CRIMSON CGA 3D Game Development Club User Guide
- October 31, 2023
- CRIMSON
Table of Contents
Global Academy
CGA CLUBS
3D GAME DEVELOPMENT CLUB
User Guide
DESIGN AND
CREATE YOUR OWN 3D COMPUTER GAMES
What is the 3D Game Dev Club?
The 3D Game Development Club is a school-led club at CGA that allows students
with an interest in gaming to further learn how to develop their own video
games and apps.
As part of the club’s programme, members learn to use Unity, the world’s most
popular game development platform to build fun and engaging 3D computer games.
They also learn C#, one of the most powerful and useful coding languages for
future careers. The club gives a chance for students with varied interests to
come together.
“The game development club is a great resource for any student who is
obviously interested in gaming, but also those interested in mathematics and
art.”
Dr. Andrew Daniel, Club teacher
The club also allows students from different parts of the globe to come
together and discuss their passions and ideas. The collaborative approach
helps students develop better apps and games through the course of the club.
Games and apps created by students in the club are impressive additions to
their college application portfolios.
Why join?
IMAGINE. LEARN. CREATE.
At CGA we encourage students to develop their interests outside the classroom
by offering a variety of extracurricular activities. Through the CGA
community, students can communicate and collaborate with like- minded students
around the world.
But what if you wanted to take your passion for gaming to the next level? What
if you could develop your own games, apps or websites that could be later
monetised? If those are your interests then the 3D Game Development Club is
for you.
What tools will you learn?
“The advantage of this club is that students get to learn about Unity – the
most powerful game engine in the world – that uses C Sharp, one of the three
great C languages that is a powerful, professionally-used tool.”
Dr. Andrew Daniel, Club teacher
One of the main objectives of the course is to train students on Unity and C#.
There is a massive scope for students to use these languages in the future
both for game and app development.
UNITY GAME ENGINE
Unity is the world’s most popular platform to build computer games.
Unity was used to build popular games like Escape from Tarkov, D.R.O.N.E. and
Fall Guys.
Each month 2 billion copies of Unity games are downloaded worldwide.
THE C# LANGUAGE
C# is one of the most powerful and useful coding languages for students to
learn for future careers.
It is also easy to learn – within an hour you will have code running to
control simple computer games.
Student showcase
PLAY THIS
GAME
PLANE SHOOTER
Created by Soleil Pham (student from Vietnam), this is the first CGA student
created app to be published independently.
Soleil is now instructing other students in Game Dev.
PLAY THIS
GAME
GAME DEV CLUB STUDENTS
TANK BLASTER
A classic shooter game, created with the first ever group of CGA Game Dev
students to learn coding. 
PLAY THIS GAME
GAME DEV CLUB STUDENTS
DEATH STAR ATTACK
An initial project with some of the Game Dev groups to explore transformations
in 3D The maths gets quite intense – rotations in 3D can cause a few headaches
but our students aced it!
“At CGA we are taking state of the art technology into the classroom to create
amazing opportunities for students anywhere in the world.”
Dr. Andrew Daniel Associate Principal,
Mathematics teacher and Game Dev teacher at CGA
MEET YOUR TEACHER
The club is led by Dr. Andrew Daniel, CGA’s Associate Principal and
mathematics teacher based in the UK.
Across his career Dr. Daniel has taught in five different schools, in the UK
and overseas, and also been involved in areas such as university preparation
and extracurricular programmes.
At CGA he teaches International GCSE and AS Level Mathematics. A good number
of Dr. Daniel’s former students are now studying at Oxford or Cambridge, or
the Ivy League universities in the US.
Dr. Daniel has a Master’s degree in education, and a PGCE in Mathematics.
His particular area of interest is technology and IT in education and early in
his career he was shortlisted as a finalist for the National Teaching Awards
to recognize his work in technology.
He was involved in some of the original projects in the UK to trial
interactive whiteboards for classroom teaching, and has been working to
develop software to support mathematics teaching. More recently, he has been
involved in training with American universities in areas such as the
mathematics of 3D computer game design, and artificial intelligence.
He brings all this knowledge to the game development club.
Club info
No previous knowledge of Unity, computer game design, or C# needed to join the club
- You’ll need to install personal copies the Unity Game Engine software and Visual Studio (for C# coding) on your computer
- Both are free to install, and instructions to install will be given
- The club will support your studies and knowledge of maths –we will use vectors, transformations, trigonometry, algebra, and other topics to write our computer games
- All are welcome to join us
When do we meet?
Every Thursday at 2pm-3pm UK time.
Available spots?
The maximum amount of members for this club is 16.
Why
web dev?
Computer coding is the literacy of the 21st century.
