Best University for Computer Games Development at University of Wollongong Malaysia (UOWM) KDU, Utropolis Glenmarie

Join one the South East’s Asia’s most Recognized and Leading Universities in Game Development

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University of Wollongong Malaysia (UOWM) KDU is offering the Bachelor of Game Development (Hons) and Foundation Studies (Art and Technology) programmes. In addition, the Game Development degree at UOWM KDU course aims to cultivate high quality graduates familiar with production processes and aware of what is needed to produce successful games.

The teaching team is actively involved in the industry and is experts at their respective fields. In this unique programme, you are given the opportunity to specialize one of three game development components. If you have a keen eye for visual aesthetics and 3D Modelling, consider being a game artist. If you enjoy analyzing, writing stories and crafting experiences, opt to be a game designer. If you love mathematics, problem-solving and going through lines of codes, make game technology your preferred major.

Furthermore, UOWM KDU is collaborating with Codemasters Studios to develop talent and to build national awareness. This collaboration is also aimed at adopting the industry benchmarking and standards for curriculum and assessment methods in our delivery. Codemasters Studios is one of the Britain’s oldest video game development companies and is considered Europe’s largest independent games company with nearly 700 employees worldwide.

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Course Information, Fees & Intake Dates Games Design or Computer Game Development Degree at University of Wollongong Malaysia (UOWM) KDU

UOW Malaysia KDU has always been recognized as one of the premier Game Development Institutes in Malaysia and is the forerunner for producing the best graduates in this field. As one of the earliest private educational institutions in Malaysia, we at UOW Malaysia KDU not only pride ourselves with delivering quality education, we are also championing the nation’s digital content initiative in Game Development. As we continue to grow and evolve, UOW Malaysia KDU has now taken the role as one of the primary movers in the space of Game Development for both education and industry collaborations. The UOW Malaysia KDU Bachelor of Game Development Program is one of the biggest talent suppliers to the industry at the moment.

The Electronic games industry is are one of the fastest growing industries in the world economy with net earnings surpassing that of the entertainment industry. The global market for electronic games grew to US$148.8 billion in 2019 and is expected to reach US$189.6 billion by 2022. The Malaysian electronic games market reached a four-year growth of 167.7%, reaching US$589 million in 2018. With over 86+ game studios in Malaysia, of which 6 of them are renowned international studios, Malaysia is poised to be one of the biggest game development hubs in the region. In light of this incredible growth and with the pressing need for game developers with very specialised skills, UOW Malaysia KDU aims to cultivate high quality talents familiar with production processes and aware of what is needed to produce successful games in these three main areas:

1. GAME ART handles the visual components of games. Game Artists have to learn how to create 3D and 2D art assets for various types of games ranging from simple pixel-based graphics to hyper-realistic graphics for total player immersion.
2. GAME DESIGN handles the gameplay, mechanics, level and world design as well as storytelling/narrative of electronic games. Game Designers have to learn how games function to construct experiences, including play mechanics, game balancing, social game interaction and the integration of visual, audio, tactile and textual elements into the total game experience.
3. GAME TECHNOLOGY focuses on the technical aspects of Games such as physics engines, graphics engine, artificial intelligence and networking. Game Programmers have to learn the optimisation of mainstream algorithms such as path finding and sorting, and real-time 3D rendering for a ground-up games engine or modification of an existing engine.

Tuition Fees

For the latest tuition fees for the Game Development degree programme at UOWM KDU, please WhatsApp 01111408838

Intake Dates

Intakes are in January, June and September each year for the Game Development degree at UOWM KDU. For the exact dates, please WhatsApp 01111408838

Awards won by the Computing & Game Design Students at University of Wollongong Malaysia (UOWM) KDU

