Games, Sensors and Media from Coursera

You will learn to make fluid digital interactive experiences that are suitable for gaming and use the advanced sensor hardware built into the iPhone and iPad. This includes drawing 2D graphics, playing sounds and music, integrating with Game Center, the iOS physics engine and detecting device orientation and location.

Upon completing this course, you will be able to:

1. Use the reverse geocode service to convert latitude and longitude to location names

2. Implement GeoFences to make an app efficiently monitor an iOS device’s location

3. Leverage the power of accelerometers, magnetometers and gyroscopes to orient a device in physical space

4. Create an app that responds to ambient light levels by using screen brightness as a proxy

5. Play sound effects and other media as audio

6. Make a game like Pong

7. Make a game like Breakout

8. Manipulate graphics in a game environment

9. Use the physics engine to create realistic game worlds

10. React to multi-touch events for complex interaction design

11. Detect and respond to collisions and contacts efficiently

12. Chain complex sequences of actions, animations and sounds with precision

13. Animate multi-frame sprites

14. Create particle systems to simulate fire, smoke and magic (and more!)

15. Interface with Game Center to create leaderboards and achievements that can be shared through social networks

What's inside

Syllabus

Location, Locomotion and Motion

In this week we are going to do a deep dive on the sensors in the iOS platform. Sensors are one of the aspects of smartphones that make them a unique platform and form a bridge between the digital and physical world. We will look at different ways of bridging that divide with location sensors (and street address look-ups via reverse geocoding), geofencing and motion sensors. This will give you the skills to write code that makes your apps aware of the world around them and possibly even react to a user’s physical movement.

Lights and Sounds

Working with light levels from the physical world is tough on iOS, but this week we will show you a way to access the ambient light around the device by leveraging the screen brightness. Then we will flip the paradigm. Instead of trying to sense the physical world, we will act in the physical world by playing sounds. We will introduce two methods of playing sounds in apps (not the only ways by any means).

Touch, Collision, Reaction

This week we give you the foundation for making games with SpriteKit. How do you build a game? How do you load assets into your game? How do you make them move and respond? We will start with the “Hello, World” of games, “Pong”. That will give a quick intro into how games work. Then we will return to each of the steps that we leveraged in making Pong and go into more depth explaining what we did along the way. In the in depth tutorial we will keep a running example of a game of “Breakout” tracking along with our progress. The focus of this style of game is on leveraging the physics engine, and detecting and responding to collisions in 2 dimensions. We will show the student how to place sprites, react to multi-touch interaction, detect and respond to contact events.

Where the Action Is

In this final week we will explore the different actions that can be initiated by your Sprites to create dynamic games. By leveraging the SKAction class, complicated multi-step animations, sounds and effects can be chained together without the app developer having to micro-manage their unfolding. We will also introduce particle systems as they are a fun and efficient way to simulate effects like smoke, fire and magic. Lastly, we will show you how to interact with Game Center so that you can add social action to your games. That includes leaderboards and achievements that are visible to the user’s social network and add a fun element of competition to any game.

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Teaches students to make fluid digital interactive experiences specifically for gaming

Taught by instructors Sam Kaufman and Don Patterson, who are recognized for their expertise in iOS and game development

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Games, Sensors and Media with these activities:

Get familiar with basic iOS and SpriteKit concepts

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Complete this tutorial series to get familiar with the core concepts of SpriteKit and iOS development which will be essential for success in this course.

Browse courses on SpriteKit

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Go through the first 5 tutorials in the SpriteKit tutorial series
Experiment with the code and try to modify it to create your own simple game

Review the basics of Swift programming

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Refresh your knowledge of Swift to strengthen your foundation for iOS game development.

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Review online tutorials or documentation on Swift
Complete coding exercises and practice problems
Build a simple Swift app

Find a mentor in the iOS game development industry

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Seek guidance from an experienced professional to accelerate your learning and career growth.

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Identify potential mentors
Reach out to potential mentors and introduce yourself
Build a relationship with your mentor
Seek advice and guidance from your mentor
Stay in touch with your mentor

Eight other activities

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Practice working with SpriteKit physics

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Working with physics in SpriteKit can be challenging, so it's important to practice using it in different scenarios.

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Create a simple game where objects fall due to gravity
Create a game where objects collide with each other and bounce off of each other

Join a study group to discuss iOS game development concepts

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Engage with other students and exchange ideas to enhance your understanding of the course material.

Browse courses on SpriteKit

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Find a study group or create your own
Meet regularly to discuss course concepts
Work together on projects
Provide feedback to each other

Volunteer at a local game development event

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Gain practical experience and connect with professionals in the game development industry.

Browse courses on Game Development

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Find a local game development event
Contact the event organizers and offer your help
Volunteer at the event
Network with other game developers
Learn about the latest trends in game development

Build a physics simulation game using SpriteKit

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Practice building a game using the physics engine to solidify your understanding of how to create realistic game worlds.

Browse courses on SpriteKit

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Create a new SpriteKit project
Add a physics body to a sprite
Create a collision handler
Add a score label
Publish your game to the App Store

Follow a tutorial on how to use Game Center

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Gain hands-on experience with Game Center by following a step-by-step tutorial.

