A S$2-million Games Resource Centre has been launched at the Singapore Polytechnic to spur local game development on leading-edge platforms. The Unreal Technology Lab at Singapore Polytechnic (SP) is the second Games Resource Centre to be supported by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA). The first was set up earlier this year by Sony Computer Entertainment and Nanyang Polytechnic with a focus on building PlayStation development capability.

Dr Peter Leong, Centre Director, Interactive and Digital Media Centre, SP, with students at the new lab.

The latest initiative by SP and Epic Games China is in line with IDA’s Connected Games Programme to support and develop the nation’s gaming ecosystem. “Connected Games are part of the growing digital media industry and this Games Resource Centre aims to develop Singapore into a leading regional centre in this area,” said RADM(NS) Ronnie Tay, Chief Executive Officer, IDA. “It will provide access to the latest technologies, expertise, and resources for games development, some of the key challenges faced by this sector.”

In particular, SP’s Games Resource Centre will use Epic Games’ popular and well-regarded Unreal Engine 3 (UE3) technology, which underpins popular games like Bioshock, Gears of War, and Lineage 2.

Users of the Centre will gain access to UE3’s core technologies, content creation tools, and other support infrastructure to accelerate the production pipeline for making 3D animation, complex visualisation and advanced simulation in games.

Making such technology readily available and affordable to local game developers are key goals of the Unreal Technology Lab. “Previously, a small game studio that wanted to develop their game would have to invest considerable amount of technical manpower resources to build their own 3D graphics and game engine,” said Mr Lim Peng Hun, Deputy Principal (Technology & Industry), SP. “Unreal Engine 3 has been designed to ease content creation and programming, allowing programmers, graphic artists, and designers to work seamlessly together.”

According to Dr Peter Leong, Centre Director, Interactive and Digital Media Centre, SP, the usual cost of using Unreal Engine 3 is upwards of S$500,000, but going through the Unreal Technology Lab will make costs nominal at most.

“While we haven’t decided on a cost model yet, our goal is to promote game development and make it accessible,” he said. “In the current resource crunch, we may even waive costs for qualified developers to use the Centre for game prototype development and battle testing.”

“In any case, we expect to cut access costs to Unreal technology by 80 to 90 per cent with this lab,” he added. “By saving on time and investment, they can in turn commercialise and price their games more competitively.”

The Unreal Technology Lab will also address the interactive and digital media industry’s manpower needs by training students and industry professionals. About 200 students from the Diploma in Game Design & Development, Information Technology (Game Development Option, Digital Animation and Digital Media) will learn and use UE3 at the Centre, after which they will apply their knowledge during Industrial Attachment Programmes with industry partners.

“SP and other qualified local developers will be taught how to use the engine by our experts,” said Mr Pentera Dio, Vice President, Epic Games China. “They will be allowed to access the core section of Unreal technology to create their own game prototypes.”

“This training collaboration will drive the adoption of Unreal technology in Southeast Asia,” he added. “We are committed to serving the region’s game development community with cutting edge technologies.”