The class welcomes registrants from any industry or professional background with a software engineering component, though the course itself is not programming-heavy. It is the first time the Lab will make its software, prototyping, and project management best practices -- honed over the development of dozens of experimental games -- widely available to those outside the Lab. Over the week, participants will conceive and develop prototype games in small teams, with access to modern game development tools and talks and guidance from the mentors of the award-winning MIT Game Lab.

Registration is open now and will close in early summer.

Digital games pose greater challenges than business software projects of similar scope due to complexities in prototyping, testing, and platform variability. Game developers are thus required to exercise more flexibility in software specifications and functionality. Professionals have to modify their approaches to design and team management while keeping abreast of broad changes to technology such as cloud computing, mobility, and tools.

This course is intended for software development professionals aiming to understand the similarities and differences between modern software engineering and game development practices. Over the week, participants will conceive and develop prototype games in small teams, with access to modern game development tools and talks and guidance from the mentors of the award-winning MIT Game Lab. (Ranked for the past 3 years on the Princeton Review’s Top 10 Game Design Programs)

This course requires familiarity with programming, integrated development environments, and version control.