CSS 290: Video Games and
Computer Programming
Instructor: Mike Panitz
(mpanitz@cascadia.edu)
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1:15pm-3:20pm
UW2 - 105
http://www.cascadia.edu/facultyweb/instructors/
mpanitz/Courses/2008Sp/CSS290/
OR, Google for “Mike Panitz”
290: Why take this course?
• For people who:
– Are interested in learning how video games are made
• PreReq:
–
–
–
–
No Official Pre-Reqs!
But, you should be comfortable using Windows
and, you should enjoy figuring out how things work
Enjoy playing video games, and you’ve wondered how
you might go about creating your own!
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Website
• Everything will be posted through the website
– No paper hand-outs
• Get familiar with how it’s set up
– You are responsible for knowing how to find what you
need on the website
• Shouldn’t be difficult to find stuff
• If you can’t find something, email me ASAP
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Syllabus
• If info isn’t on here, you should ask before it’s an
issue.
• YOU are responsible for knowing the syllabus!
• Details will be malleable
– Should plan on full class (no early departure)
• EXCEPT exams - they’ll occur on the specified
dates.
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Syllabus : Book, info
• Required & Recommended Books
– Get this now!! Best to do the reading before class
• Check the syllabus for exact reading
• More work this week, but you’ll get more out of it.
• Class Meeting time, Office hours, Contact info
– If you need help, ask!!
– Better sooner than later!!
– Bookmark the webpage – you can get lecture notes, in
class exercises, homework assignments, and late-breaking
announcements there!
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Computer Lab
• You should have access to UW1-310
– This is the CSS ‘Windows’ lab
• If you don’t, then email me ASAP!
– For now, you can (nicely!) ask the people in room 360,
and they will let you in
– You absolutely should have access by next Monday!
• You should be able to use your normal UW log-in, to
log in.
– If you somehow don’t have an account yet, you can get
one in room UW1-080 (“Information Services”)
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Today
Next Lecture
• Reading Review:
• Reading Review:
– PLAD, Ch 1 – Skim this, but don’t
worry about it
– GMA, Ch 1 & Ch 2
• If you have this book, then you should
go through this in detail
• If not, then you should review what’s
been put up on the class website
• Go over syllabus
– PLAD, Ch 1 – Skim
this, but don’t worry
about it
– GMA, Ch 1 & Ch 2
• (If you have this book
- if not, then you
should review what’s
been put up on the
class website)
• Quick Intro to GM
• Study Opt-Out
• Pre-Course:
– Skills Assessment
– Opinion Survey
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Behavior Rules
• Quiet while I’m lecturing
– Whisper, if you talk at all
– Minimize typing
• If you want to type, sit towards the back of the room
– If you have trouble hearing me, sit towards the
front
• Work during ICE (In-Class Exercise) time
– If you finish a section, try the next one
– If you finish everything, chose a project on
your own
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No Cheating!
• In the event copying should occur: all participants in the
plagiarism (both the person plagiarizing, and the person
whose work was taken) will receive:
– a 20% penalty on the first offense
– a grade of zero for the second offense, and
– for a third (and final) offense, all parties will be given the option of
either withdrawing (if the drop deadline hasn't been passed) or
taking a "0.0" for the term.
– Second (and third) offences include offences from prior terms
• Examples of individual work:
– Homework Assignments (Unless Otherwise Noted)
– Exams
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Save A Copy Of All Work!!
• In-class work, EXAMS, Quizzes, etc,etc
– If you work with someone, make sure each of
you gets a copy
– For in-class work, you don’t have to hand it in
• (I’ll be checking it as I walk around & watch you
work)
• If you lose track of it, and I mis-record it,
then whatever I’ve got will stand as a grade
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Make-Up Policy
• If you notify the instructor at least one week prior
to an exam, it may be possible to take the exam or
quiz at a different time than the scheduled date.
• No make-ups will be given for exams,
presentations, or other such graded events, that
were missed without prior notification to the
instructor.
• In any case, the notification of absence must be
given at least 2 days before the exam/quiz/event.
• Any disagreements about your grade should be
brought to my attention immediately.
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Required Email:
• Quote from the syllabus:
• You must have an email address that you
read at least once a day (once per 24 hour
time period). You need to provide this
email address to the instructor, so that the
instructor can use it to contact you. If this
email address changes, you are required to
immediately inform the instructor.
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Required Email:
• Also, send the professor email if you
haven’t already
– MPanitz@cascadia.edu (This is also listed in the syllabus)
– In the Subject, put the word CSS290
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Pairwise Reading: Grades
• Group up in pairs
• Triples are ok, if there is an odd number of people
• 10 minutes to:
– Download The Syllabus
– Read The “Assessment” section
– Summarize the “Assessment” section.
• 5 minutes to present your summary to
another pair, and listen to their presentation.
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Just Curious: Anybody have a Zune?
• Zunes are NOT required for this class
• If you do have one, I’d be curious to know
• (If not, that’s fine, too )
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Due Dates (For A1)
• Assignment 1 is due next Tuesday
– By the end of this lecture, you should be able to do
the entire thing
– It’ll be a two-part HW:
• Part 1 will be a variation on what we do today
• Part 2 will be for you to make a game that you want to
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Quiz next class
• No quiz today – need to make up the points
•  4 point quiz!!!! 
• You will:
– Start GameMaker
– Download 2 images
– Have them move across the screen towards each
other
– When they collide, they will disappear
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Next: Intro to GameMaker
• We’ll go over how to create a game using
the GameMaker program
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