From a very young age, we have been constantly reminded of how important it is to learn. Learning does not necessarily take place in a classroom or is simply restricted to knowledge acquired for educational purposes only. Learning is a lifelong process that will never stop. It happens anytime and anywhere. It is so constant that we sometimes do not even realise that we are learning something new. Some lessons are tough and hard to swallow. The excellence in multidisciplinary learning curves can change the course of our lives.
For Ahmad Fadli Ahmad Dahlan, the CEO of gaming publisher and developer company; Todak Studios Sdn Bhd, learning has always been a part of his ethos even from a very young age. Holding his reputation in the gaming world as Todak Neo, he is also currently the Vice President of Todak Gaming and a proud alumnus of Management and Science University (MSU) with a Bachelor’s Degree in Information and Communication Technology.
It has been a steady ride to the top, albeit a slow one for Fadli since the inception of the company in 2018. He decided to take his time in establishing the corporate culture by carefully selecting the right talents that he could develop and upskill right from the beginning. Along with his team, Fadli worked on the research and development (RnD) area for Todak Studios to get to where they are today. They successfully left their mark even on the global scale when they proudly represented Malaysia as the first local game production and development entity to ever make it to the show floor of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2019 held in Los Angeles.
Fadli continues to aim high making sure each project is bigger than the previous one that they did. “We are currently handling an important project that will change the gaming industry in Malaysia. We are building a new 5v5 battle arena mobile game that we called ‘Mastra’. The project has been registered as an intellectual property under Todak, which is why I can now talk about it. Also not to forget that this project is also supported by the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC),” Fadli explained about the latest endeavour that he oversees currently.
‘Todak’ means swordfish in Malay. Todak as a brand name was derived from a local folklore about Singapore (historically known as Temasik) being viscously attacked by the swordfish after being cursed by a man who was unjustly punished by its king. Fadli tries to adopt the same perseverance and the fearlessness of the swordfish in achieving his goals. This inference inspires him to be brave to break barriers and just go for it.
“When we talk about gaming and game development, these are two different sectors. When you play games it is so much about the type of games you prefer and what kind of theme that you are into. That is all about it. However, when it comes to development, it is more about the technical aspects and user’s experience of the gaming or the e-sports site. It has its own set of challenges, but in game development itself, the most important thing is talent. You need people who have the knowledge to take your ideas to the next level. At the same time, of course, technological proficiency is also crucial. The biggest challenge that I managed to overcome as the head of this company was micro-management. A leader can have so many ideas, but when it comes to execution, it will be a totally different ball game,” he added.
Fadli’s reason for joining MSU (previously known as KUPTM) was simply for his deep interest in multimedia. At that time, MSU was just among a handful of local institutions that offered multimedia courses. Before deciding to follow along the IT path, he studied for a Diploma in Biotechnology. When he found out that the future is all about IT, Fadli decided to make the switch to the promising prospects in the IT industry.
“I enjoy learning and I wanted to learn more about multimedia. It was my main focus. All the years that I spent at MSU, I got to know people of different backgrounds which truly changed my point of view. MSU let me have the opportunity to learn about other cultures and religions as I got to know students from different parts of the country and the world too. It opened up my mind towards the world out there. It changed my perspective about learning something outside of what I previously learned in the classroom”.
The technopreneur reminisced about his time at MSU and the excitement of making new connections with his peers who share similar goals and ambitions. Joining clubs and participating in outdoor activities were good ways to make new friends. Fadli had the fondest memory of visiting an Orang Asli village for a charity project. It was a whole new world that he did not know existed and he truly treasured the experience. His only regret is not being able to spend more time at the new MSU campus. He was looking forward to experiencing the all-new facilities but ended up spending only one semester before graduating.
