Overview

The video games market will more than double to become a $300bn-plus industry by 2025, according to GlobalData, constantly challenging the capabilities of consumer-grade hardware and charting the evolution of that hardware.

This degree is designed to be a highly focused programming course aimed at producing specialised software developers for the games industry world-wide. The technology, practices and challenges involved in game development are continually evolving, therefore the courses content reacts dynamically to reflect the complexities of this modern and increasingly interconnected sector. Course content is complemented by diverse teaching and learning methods that aim to equip you with the academic, professional and intercultural skillset required to succeed in this industry going forward.

Upon successful completion of this course, you should gain skills in technical games production, critical analysis, application of theories and concepts to real-world scenarios, localisation and digital literacy. The course is primarily focused on the technical elements of game engineering such as simulation programming and high performance software engineering. In addition, you will be expected to study supplementary subject areas such as games design, usability and asset generation, which aims to deepen your understanding of the industry as a whole.

The course aims to empower you with the fundamental capabilities needed to pursue independent game development, as well as giving you the opportunity to gain professional tools and wider contextual understanding of game engineering upon successful completion, to succeed in larger studios. The current course team recognises the ever-changing nature of games technology, including the emergence of new and disruptive technologies, policy design processes and the impact of ethical debate upon the sector. As a result, the Games Technology BSc (Hons) course strongly relies on research-led teaching, industrial engagement and international perspectives which aims to teach you how to analyse these topics in contemporary and relevant settings.

Course information

The successful completion of this degree will enable you to program and develop the latest games and interactive applications, understand games hardware and programming techniques, as well as develop entertaining games content.

It is designed to produce graduates with a high level of knowledge in computer science, sharing modules across our suite of computing courses, as well as specialist modules at each level in: content creation, concept development, physics and graphics programming; 3D Modelling and animation; games and artificial intelligence (AI); advanced graphics programming; and advanced games programming.

The course recognises ongoing changes in global and national organizational contexts, such as the emergence of new technologies, policy design processes and the impact of ethical debate. We rely on research-led teaching, industry engagement and international perspectives, seeking to enable you to analyse these topics in contemporary and relevant settings. For example, many of the current staff research and publish in international journals on the subject of games.

The course covers the essentials of games technology, such as state-of-the-art techniques in computer graphics for real-time rendering of game environments, physics programming for realistic game interaction, artificial intelligence for creating compelling game opponents, networking essentials for game operability, user-centred design techniques, playability and games concept development, as well as the latest developments in the games and creative industries.