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Find a tutorial on how to use Game Center
Follow the steps in the tutorial
Test your game with Game Center
Publish your game with Game Center integration

Develop a mobile game prototype using SpriteKit

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Apply your skills to build a game prototype, providing hands-on practice and solidifying your understanding of the course concepts.

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Design your game
Create game assets
Implement game mechanics
Test and iterate on your game
Publish your game prototype

Create a simple game using SpriteKit

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Creating your own game will help you to solidify your understanding of SpriteKit and iOS development.

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Come up with a simple game idea
Design the game's levels and characters
Implement the game's logic and physics
Test the game and make adjustments as needed

Write a blog post about your experience learning iOS game development

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Reflect on your learning journey and share your insights with others to reinforce your knowledge and potentially help others.

Browse courses on SpriteKit

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Choose a topic related to iOS game development
Brainstorm ideas for your blog post
Write your blog post
Publish your blog post
Promote your blog post on social media

Career center

Learners who complete Games, Sensors and Media will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Game Programmer

Game Programmers code the software for games. Games, Sensors and Media from the University of California, Irvine may be useful as this course covers the basics of game programming, including 2D and 3D graphics, physics, and artificial intelligence. This course could help build a foundation for a career as a Game Programmer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Game Programmer

Game Audio Designer

Game Audio Designers create the sound effects and music for games. Games, Sensors and Media from the University of California, Irvine may be useful as this course covers the basics of game audio design, including sound recording, editing, and mixing. This course could help build a foundation for a career as a Game Audio Designer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Game Audio Designer

Game Designer

Game Designers create the concepts and rules for games. Games, Sensors and Media from the University of California, Irvine may be useful as this course covers the basics of game design, including game mechanics, level design, and storytelling. This course could help build a foundation for a career as a Game Designer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Game Designer

Game Artist

Game Artists create the visual assets for games. Games, Sensors and Media from the University of California, Irvine may be useful as this course covers the basics of game art, including 2D and 3D modeling, texturing, and animation. This course could help build a foundation for a career as a Game Artist.

See salaries and explore the career path for Game Artist

Augmented Reality Engineer

Augmented Reality Engineers design and develop augmented reality systems and applications. Games, Sensors and Media from the University of California, Irvine may be useful as this course covers the basics of augmented reality technology, including hardware, software, and applications. This course could help build a foundation for a career as an Augmented Reality Engineer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Augmented Reality Engineer

Sensor Engineer

Sensor Engineers design and develop sensors for use in various applications, such as smartphones, medical devices, and industrial equipment. Games, Sensors and Media from the University of California, Irvine may be useful as this course covers the basics of sensor technology, including sensor types, characteristics, and applications. This course could help build a foundation for a career as a Sensor Engineer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Sensor Engineer

Virtual Reality Engineer

Virtual Reality Engineers design and develop virtual reality systems and applications. Games, Sensors and Media from the University of California, Irvine may be useful as this course covers the basics of virtual reality technology, including hardware, software, and applications. This course could help build a foundation for a career as a Virtual Reality Engineer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Virtual Reality Engineer

Motion Capture Engineer

Motion Capture Engineers use motion capture technology to record and analyze human movement. Games, Sensors and Media from the University of California, Irvine may be useful as this course covers the basics of motion capture technology, including motion capture systems, data processing, and animation. This course could help build a foundation for a career as a Motion Capture Engineer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Motion Capture Engineer

Game Producer

Game Producers manage the development and production of games. Games, Sensors and Media from the University of California, Irvine may be useful as this course covers the basics of game production, including budgeting, scheduling, and marketing. This course could help build a foundation for a career as a Game Producer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Game Producer

Media Producer

Media Producers manage the production of media content, such as movies, television shows, and music. Games, Sensors and Media from the University of California, Irvine may be useful as this course covers the basics of media production, including budgeting, scheduling, and marketing. This course could help build a foundation for a career as a Media Producer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Media Producer

Interaction Designer

Interaction Designers design and develop the interactive elements of products and services. Games, Sensors and Media from the University of California, Irvine may be useful as this course covers the principles of interaction design, including information architecture, visual design, and user testing. This course could help build a foundation for a career as an Interaction Designer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Interaction Designer

Software Engineer

Software Engineers design, develop, and maintain software systems. Games, Sensors and Media from the University of California, Irvine may be useful as this course covers the fundamentals of software development, including object-oriented programming, data structures, and algorithms. This course could help build a foundation for a career as a Software Engineer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Software Engineer

User Experience Designer

User Experience Designers design and evaluate the user experience of products and services. Games, Sensors and Media from the University of California, Irvine may be useful as this course covers the principles of user experience design, including human-computer interaction, usability, and accessibility. This course could help build a foundation for a career as a User Experience Designer.

See salaries and explore the career path for User Experience Designer

Data Scientist

Data Scientists collect, analyze, and interpret data to help businesses make informed decisions. Games, Sensors and Media from the University of California, Irvine may be useful as this course covers the basics of data analysis, including statistics, machine learning, and data visualization. This course could help build a foundation for a career as a Data Scientist.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Scientist

Mobile Game Developer

Mobile Game Developers make games for smartphones and tablets. Games, Sensors and Media from the University of California, Irvine may be useful as this course covers the basics of game development using iOS, including graphics, sound, physics, and multi-touch interaction. This course could help build a foundation for a career as a Mobile Game Developer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Mobile Game Developer