Description (3 Units)

The best games are those that bring people together. The connected networked world lets people play with others anywhere on the planet, as if they were in the same room. For new games to be successful, the social component must be exploited in a manner that fosters community-building. In this course, you'll examine numerous social games and analyze how they build community, with a view towards creating successful social games of your own. You'll participate in class explorations of online games, critiquing their use of in-game chat, player matching, party invites, leaderboards, transactions, contests and promotions, and discussion forums. You'll also have a chance to meet guest speakers from the world of social game development.