EdX

History of Game Design: 2010 to present (edX)

Offered by LaSalle College, LaSalleX,
History of Game Design: 2010 to present (edX)

Learn about the modern age of gaming, the move towards mobile and the future of gaming. We will now turn our attention to the consoles of the eighth and ninth generations and learn about advances in computer gaming and related gaming technologies, including a decline in physical game media in favor of digital downloads, the emerging virtual reality (VR) gaming sector, and the rise of esports as a major commercial enterprise.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see EdX's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

You will also learn about the history of independent video games and why they are relevant to video game history. Your journey continues with the evolution of handheld, mobile and social media games and how microconsoles have impacted the industry.
Finally, you will explore the resurgence in experimenting with mixed and virtual reality technology. After all, what could be better than playing a video game—other than living inside one?
Topics covered include:

  • The end of generations
  • Independent games
  • Mobile games, social games, microconsoles and mixed reality

This course is part of the History of Games XSeries.

What you'll learn

  • Advances in computer gaming and related gaming technologies and their significant impact on the industry
  • The defining features and major game releases of the eighth- and ninth-generation consoles
  • The relevance of independent games to video game history
  • Why Vancouver is recognized as a hub of video game production and development
  • How the evolution of games played on mobile devices and social media and the phenomenon of microconsoles have changed the direction of video game history
    • How mixed reality technologies have developed and how they may affect the future of gaming
Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Game Design and Development 3: 3D Shooter (Coursera) Coursera
Michigan State University

Game Design and Development 3: 3D Shooter (Coursera)

If you love games and want to learn how to make them, then this course is your third step down that path. In this course you will learn the fundamentals of game design, including an understanding of level design, game balancing, prototyping, and playtesting, as well as game asset creation techniques. You will continue developing video games using industry standard game development tools, including the Unity 2020 game engine. At the end of the course you will have completed a 3D First-Person Shooter game, and will be able to leverage an array of game development techniques to create your own basic games.

Nov 9th 2026
4 Weeks
Introduction to Game Design: Game Systems and Balance (edX) EdX
LaSalle College,LaSalleX

Introduction to Game Design: Game Systems and Balance (edX)

Learn the deep mechanics of good system design that is both fun and rewarding for the gamer. Game designers create the ideas and worlds of games—they design the environment, characters, game mechanics, goals and user experience. Successful game designers do this by applying the fundamentals of game system design and logic.

Self Paced
Self-Paced
Story and Narrative Development for Video Games (Coursera) Coursera
California Institute of the Arts

Story and Narrative Development for Video Games (Coursera)

In this course, you will examine how storytelling acts as a vital mechanism for driving video gameplay forward. Looking at several historical and contemporary games, you will be asked to evaluate and interpret different story styles with the goal of identifying themes and procedures for your own game ideas. We'll examine traditional narrative story processes, such as three-act structure, and how they fit into game story flows and the strategic elements of gameplay. Ultimately, you will learn how to define character, setting, and structure to create a compelling game concept.

Nov 9th 2026
4 Weeks
Desarrollo de Videojuegos 3D en Unity: Una Introducción (Coursera) Coursera
Universidad de los Andes

Desarrollo de Videojuegos 3D en Unity: Una Introducción (Coursera)

Este curso te permite crear un prototipo de juego 3D, explorando los conceptos necesarios y las herramientas para desarrollo de videojuegos en 3D disponibles en Unity y en la Web. Explorarás y harás uso de herramientas para crear una escena 3D en Unity, podrás agregar personajes y animaciones 3D e integrarlas en los escenarios que crees, podrás definir comportamiento e interacción entre elementos del videojuego, y publicar en la Web los resultados de lo que diseñes. Vas a utilizar como base los conceptos aprendidos en el curso introductorio de desarrollo, ahora aplicados a juegos 3D.

Nov 16th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Shooters and Game Engines in Level Design (edX) EdX
LaSalle College,LaSalleX

Shooters and Game Engines in Level Design (edX)

Shooter games have been and continue to be the dominant genre in video games. Learn about this important genre in game design. Do you want to learn more about game genres and subgenres? This course continues your exploration of level design by introducing you to an important genre: the shooter. The shooter genre is huge in the game world, containing a wide variety of subgenres with their own gameplay needs.

Self Paced
Self-Paced
Emprendimiento y métodos ágiles de desarrollo en videojuegos (Coursera) Coursera
Universidad de los Andes

Emprendimiento y métodos ágiles de desarrollo en videojuegos (Coursera)

¡Bienvenido al curso de emprendimiento y métodos ágiles de desarrollo en videojuegos! Este curso es parte del Programa Especializado Coursera en Diseño y Desarrollo de Videojuegos, en la cual aprenderás a diseñar y programar cierto tipo de videojuegos, aumentarás tu comprensión acerca del mercado actual de videojuegos y de lo que se requiere para crear un juego exitoso comercialmente.

Nov 23rd 2026
5-12 Weeks
History of Games: 1990 to the late 2000s (edX) EdX
LaSalle College,LaSalleX

History of Games: 1990 to the late 2000s (edX)

Discover the technological breakthroughs, gadgets and consoles that revolutionized the gaming industry. It’s now time to continue your captivating journey through the history of gaming. In this second course, you will learn about the technological advancements of the early 1990s and the development of the fourth- and fifth-generation video game consoles—some of which survived even after their successor generation entered the market.

Self Paced
Self-Paced
Revit for Structural Engineers (edX) EdX
University System of Maryland - USM,USMx

Revit for Structural Engineers (edX)

Learn how to model basic building structural systems in Autodesk Revit. Building Information Modeling (BIM) has initiated a sea change in the way that buildings are designed and constructed. Old methods rooted in two-dimensional thinking have been pushed aside to make way for new three-dimensional approaches that leverage the latest advancements in computing technology.

Self Paced
Self-Paced
Introduction to Virtual Reality (Coursera) Coursera
University of London,Goldsmiths, University of London

Introduction to Virtual Reality (Coursera)

This course will introduce you to Virtual Reality (VR). The course will teach you everything from the basics of VR- the hardware and the history of VR- to different applications of VR, the psychology of Virtual Reality, and the challenges of the medium. The course is designed for people who are new to VR as a medium. You may have experienced some virtual reality before, and may have some hardware- but this course is suitable to individuals who have never experienced VR and those who do not have much hardware- we will explain Mobile VR as well as devices such as the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.

Nov 9th 2026
4 Weeks
Making Your First Virtual Reality Game (Coursera) Coursera
University of London,Goldsmiths, University of London

Making Your First Virtual Reality Game (Coursera)

Virtual Reality is one of the most exciting experiences that technology can give us. The immersion and presence you can have in VR is quite unlike any other medium. Like many others, you are excited about the possibilities of this new medium and want to get started developing your own VR experiences. This course will take you through all of the steps you need to create a VR game or other project.

Nov 9th 2026
5-12 Weeks