• Level Up KL 2020 -SEA Game Awards 2020 – Best Student Game & Audience Choice Award – “Don’t Stop the Party”
• Level Up KL 2020 -SEA Game Awards 2020 Nominee – Blood Moon Genesis
• KPMG Cyber Challenge 2019: University of Wollongong (UOW) Malaysia KDU Wins Top University Award
•  Level Up KL 2019 -SEA Game Awards 2019 Nominees – Echoes of You and House of Ignotus by KDU Glenmarie Games
• Best of Tertiary Student category at the MSC-Malaysia Asia Pacific ICT Alliance (APiCTA) 2018
• SCCM’s game development students made headlines during the recent South East Asian game developer’s conference – LEVEL UP KL 2018, by walking away as winner in the ‘Best Student Game’ award category. Eight Game Development students conquer the ‘Best Student Game’ award category with their winning game called Terminus: Lockdown. The award recognizes the overall best game developed by students from the Southeast Asia region. Terminus: Lockdown, is a third-person survival shooter game where the players play the role as a lone Technician trapped in a world filled with deadly parasitic plants infesting the halls of an abandoned space station.
• UOWM KDU Team EzSense, the second runner-up winner for the 23rd International ICT Innovative Services Awards (InnoServe Awards). Their innovative product, EzSense, an IoT- enabled commercial aquaponics monitoring kit using an Arduino microcontroller and LoRa wireless technology.
• Three KDU’s Game Development Alumni walked away with a seed grant worth RM 50,000 and an Adobe Create Cloud license when they came out top as the winner of Intellectual Property Creators’ Challenge (IPCC) 2018 – Commercial Ready Game
• Level Up SEA Game Jam 2017 -Teo Jia Luen, a Bachelor of Game Development student; Lai Ze Ren, a graduate of the same programme, were both in the same team that won the first place and walked away with a cash prize of RM8000. The game which their four-member-team made was a ‘clicker’ type that focused on building the entrepreneurial spirit.Apart from that, Ms Nabilah Raihan Binti Zakaria, a Game Art Lecturer was part of the team that won third place, by providing the visuals for a multiplayer pixel art game.
• Level Up KL 2016 – the largest and most prestigious regional game conference in Malaysia – by being crowned as the top three winners in the SEA Game Jam 2016 together with the inaugural Industry Recognition Award 2016
• MSC- APICTA 2016’s Best of Tertiary Student Category – Creative Multimedia prize for their First Person Co-Op Shooter Game called Combat Infiltration Droid (C.I.D)
• Awarded an Entry Point Project under the Malaysian Government’s Economic Transformation Plan (ETP), spearheading the Game Development Industry in Malaysia.
• MyGameDev2020 is an initiative spearheaded by University of Wollongong (UOW) Malaysia KDU that represents the start of a strategic collaboration between educational institutions and industry sectors.
• University of Wollongong (UOW) Malaysia KDU collaborates with Codemasters Studios to develop talent and to build national awareness.
• Bachelor of Game Development (Hons) programme student won The Merit Award for the MSC-Malaysia APICTA 2013 awards under the Best of Tertiary Student Project Category (Creative Multimedia)
• Bachelor of Computing programme won the central zone category for the MyInovasi 2012 competition, a competition organized by the Ministry of Higher Education to promote innovation and creativity.

UOWM KDU School of Computing & Creative Media

IDEAL SCHOOL FOR COMPUTER STUDIES – TAKE IT IN UOW MALAYSIA KDU

“An all-inclusive syllabus that produces computing wizards & games maestros”

THE BEST STREAMLINED SYLLABUS

UOWM KDU syllabus is a direct result of in-depth analysis and collaborations with industry partners to ensure our graduates are not only employable but desirable talents that can integrate seamlessly into the industry. It evolves to stay relevant to current industry needs and practices.

Creative Media:

The Game Development degree programme at UOW Malaysia KDU is endorsed by a major UK-based game development studio and stalwarts in the local industry. The programme’s streamlined syllabus and industry insights produces sought-after graduates, drawing many a studio to headhunt and handpick talents before they even graduate. With three specialised streams to choose from, our programme is one of the most comprehensive Game Development programmes out there.

UOW Malaysia KDU also collaborates with Codemasters Studios in the adoption of industry benchmarking and standards for curriculum and assessment methods in programme delivery. Codemasters is one of Britain’s oldest video game development companies and is considered Europe’s largest independent games company with nearly 700 employees in the UK alone.

Computing:

UOWM KDU recognises the need to integrate and diminish the gap between industry requirements, practice and technology and academic delivery. Irrespective of the computing stream students choose to study, our syllabus ensure they have a strong grasp in the fundamentals on computing, from programming, to using complex algorithms, and designing, building and testing of applications or systems – all of which are critical in cultivating a graduate who is an analytical thinker and creative problem-solver.

