Game Design Practicum

The Business of Games

Lectures: Mondays 5:20-8:45pm in Stevenson 175
Instructor: Joel Dreskin | jdreskin@ucsc.edu | Office Hours: Mondays 3-4pm in E2 389
TA: Melanie Dickinson | mldickin@ucsc.edu | Office Hours: Fridays 1:15-2:15pm in E2 393 [or by appt]

Overview

Ten-week course to provide instruction on important business topics for videogame creators – many related to the games themselves, and others for pursuing success in bringing the games to customers: publishing, distribution, marketing, operations, and more.

Learning Objectives

• Expand students’ understanding of key factors that contribute to the success or failure of games, beyond the game’s core design and features (market factors, audience, promotion and more).
• Help students determine paths to consider in videogames industry when they graduate (near term, medium term, longer term), if they choose to pursue a career in this field – working for larger, mid-size or smaller studio; independent development/publishing/contract work and other options.

Schedule

Varying topic focus per class and periodic guest speakers from the games industry. (Subject to change.)

Course Materials 

Course textbook: Practical Guide to Indie Game Marketing, Joel Dreskin, Focal Press [Amazon]

Additional Resources: Gamasutra, PixelProspector, more

Grading

Messaging Brief - 10%
Marketing Samples Paper - 10%
Industry Report - 10%
Future Path Paper - 10%
Final Assignment - 45%
Quizzes - 10%
Class Participation / Extra Credit - 5%

About the Instructor

I have developed expertise with marketing, strategy development and campaign executions for high profile, enthusiast and indie brands over the past 20 years—including Star Wars, Back to the Future, Wallace & Gromit, Monkey Island, Sam & Max, original IP and more. In addition to experience with game tie-in launches for the Star Wars prequel films during years with the LucasArts division of Lucasfilm, I drove brand, channel and marketing program development for Telltale Games from the company’s second through seventh years and digital media software initiatives with Macromedia (now Adobe). I have created and run focused showcase events for indie developers—Indie Press Day and Good Game Club—and have also been contributing to the Media Indie Exchange press/industry mixer events at E3, GDC, South by Southwest, Unite Europe and SIGGRAPH. I earned my undergraduate degree in Communications and Business in the UC system at UCLA and MBA from University of Michigan.

Student Support

The Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) office provides a variety of counseling services to undergraduate and graduate students including individual counseling, groups and workshops, couple counseling, crisis services, on-campus psychiatry, the Let's Talk program, ADHD assessment, referrals to off-campus therapy, on-line self-help tools such as WellTrack, as well as a wide range of links to self-help resources on topics ranging from academic success, to depression, to general life issues.

Disability Resources

If you have special needs, we will accommodate you. The Disability Resource Center offers services that are confidential and free of charge. After you contact the Disability Resource Center, bring your Accommodation Authorization form to me after class, or during office hours and we will discuss your accommodations.

Academic Misconduct

For the official university policy on cheating, plagiarism, and other misconduct, please see the Academic Misconduct Policy for Undergraduates.