Department of Game Software, Hoseo University

What Department of Game Software, Hoseo University does

The Department of Game Software at Hoseo University (호서대학교 게임소프트웨어학과), established in 1997, operates as an academic department within Hoseo University, a private higher education institution headquartered at the Asan Campus in Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea. It is positioned as Korea's first university-level game department and serves prospective and current university students — including high school graduates, transfer students, and continuing education learners — who seek professional preparation for careers in game development, including game programmers, planners, technical artists, indie developers, QA/marketing staff, game journalists, and 1-person game developers. The department is staffed by 7 faculty members covering the core disciplines of the program.

The department's core offering is a comprehensive game development curriculum spanning game programming using commercial engines (Unreal Engine with Blueprint and C++, Unity with C#), game network programming, game AI, game engine development, and emerging AI/XR/Metaverse technologies. Practical learning is reinforced by a long-running student-led club ecosystem (Team Creator, BugSoft, MaroSoft, CYPICS, Hadado, ButterFly, MOG) and annual graduation project showcases. Students can earn industry-recognized certifications including Information Processing Engineer (정보처리기사) and Game Programmer (게임프로그래머), with career pathways supported through industry-academia MOUs, alumni mentorship, and the KMOVE Japan international employment program.

As a university department, revenue is generated through tuition and academic fees under Hoseo University's academic fee structure, supplemented by government grants (LINC+ and AI·SW-centered university projects, industry-academia collaboration grants, and government education subsidies). The go-to-market is event-driven (open campus events, departmental orientations, career fair participation, G-STAR attendance) and community-led (alumni networks, high school outreach, social media presence on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook). Recent partnerships with AnchorNode (2025), Whiric AI (2024), Like It Games (2022), Kara Company (2022), Yatab Enter (2021), and financial support from Krafton alumni donations indicate ongoing industry-academia engagement.

Name

Department of Game Software, Hoseo University

Legal name

호서대학교 (Hoseo University)

Website

https://game.hoseo.ac.kr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Department of Game Software at Hoseo University is Korea's first university-level game department (est. 1997), offering comprehensive game development education covering programming, game engines, AI/XR/Metaverse, and engine development to students pursuing careers in the game industry.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Game Development Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Game Development (Unity, Unreal, 2D/3D) (EDAMACAE)

Keywords

• Game development education
• Game programming curriculum
• Game engine training
• Indie game development
• University game studies

Headquarters

HQ city

Asan

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Academic Fees: As a public university department, Hoseo University Game Software Department generates revenue through student tuition and academic fees. The department operates as part of Hoseo University's national university funding structure.
2. Government Grants and Research Funding: LINC+ and AI·SW-centered university projects, industry-academia collaboration grants, and government education subsidies support departmental operations and research activities.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

As Korea's first university game department (established 1997), the department offers a four-year undergraduate program in game software development. The curriculum covers game programming using commercial engines (Unreal Engine with Blueprint/C++, Unity with C#), game network programming, game AI, game engine development, and emerging areas including AI/XR/Metaverse. Education is delivered through formal coursework supplemented by student-led academic clubs and graduation projects that produce working games.

