0:11Skip to 0 minutes and 11 seconds hi everyone I’m Shui Linlin from the Game Design program at Communication University of China welcome to my introduction to games course I’ve been teaching game related classes since 2008 and I’ve also been hands on in designing games for PC mobile and tabletop platforms having seen how games across different platforms and genres come to life I’m eager to blend these practical insights with classroom theory together we’ll take a full journey to decode games covering everything from game design and art to technology and esports so let’s begin our exploration of this course why do we love games think about it when you see young people glued to their phones deep in a Fortnite battle on the tube or the league of Legends World Championship drawing over 100 million viewers online it’s clear games are no longer just kid stuff as of 2024 over 3 billion people worldwide play games that’s one in every two people on the planet the global gaming industry is worth over 200 billion dollars surpassing the combined value of the film and music industries China stands as a gaming powerhouse home to 700 million players and accounting for a quarter of the global market from the global hit of Ghenshin Impact to the highly anticipated Black Myth Wukong Chinese games are adding new dimensions to the global gaming landscape but have you ever wondered what makes a single game drive hundreds of millions crazy how does Dota 2’s international boast a prize pool of over 30 million dollars why do we weep over the fates of virtual characters feel that rush of excitement from fighting alongside teammates in game or hold our breath during a game changing play the truth is the magic of games is in our DNA when our ancient ancestors painted hunting scenes on cave walls they were likely simulating hunting games from ancient dice games and chess to today’s video games the ways we play have evolved but the core remains the same we’re hardwired to explore compete and collaborate and games are the perfect outlet for these instincts this course will lift the curtain on games you’ll see how designers hook players with that Gold Challenge reward loop how artists create immersive game worlds through color and lights how technology makes a virtual character’s jump feel authentic and how esports athletes turn gaming into an extreme test of hand eye brain coordination we’ll break down the level design of classics like Super Mario examine the secrets in The Legend of Zelda and explore the environmental storytelling in Black Myth Wukong whether you’re a player an industry professional or just curious you’ll find something here after all understanding games is about understanding ourselves too figuring out why we humans can never resist one more go