Course Schedule
Part 1: Introduction to Computer Game Development
| WEEK | TOPICS |
|---|---|
| 0 | Setting up: installation of Unity and Visual Studio |
| 1 | The Game Engine interface: objects, cameras, lighting. Introduction to C# |
coding
2| Object control: creating, controlling and destroying game objects.
Controlling a game camera
3| Physics: rigid body objects, collisions between objects. Variables and the
user interface (UI)
4| Coding: conditions, loops, components. Introduction to audio. The Unity
Asset Store
5| Functions and methods in C#. Using web resources to research C# and Unity.
6| Creating a UI: text, buttons, panels, user input. Displaying game variables
7-8| Supervised student project: create your own Unity game
Part 2: Advanced Unity and C# Game Development
| WEEK | TOPICS |
|---|---|
| 1 | Meshes: creating and manipulating meshes for game terrains |
| 2 | Algorithms in C# |
| 3 | Building and publishing Unity games |
| 4 | Creativity: game genres and design |
| 5-8 | Supervised student project: create your own advanced Unity game |
“Game development involves a lot of maths. Creating pre-fabs uses very
advanced mathematical concepts.
Other topics covered include vectors, transformations, trigonometry, algebra,
and geometry.”
What are some mathematical concepts that can be taught through game
development?
Game development uses a lot of concepts of advanced mathematics. In fact, Dr.
Daniel says that the second part of the course involves very advanced coding
and so challenges the students to use very difficult mathematics.
“Game development involves a lot of maths,” says Dr. Daniel. “Creating pre-
fabs uses very advanced mathematical concepts.” Other topics covered include
vectors, transformations, trigonometry, algebra, and geometry.
Which subjects and courses is it good for?
The game development club is of course an excellent addition to the portfolio
of any student looking to make a career in video game development or app
development. It is also very useful for those students looking to pursue a
career in mathematics and its applied fields.
Another really big field of interest where the club is relevant is data
science. “Some of our CGA students are really interested in data science and
have looked into Harvard’s course on the subject,” says Dr. Daniel. And you
cannot forget about the most happening field today – artificial intelligence
and the importance of coding for a career there.
All of the teachings from the club will help students further apply these when
they go to university and pursue careers within coding, development or applied
mathematics. There are also some students in the club who are interested in
pursuing a further career in graphic design as well. Through video game design
they will be able to expand their portfolios and learn skills that can help
them in their later careers.
How will game development help students?
According to an analysis of 26 million
job postings by job market analytics firm Burning Glass, about half of the
jobs paying $57,000 or more per year are in occupations that commonly require
applicants to have at least some computer coding knowledge. 
This
means that coding is a skill that is necessary for most career tracks. The
coding languages taught in the club are essential skills for high-paying jobs
in data science, information technology, engineering and scientific research.
CGA’s
extracurricular clubs help build skills that are beyond just academics. These
clubs give students an edge by offering them the opportunity to apply academic
skills in a real-world context.
Career pathways and growth opportunities
Game development will help students construct and develop an app or game.
These then can be showcased as part of a student’s portfolio when applying for
university.
“Some of our students are already developing products that can be monetised so
they will be able to earn while they learn,” says Dr. Daniel. This is a big
advantage especially for those students looking for part-time work in school
or college as well as those hoping to secure internships within the
field.
| Industry | Avg salary p/a | Projected employment growth |
|---|---|---|
| Software app developer | $105 590 | 21% |
| Web developer | $73 760 | 13% |
| Computer systems engineer | $88 550 | 9% |
| Database administrator | $93 750 | 9% |
| Computer systems analyst | $90 920 | 9% |
| Software QA Engineer | $88 550 | 9% |
| Business Intelligence Analyst | $88 550 | 9% |
+ Do I need previous experience to join?
No prerequisite knowledge is required to join the club. If you are interested
in coding and gaming, the club is for you. Instructions will be provided in
the set-up class on how to install free personal copies the Unity Game Engine
software and Visual Studio (for C# coding) on your computer to proceed with
the course.
+ How do I join the game dev club?
All you have to do is fill out this form and you will be on your way to
coding. The class meets once in a week.
+ What are the fees?
The membership fee is $40 NZD per month on a subscription basis (cancel
anytime)
Book a meeting with our Admissions team to find out more. Speak
with one of our staff directly who can answer any questions you have.
Crimson Global Academy
An Independent School
New Zealand Ministry of Education registered
CEEB Code: 703001
MoE School Number: 921
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References
- Death Star Attack! by ajd
- PlaneShooter by ajd
- Tank Blaster! by ajd
- CGA 2022 International Prospectus by Crimson Education
- CGA Club Registration Form
- Made With Unity | Unity
- Online High School USA | AP Courses, High School Diploma - Crimson Global Academy US
- Online A Levels and GCSE classes - Crimson Global Academy NZ
- Meet Our Teachers - Crimson Global Academy US
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