No longer are videogames purely for entertainment. Today, they’ve become entire software infrastructures that stretch the very capabilities of computer systems. Many new technologies utilize game-oriented software systems as their very backbones, including:
- The Metaverse
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Augmented Reality (AR)
- Big Data
- Cloud Computing
- Edge Computing
All this makes the game design and computer science fields more vital than ever. Ensuring these fields continue to evolve is very much a factor of quality, relevant education.
One company leading this charge is One Academy, which has recently developed a partnership with the DigiPen Institute of Technology, one of the top computer science names, to pioneer innovation and growth in the Southeast Asian game development industry.
Founded by Claude Comair in 1988, DigiPen started out as an animation and computer simulation agency. To succeed, the company needed to fill its many critical roles with qualified workers possessing a foundation of computer science knowledge and skill and an understanding of the most current technologies. To achieve this, DigiPen partnered with Nintendo of America to provide specialized game development and computer science courses. Now, the fruit of that partnership is considered the premier educational institution with a Bachelor’s Degree program in video game tech and development.
Thanks to a mutual passion and philosophy of education, DigiPen and the One Academy are working together to establish a DigiPen The One Academy campus in Malaysia.
Currently, the campus offers five course, each one Malaysian Qualifications Agency accredited, those being:
- Bachelor of Arts in Game Design
- Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Game Design
- Bachelor of Science in Computer Science in Real-Time Interactive Simulation (RTIS)
- Diploma in Computer Science
- Diploma in Game Design
Students in the game design programs learn a combination of theory and practice in multiple key disciplines for developing games with rich user experiences, including:
- Humanities
- Social sciences
- Computer science and mathematics fundamentals
To those same ends, the programs also teach students about the narrative and artistic principles underlying the user experience. They learn to craft interactive experiences that are both engaging and intuitive; they learn a professional game designer’s toolkit of processes and aids for implementing, testing and refining their concepts.
Both the game design and computer science programs incorporate the above with specialized studies in physics, mathematics and computer science. The professional designer’s technical tools and procedures students in both of these programs learn to leverage include level and map editors and scripting languages as well as databases while collaboratively designing, prototyping and iterating their work.
In the computer science in RTIS program, students focus on complex interactive computer graphics and real-time simulations, from their development to implementation to programming. One of the key teaching tools the program uses to convey more advanced computer science concepts is, fittingly, game development.
Students in these programs first establish a strong footing in programming, physics and math before applying those skills to annual team projects and, ultimately, publicly launching their own game software.
Grounded in three decades of its “Masters Train Masters” philosophy, the DigiPen One Academy offers these newest programs both in person and online, all taught by U.S. professors.
