The Video Game Industry IT, Analytics and Operations

Spoonhower, Jeff

IT 30670 | Spring 2023

The production and business of video games has grown to become a $200+ billion industry and a leading form of entertainment globally. Video games attract players from diverse backgrounds and the mainstream consumer base is no longer limited to "hardcore gamers." Games have garnered mass appeal on social and casual platforms, PCs and consoles, smartphones, virtual reality, in competitive eSports tournaments, and more. Weekly topics of study in this course include game design/psychology, gaming technologies, artistic fundamentals, development workflows, business models and structures, funding and financing, marketing, distribution channels and markets, and legal/ethical issues. Through lectures, discussions, group exercises, reading assignments, and gameplay sessions, students will gain a thorough understanding of this highly creative and complex industry. Furthermore, students will gain an appreciation for video games as a legitimate form of art and a significant force for cultural impact.