorithms useful for developing games. We will discuss how platforms, libraries, frameworks, and engines affect game design, in both empowering and limiting ways. Finally, we will discuss the history of digital games, how new tools have democratized the process of game development, and the costs and benefits of those trends.
Biz Lab
This course provides students who are looking to work in the games industry with a basic understanding of its economic components and drivers, so that they may better understand their role within it, whether as an employee of a larger company, a partner in an independent studio, an individual developer, or a freelance contractor. The goal of the class is to provide the practical knowledge and conceptual understanding students need to achieve the greatest degree of success and creative freedom throughout their career.
At the end of year one, students will have chosen a direction for their thesis project, which will form the core of their second year at the program.
Semester Three
All students take the first phase of thesis project:
- Thesis 1 (collaborating in small teams on a substantial game development project)
Students also choose 2 electives from a variety of classes offered within the program or from other NYU departments:
- Electives 1 & 2 (classes in topics relevant to the student’s thesis)
Semester Four
All students take the culminating phase of thesis project:
- Thesis 2 (collaborating in small teams on a substantial game development project)
Students also choose 2 electives from a variety of classes offered within the program or from other NYU departments:
- Electives 3 & 4 (classes in topics relevant to the student’s thesis)
Areas of Focus
When applying for the graduate program, potential students select one or more areas of focus. While the majority of the program is a shared path of common classes your area of focus helps define your course of study by guiding your choice of electives and influencing your role in group projects.
You do not need professional experience in games in order to apply, in fact you might not have any experience in making games before you come to the program. However, you do need to demonstrate talent and experience in one or more disciplines relevant to games. You should also consider your goals as a game creator – which aspects of development are you most interested in exploring deeply? These two considerations – your experience and goals – should guide your choice of Area of Focus. Game development is a highly collaborative and interdisciplinary process, and declaring your Area of Focus helps us gather a community of students with the right mix of different skills and interests.
For example, if you are a programmer who has never worked on games before, you would most likely select game programming as your area of focus. If you are a media studies scholar, you would select game criticism.
Although each student will have an area of focus when they begin the program, the Game Center MFA recognizes that many students are skilled in multiple ways and production roles today can be fluid, especially on small teams. You are not locking yourself into a singular specialization during your time in the Game Center MFA. You definitely will take classes outside your area of focus and play a variety of different roles on different projects.
The Four Areas of Focus
Below are the four areas of focus for our program. Note that regardless of primary role all students working on a Game Center project will have substantial input into the game’s overall creative direction and will share the responsibility for collaboratively making the important creative decisions about the game.
Game Design
Game design can be system design, interaction design, level design, information architecture, experience flow, playtesting, storytelling, economy balancing, communication, writing, and other aspects of designing the player experience.
Programming
Game programming can mean general game coding as well as a wide variety of specialties, including graphics, A.I., network, database, tool creation, and many others.
Visual Design
Visual design means many things relating to the visual aspects of games, from character design and animation to architecture and world-building, to logo and interface design.
Criticism
Criticism at the Game Center MFA is centered on understanding the design and play of games from a critical point of view and expressing these ideas through writing and other means.
