Apply To Game Design & Game Development Courses With Uni Enrol
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Table of Contents
What is Game Design & Game Development?
Game Design is a multidisciplinary job that often requires you to understand a little of everything in creating a video game, including creating compelling stories, characters, goals, rules, and challenges that drive interactions with other characters, users, or objects.
Game Development on the other hand involves the actual building and bringing to life the game characters, game levels, game physics and so forth through programming and game engines.
Why it matters?
- A successful game is not just about beautiful graphics. Many of the most successful video games of all time combine excellent storytelling and engaging player mechanics that enable players to traverse the game with ease while being challenged adequately.
- Gaming is a huge economy, estimated to be worth about $250 billion globally, especially mobile gaming. Game design for a console is very different from mobile.
- There are many opportunities as a game designer, including being an independent game developer yourself. There have been runaway success stories of individually/small team produced games that have raked in millions such as ‘’Flappy Bird’’ and ‘Star Dew Valley’.
Here’s a quick introduction video of what a Game Designer and Game Developer does:
Game Design vs Game Development
Here are the main differences of what you will learn in Game Design and Game Development:
Game Design is about crafting the gameplay experience. It involves:
- Mechanics – How the game works (e.g., jumping in Mario, crafting in Minecraft).
- Story & Narrative – The plot, world-building, and character development.
- Level Design – How levels are structured for pacing and challenge.
- Player Experience – What emotions and challenges the game provides.
- Game Balance – Ensuring difficulty is fair and engaging.
Example: A game designer decides that a racing game should have a “nitro boost” feature and determines how and when players can use it.
Game Development is about building the game using programming, art, and audio. It includes:
- Programming – Writing code to make mechanics function.
- Game Engines – Using tools like Unity or Unreal Engine.
- Art & Animation – Creating characters, environments, and effects.
- Audio Design – Implementing music, sound effects, and voiceovers.
- Optimization & Bug Fixing – Ensuring smooth gameplay performance.
Example: A game developer codes the nitro boost system, ensuring it functions correctly within the game’s physics engine.
Game Design & Game Development Course Pathways & Entry Requirements
Pathway 1: SPM/O-Levels ➔ Pre-University / Foundation ➔ Game Design / Development Degree
To qualify for a Game Design / Development Degree, you need to enter a Pre-University course (A-Level, SACE, STPM) or a Foundation course offered by the university of your choice.
As an SPM / O-Level leaver, the entry requirement is 5 credits to enter Pre-U or Foundation.
While there is no SPM/O-Level subject pre-requisite for Game Design, it is advisable to have a credit in Mathematics for Game Development.
A Pre-University course or Foundation takes 1 to 2 years to complete and will qualify you to enter into a Degree in Game Design / Development.
A Game Design / Development Degree in turn will take 3 years to complete. Here are the general requirements to enter with qualifications from popular pre-university courses or a foundation course:
| Qualifications | General Requirements |
| A-Level | 2D |
| AUSMAT/SACE | ATAR 55 |
| CIMP | 55% |
| STPM | 2C |
| UEC | 5B |
| Foundation | CGPA 2.00 |
Note: Actual minimum requirements will differ between different universities. Advisable to have Mathematics as one of the pre-university subjects if pursuing a Game Development Degree.
In total, this pathway generally takes 4 years to complete.
Pathway 2: SPM/O-Levels ➔ Diploma ➔ Game Design/Development Degree
Studying for a Diploma in Game Design / Development serves as an alternative budget-friendly option.
As an SPM / O-Level leaver, the entry requirement is 3 credits to enter a Diploma in Game Design / Development and takes about 2 years to complete depending on the university offering.
However, a Diploma qualification will only expose you to the fundamentals of game development concepts and game art designing.
To gain a more comprehensive learning experience including the entire lifecycle process from ideation, and production to distribution, it is better to go for a Degree pathway.
If you already have a Diploma qualification, you only need to enrol for 2 years to complete a Degree course with a minimum entry requirement of CGPA 2.0.
How Can Uni Enrol Help?
Uni Enrol’s experienced counsellors help you compare the pros and cons of studying a Game Design Course or Game Development Course at different universities and different locations.
What You Learn: Game Design Course VS Game Development Course
To further illustrate the different learning scope between Game Design and Game Development, here are the subjects you will be learning when applying to a Game Design Course and Game Development Course.