UOW Malaysia KDU offers programmes in 3 out of the 4 major facets of computing (as stated by The Association for Computing Machinery, the world’s largest scientific and educational society for computing).

• Computer Science
• Software Engineering
• Information Systems

“Our strong industry collaborations means students actively collaborate with potential future employers – before even graduating!”

Strategic Partnerships:

We work with selected corporate industry and relevant organisations to obtain practical training materials and tools for knowledge transfer as well as the opportunity for events and networking. Students get a taste of real world experience in consultation with top technological companies such as IEEE Computer Society, and RapidMiner Master Reseller, Ouandatics (M) Sdn Bhd keeping updated with latest trends through projects and industry involvement.

Certification Ready:

Students are exposed to and prepared for external certification exams and professional certification processes through our partnerships.

MyGameDev Talent Development Initiative:

In 2012, the Ministry of Higher Education awarded UOW Malaysia KDU with a PEMANDU Entry Point Project initiative under the Economic Transformation Plan and the National Key Results Area (Education) to spearhead the Game Development industry in Malaysia, focusing on awareness and talent building activities. This Game Development Cluster represents the start of a strategic collaboration between educational institutions and the Game Development industry to create a High-Income, Sustainable Creative Economy in the area of Game Development.

The primary measure of success in a digital game region is a critical mass of talent. Without critical mass, it is difficult to find support, retain talent, and attract international visibility and credibility. In an effort to maintain a constant flow of talents into the Game Development Industry, MyGameDev’s role is to ensure that not only are the relevant institutions generating graduates which are industry ready but to also prepare a ready pool of raw post-secondary student talents to feed into this pipeline.

Education Pathway

Students after SPM or O-Levels who love gaming and have a passion to design them can consider studying the Bachelor of Games Development at the best university for this course in Malaysia at University of Wollongong Malaysia (UOWM) KDU, Utropolis Glenmarie.

Students will need at least 5 credits in SPM or O-Levels to enter the Foundation in Arts & Technology course at UOWM KDU. Pre-University graduates in Malaysia from programmes such as UEC, STPM, A-Levels, SAM, CPU, AUSMAT and others may enter directly into the Game Development degree providing they meet the minimum entry requirements.

Entry Requirements

• GCE A Level : 2 Principal Passes (2Es)
• STPM : 2 Principal Passes (2Cs) or CGPA 2.00
• UEC : 5 Credits (5Bs) inclusive of a credit in Additional Mathematics
• Diploma : Pass with Min. CGPA 2.00
• Foundation Studies: Pass with Min. CGPA 2.00
• Any other qualifications deemed equivalent by the Ministry of Education, Malaysia (or as stated in the Document Senarai Nilai Taraf Kelayakan Akademik, Malaysian Qualifications Agency):
• Pass (Subject to review and approval of certified transcripts)

For students wishing to enter the Bachelor of Game Development program(Game Art or Game Design), a Pass in SPM Mathematics is recommended.

For students wishing to enter the Game Technology track, a Credit in SPM Mathematics is required.

English Requirement

Local Student: Band 3 in MUET

*If English language requirements are not fulfilled, additional English module(s) may be taken at UOW Malaysia KDU.

Bachelor of Game Development (Hons)

Electronic Games is one of the fastest growing industries in the world economy; it has now become mainstream with net earnings surpassing that of the film industry. The global market for electronic games is expected to grow from $67 billion in 2012 to $82 billion in 2017.

The electronic game industry shows no signs of slowing down with a projected compound annual growth rate of 10.3 percent. In light of this incredible growth – there is a pressing need for game developers with very specialized skills – this degree course aims to cultivate high quality graduates familiar with production processes and aware of what is needed to produce successful games.

UOWM KDU lecturers are actively involved in the industry and are experts in their respective fields. In this unique Bachelor of Game Development (Hons) programme, students are given the opportunity to specialise in one of three game development disciplines.

For those who have a keen eye for visual aesthetics and 3D Modelling, consider being a game artist. Students who enjoy analysing, writing stories and crafting experiences, can opt to be game designers. For those who love mathematics, problem-solving and going through lines of codes, they can make game technology their preferred specialisation.