Product overview

Department of Game Software at Hoseo University offers a comprehensive game development education program as Korea's first university game department since 1997. The program consists of core curriculum covering game programming (using Unreal Engine with Blueprint/C++ and Unity with C#), game AI, game network programming, and engine development. Student activities include academic clubs (Team Creator, BugSoft, MaroSoft, CYPICS, MOG) focused on collaborative game development learning. The department emphasizes practical experience through graduation projects, annual showcases, and summer academic camps. Latest curriculum reflects current gaming trends including AI/XR/Metaverse technologies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Game Software Major Curriculum
• Game Programming Courses
• Game AI Course
• Game Network Programming Course Course analyzing architectures of modern online games and teaching advanced techniques for building online game servers through practical exercises; for game software majors.
• Game Engine Development Course Course covering theory and hands-on practice in building basic-level game engines from scratch; for game software majors.
• Team Creator Academic Club (팀 크리에이터) Student-led academic club focused on collaborative game development learning covering planning, programming, and graphics design; for enrolled students.
• BugSoft Academic Club (버그소프트) Student-led game development club focused on programming and software development practices; for enrolled students.
• MaroSoft Academic Club (마로소프트) Game development academic club advised by Professor Kim Kyung-sik, promoting collaborative learning in game creation; for enrolled students.
• CYPICS Club Student club focused on mobile application and service development, expanding beyond games into general software services; for enrolled students.
• Graduation Project Showcase (졸업작품 전시관) Annual showcase of senior capstone projects demonstrating student game development skills and creativity; for enrolled fourth-year students and the public.
• KMOVE Japan Employment Program Program enabling students to receive Japanese language education and secure jobs at local Japanese software and game companies, expanding career pathways internationally; for enrolled students interested in the Japanese game industry.
• Summer Academic Club Camp Intensive collaborative learning program during summer breaks in which students work together on game development projects; for enrolled students.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2024 Global Game Challenge GGC Grand Prize winner (Korean Game Society)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• AnchorNode (앵커노드)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 May 2025Hoseo University Game Software Department signed an MOU with AnchorNode. The partnership aims to foster industry-academia collaboration in game development and technology. Specific details of the collaboration were not disclosed on the department website.
• Whiric AI (휘릭에이아이)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 December 2024Hoseo University Game Software Department signed an MOU with Whiric AI, a company specializing in AI-related technologies. The partnership aims to promote collaboration in AI-enhanced game development education and technology research.
• 천안시장애인체육회 및 둥근별 (Cheonan City Disabled Sports Federation and Deungunbyeol)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 March 2023A trilateral MOU was signed between Hoseo University Game Software Department, Cheonan City Disabled Sports Federation, and Deungunbyeol. The partnership aimed to promote social inclusion through game development and accessibility-focused projects.
• Like It Games (라이크잇게임즈)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 November 2022Hoseo University Game Software Department signed an MOU with Like It Games to strengthen industry-academia cooperation in game development education, providing students with practical industry exposure and collaborative project opportunities.
• Kara Company (카라컴퍼니)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 February 2022Hoseo University Game Software Department signed an industry-academia collaboration agreement with Kara Company to support student skill development and provide industry-relevant training in game development.
• Yatab Enter (야타브엔터)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 December 2021Hoseo University Game Software Department collaborated with Yatab Enter on multiple initiatives, including the Chungnam 2021 XR Metaverse Business Hackathon (where the department won First Place) and a metaverse water education quiz game project, demonstrating ongoing collaborative engagement.
• 충남글로벌게임센터 (Chungnam Global Game Center)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 25 November 2021Hoseo University Game Software Department and Chungnam Global Game Center co-hosted a non-face-to-face internship briefing session to provide students with internship opportunities and industry exposure in the game development sector.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Full Sail University: US-based institution offering dedicated game design and development degree programs; broadly comparable as a higher-education peer focused on game development with industry-aligned curriculum and project-based learning.
• DigiPen Institute of Technology: Internationally recognized institution dedicated exclusively to game development education; broadly comparable as a global benchmark for university-level game-development curriculum, though operating as a specialized (not department-of-university) institution.
• Vancouver Film School (Game Design program): Specialized creative-industries school offering a game design program; broadly comparable as a peer higher-education provider focused on game development training with strong industry production orientation.

Direct peers

• Sejong University (Game Engineering / Digital Contents): Major Korean university with a dedicated game engineering / digital contents department; directly comparable as a competitor recruiting students for game development careers with similar curriculum scope.
• Dongguk University (Game-related programs): Major Korean private university with game-related academic programs; comparable as a higher-education peer offering game development education to Korean students.
• Sangmyung University (Game Engineering): Korean university with a long-running game engineering program; directly comparable as a peer academic department training game developers and competing in the same Korean university admissions market.
• Keimyung University (Game-related department): A Korean private university operating a game department; comparable as a peer higher-education game program competing for similar Korean student applicants and offering game development curricula.
• Chung-Ang University (Department of Animation / Game-related programs): A leading Korean university widely known for its animation and game-related programs; directly comparable as a higher-education institution offering specialized game/digital-media curricula to the same Korean student market as Hoseo's Game Software Department.
• Hongik University (Game Design / Interactive Media programs): Premier Korean art/engineering university offering game design and interactive media tracks; closely comparable as a peer higher-education program training game developers in Korea with strong industry placement.
• Gachon University (Software / Game-related tracks): Korean university offering software and game-related academic tracks; comparable as a peer institution providing game/computer-science education with similar industry-partnership orientation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCzaDoADK7Z8Qf2qR1kD2QYw
• Facebookfacebook.com/호서대학교-게임소프트웨어학과-299370977681043
• Instagraminstagram.com/hoseo_game
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/game-hoseo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Department of Game Software, Hoseo University