Game Design
- 2D Graphics and Animation
- 3D Digital Art
- Analysis of Game Systems
- Art Law & Cyber Law
- Basic 3D Animation for Games
- Character Animation
- Digital Video Production
- Drawing, Imaging, Interactive Design, Technical Design
- Game Design Foundation
- Game Modeling and Texturing
- Game Design and Production Process
- Computer Technology and Programming
- Introduction to Game Development
- Introduction to Psychology
- Language & Communication Skills
- Level Design for 2D & 3D Games
- Mobile Game Development
- Music and Sound Effects for Games
- Narrative Design: Building Interactive Stories
- Object Oriented Programming for Designers
- Probability and Statistics for Designers
- Programming Game Engines for Designers
- Sound Design
- Systems Design Fundamentals
- User Experience and Interface Design
- World-Building for Games
Game Development
- 2D Game Programming
- 3D Graphics, Scripting, Applications
- Analogue Games
- Audio For Computer Games
- Basic 3D Computer Character Modelling
- Believable Models for Games & Virtual Reality
- Computer Architecture
- Computer Games Documentation
- Conceptualisation, Preproduction, Production, Testing
- Computer Games Level Design
- Computer Graphics
- Digital Imaging Production
- Fundamentals of Game Art
- Fundamentals of Game Design
- Game Algorithm & Game Physics
- Game Business & Marketing
- Games Engines
- Human Computer Interaction for Games
- Imaging & Special Effects
- Innovation Process
- Mathematical Concepts for Computing
- Multimedia Techniques For Animation, Games & Film Effects
- Programming for Data Analysis
- Programming Techniques for Animation & Computer Games
- Programming with Python
You will note that the Game Design and Game Development courses have introductory exposure to one another so that both designer and developer can work together.
Why Should I Study Game Design & Game Development?
The gaming industry is such a diverse industry and it employs all types of people with different skillsets.
- The Gaming Industry Will Continue To Grow – With continuous advancements in game engines and AR/VR technology, there is a boundless potential for games to evolve in many ways, which opens up many career opportunities.
- Wide Discipline Scope – A career in games does not mean you are limited to art and programming. There are so many skillsets needed in this industry, such as conceptualisation, storytelling, clay modelling, audio production, cinematography, project managing and even directing.
- Government Funding For Game Startups – Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) supports local game developers through grants and training programmes. E-sports is now a legitimately recognised career path for the youth in Malaysia, evidenced by lucrative cash prizes won by Malaysian teams.
⬇ TRY PATHWAY MATCH ⬇
RIASEC Compatibility To Game Design & Game Development Courses
The John Holland Theory of Career Choice states that in choosing a career, people will choose one similar to their personality to ensure job satisfaction, job performance, and career success. The test generates 6 different personality types:
- Realistic (R)
- Investigative (I)
- Artistic (A)
- Social (S)
- Enterprising (E)
- Conventional (C)
With the RIASEC Test, as it can sometimes be known, the 6 personalities can generate up to 720 combination possibilities to provide career compatibility. You can try the test yourself here.
These are the Top 3 traits aspiring game designers and game developers should have respectively:
GAME DESIGN
- ARTISTIC – Crucial for graphic design, animation, and storytelling, all of which are fundamental components.
- INVESTIGATIVE – Constantly bridging between imagination and what is technically possible is something that designers solve with developers.
- ENTERPRISING – The ability to persuade and pitch ideas so they are incorporated in the game is crucial. Having good instincts of what the consumer wants is also invaluable to the game design.
GAME DEVELOPMENT
- INVESTIGATIVE – Strong problem-solving skills are essential for coding, debugging, and optimizing game logic.
- REALISTIC – Practical, hands-on skills are crucial for working with programming languages (C++, Python, etc.), game engines (Unity, Unreal), and algorithms.
- ARTISTIC (to some extent) – While programming is technical, a good game programmer benefits from a creative mindset to know what is engaging for players.
Career Opportunities For Game Designer & Game Developer
The continuous growth and evolution of the gaming industry means that there will always be opportunities for graduates in this space:
| Areas of Opportunity | Types of Roles |
| Game Design | Game Designer Level Designer Narrative Designer System Designer |
| Game Programming | Gameplay Programmer Engine Programmer AI Programmer Graphics Programmer Network Programmer |
| Game Art & Animation | Concept Artist 3D Modeler Animator Character Artist Environment Artist |
| Game Audio | Sound Designer Composer Audio Engineer |
| Game Production & Management | Game Producer Project Manager Product Manager |
| Game Testing & Quality Assurance (QA) | Quality Assurance Tester Playtester |
| Game Marketing & Community Management | Community Manager Social Media Manager Marketing Specialist |
| Specialized Roles | VR/AR Developer Monetization Specialist Esports Manager |
| Indie Game Development | Indie Developer Freelance Game Designer/Artist |
| Academic & Research Roles | Game Development Instructor Researcher in Game Studies |
Top Universities In Malaysia For Game Design & Game Development Course
Here are our recommendations of top universities in Malaysia to study Game Design and Game Development. Or check out more options here.
Bachelor Of Information Technology (Hons) (3+0) with University of the West of England, UK (Game Design Specialisation)
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