1. GAME ART handles the visual components of games. Game Artists have to learn how to create 3D and 2D art assets for various types of games ranging from simple pixel-based graphics to hyper-realistic graphics for total player immersion.
2. GAME DESIGN handles the gameplay, mechanics, level and world design as well as storytelling/narrative of electronic games. Game Designers have to learn how games function to construct experiences, including play mechanics, game balancing, social game interaction and the integration of visual, audio, tactile and textual elements into the total game experience.
3. GAME TECHNOLOGY focuses on the technical aspects of Games such as physics engines, graphics engine, artificial intelligence and networking. Game Programmers have to learn the optimisation of mainstream algorithms such as path-finding and sorting, and real-time 3D rendering for a ground-up games engine or modification of an existing engine.

Year 1 Subjects for the Bachelor of Game Development (Hons)

• Specialisation Subjects (4 Subjects)
• Fundamentals of Game Design
• Fundamentals of Game Technology
• Fundamentals of Game Development
• Fundamentals of Game Art
• Professional Development and Leadership Skills
• Academic English 1

Year 2 Subjects for the Bachelor of Game Development (Hons)

• Specialisation Subjects (6 Subjects)
• Elective Subjects (2 Subjects)
• Game Project Studio 1
• Game Project Studio 2
• Human Computer Interaction for Games
• Game Business & Marketing

Year 3 Subjects for the Bachelor of Game Development (Hons)

• Specialisation Subjects (2 Subjects)
• Research Methodology
• Final Year Project
  Internship

Specialization

Game Art

• Digital Drawing
• Digital Imaging
• Animation Principles
• Introduction to 3D Modeling
• 3D Game Modelling and Texturing 1
• 3D Game Modelling and Texturing 2
• 3D Game Animation 1
• 3D Game Animation 2
• 2D Game Art Development
• Advance 3D Game Art
• Concept Art for Games
• 3D Game Art Development

Game Design

• Game Genre Studies 1
• Game Systems Analysis and Design
• Game Level Design
• Game Social and Culture Studies
• Game World Creation
• Games Narrative
• Multiplayer Game Design
• Game Genre Studies 2
• Game QA and Testing
• Game Support Documentation and Review

Game Technology

• Fundamentals of Programming
• Logic, Math & Physics for Games
• Data Structures & Algorithms
• Object Oriented Programming
• Game Programming
• Graphics Programming
• Mobile Game Development
• Object Oriented System Analysis and Design
• 3D Game Programming
• Artificial Intelligence for Games
• Data Communication & Networking
• Game Engine Architecture and Design

MPU

• Bahasa Kebangsaan A*
• Entrepreneurship
• Corporate Social Responsibility
• Life in Malaysia
• Bahasa Melayu Komunikasi 2 (International Students)
• Pengajian Malaysia 3 (International Students)
• Hubungan Etnik (Malaysian Students)
• Tamadun Islam & Tamadun Asia (Malaysian Students)

Notes
Bahasa Kebangsaan A is compulsory for all Malaysian students

• without a credit in SPM Bahasa Malaysia.
• without SPM Bahasa Malaysia (applicable to students from UEC, O Level, or other equivalent programmes)

Career Options

• Game Art
  • 2D / 3D Game Artist
  • 2D / 3D Animator
  • Concept Artist
  • Technical Artist
• Game Design
  • Game Content Designer
  • Game Designer
  • Game Tester
  • Interface Designer
  • Level Designer
  • Story Scripter
• Game Technology
  • A.I. Programmer
  • Engine Programmer
  • Game Programmer
  • Graphics Programmer
  • Tool Programmer

Top Computer Games Development Degree Programme in Malaysia at University of Wollongong Malaysia (UOWM) KDU

UOWM KDU’s Creative Media Department — a component of the School of Computing and Creative Media — is offering the Bachelor of Game Development (Hons) and Foundation Studies (Art and Technology) programmes. The Bachelor’s degree programme allows students the option to specialise in any one of the three discipline tracks in Game Development — Game Art, Game Design and Game Technology.

The school is pioneering the concept of ‘technological artistry’ in Malaysia, an approach to incorporate creativity into technology in order to produce graduates who will be the bridge between the two fields.

It is also spearheading MyGameDev2020, an Entry Point Project Initiative under the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu) Education National Key Results Area (NKEA).

This Game Development Cluster represents the start of a strategic collaboration between educational institutions and industry sectors to create a high income, sustainable creative economy in the area of Game Development for Malaysia.

“The potentials of the industry are ripe for the picking, and the timing is ideal for Malaysia to seize this opportunity and enhance its global footprint in this sector,” said School of Computing and Creative Media head Tan Chin Ike.

“To ensure the industry’s success in the country, it is imperative that Malaysia develops a critical mass of skilled talents in this fast-growing industry.”

University of Wollongong Malaysia (UOWM) KDU, Utropolis Glenmarie also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Codemasters Studios, one of Europe’s largest independent games companies. With this, the Bachelor of

Game Development (Hons) programme has adopted Codemasters Studios’ benchmarking and standards for curriculum and assessment methods. This collaboration is crucial in creating talents who will require minimum training for integration into this industry.

“We are not merely talking about quantity, but world-class quality which we can and have already achieved. We now have many local studios in Malaysia currently working on the next-generation game titles for the latest consoles. The quality will blow your mind.

“Look at the end credits of films like ‘Alvin and the Chipmunks’, ‘Yogi Bear’ and ‘X-Men: First Class’. You will notice Malaysian names. The art for DiRT3 and Grid 2, both racing video games developed and published by Codemasters Studios, was mostly done in Malaysia by Malaysians. In fact, Malaysian talent has helped Ang Lee’s blockbuster movie ‘Life of Pi’ win an Oscar for Visual Effects as well,” said Tan.

UOWM KDU has also invested very heavily in their academic staff, most of whom were early pioneers in the Malaysian Game Development Scene. As such University of Wollongong Malaysia (UOWM) KDU Game Development students are favourably received by the industry, and Tan is confident of a 100 per cent employability rate upon graduation.

“Because our teaching staff are predominantly from the industry and with their invaluable wealth of experience both in teaching and in developing games, our students are taught the production and pipeline techniques used by the actual game development industry, thus making them generally well-accepted into the fold.

“In fact, an international major game developer told us that our course actually met their expectations in terms of syllabus and, more importantly, outcomes for talent development,” he said.

General Facilities

The new 10-acre purpose-built University of Wollongong Malaysia (UOWM) KDU campus at Utropolis, costing RM320 million, has been designed around the philosophy that learning is experiential and can happen anywhere.

There are open spaces, themed gardens and discussion cubes, along with 9 fully equipped lecture halls that can house up to 250 students each, 60 state of the art classrooms where 4,000 students can be attending lecture and classes at any one time, a 50,000 sq ft space housing University of Wollongong (UOW) Malaysia KDU’s comprehensive library and a 500-bed student village.

• Cafeteria – A melting pot of food and life, students from all walks of life and schools gather here for their daily feast.
• Computer Lab – A number of computers all at the ready for our students’ access, connected to the free high speed WIFI service available on campus.
• Student Lounge – A student hotspot equipped with comfortable furniture for students to ease their minds.
• Library – The Utropolis Glenmarie library is spread out over 50,000 square feet, fitted with a coffee bar, Zen garden reading lounge, quiet study and learning pods.
• Learning Pod- Students can have the space they need in order to focus on studies at hand at the private Learning Pod.
• Atrium – Wide open space often bathed with natural sunlight.

UOWM KDU Student Accommodation, Utropolis, Glenmarie

On-campus accommodation on a 10-acre, 7-storey block that accommodates up to 580 students which is divided into male and female wings.

Game Lab at UOWM KDU

This is where Game Development students will be spending most of their time at.

Equipped with powerful equipment necessary for your education, the Game Lab in UOWM KDU has everything that you’ll need to play the latest and greatest titles on the market currently. Of course, playing won’t be everything you’ll do in this lab. You’ll be developing games from the ground up.

The Game Lab offers 11 units of Alienware Aurora gaming desktop systems. In a room found next to this, is the Game Console Area, where there’s Sony PlayStation 3, one Special Edition Gears of War themed Xbox 360, and a Nintendo Wii.