“Whether you are a gamer or not, try your best to learn as much as you can. You can choose to learn something that you love, but at the same time open up your mind to learn about everything else too. Never be afraid to make mistakes. I have learned that sometimes personal life does intertwine with work life. You just have to find your balance. That is all that you can do. Nothing is perfect, so just do your best,” he advised on the bright side of facing life challenges and lifelong learning.
Watch more about how Fadli steers Todak to reshape today's local gaming industry on MSUPop:
From a very young age, we have been constantly reminded of how important it is to learn. Learning does not necessarily take place in a classroom or is simply restricted to knowledge acquired for educational purposes only. Learning is a lifelong process that will never stop. It happens anytime and anywhere. It is so constant that we sometimes do not even realise that we are learning something new. Some lessons are tough and hard to swallow. The excellence in multidisciplinary learning curves can change the course of our lives.
For Ahmad Fadli Ahmad Dahlan, the CEO of gaming publisher and developer company; Todak Studios Sdn Bhd, learning has always been a part of his ethos even from a very young age. Holding his reputation in the gaming world as Todak Neo, he is also currently the Vice President of Todak Gaming and a proud alumnus of Management and Science University (MSU) with a Bachelor’s Degree in Information and Communication Technology.
It has been a steady ride to the top, albeit a slow one for Fadli since the inception of the company in 2018. He decided to take his time in establishing the corporate culture by carefully selecting the right talents that he could develop and upskill right from the beginning. Along with his team, Fadli worked on the research and development (RnD) area for Todak Studios to get to where they are today. They successfully left their mark even on the global scale when they proudly represented Malaysia as the first local game production and development entity to ever make it to the show floor of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2019 held in Los Angeles.
Fadli continues to aim high making sure each project is bigger than the previous one that they did. “We are currently handling an important project that will change the gaming industry in Malaysia. We are building a new 5v5 battle arena mobile game that we called ‘Mastra’. The project has been registered as an intellectual property under Todak, which is why I can now talk about it. Also not to forget that this project is also supported by the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC),” Fadli explained about the latest endeavour that he oversees currently.
‘Todak’ means swordfish in Malay. Todak as a brand name was derived from a local folklore about Singapore (historically known as Temasik) being viscously attacked by the swordfish after being cursed by a man who was unjustly punished by its king. Fadli tries to adopt the same perseverance and the fearlessness of the swordfish in achieving his goals. This inference inspires him to be brave to break barriers and just go for it.
“When we talk about gaming and game development, these are two different sectors. When you play games it is so much about the type of games you prefer and what kind of theme that you are into. That is all about it. However, when it comes to development, it is more about the technical aspects and user’s experience of the gaming or the e-sports site. It has its own set of challenges, but in game development itself, the most important thing is talent. You need people who have the knowledge to take your ideas to the next level. At the same time, of course, technological proficiency is also crucial. The biggest challenge that I managed to overcome as the head of this company was micro-management. A leader can have so many ideas, but when it comes to execution, it will be a totally different ball game,” he added.
Fadli’s reason for joining MSU (previously known as KUPTM) was simply for his deep interest in multimedia. At that time, MSU was just among a handful of local institutions that offered multimedia courses. Before deciding to follow along the IT path, he studied for a Diploma in Biotechnology. When he found out that the future is all about IT, Fadli decided to make the switch to the promising prospects in the IT industry.
“I enjoy learning and I wanted to learn more about multimedia. It was my main focus. All the years that I spent at MSU, I got to know people of different backgrounds which truly changed my point of view. MSU let me have the opportunity to learn about other cultures and religions as I got to know students from different parts of the country and the world too. It opened up my mind towards the world out there. It changed my perspective about learning something outside of what I previously learned in the classroom”.
The technopreneur reminisced about his time at MSU and the excitement of making new connections with his peers who share similar goals and ambitions. Joining clubs and participating in outdoor activities were good ways to make new friends. Fadli had the fondest memory of visiting an Orang Asli village for a charity project. It was a whole new world that he did not know existed and he truly treasured the experience. His only regret is not being able to spend more time at the new MSU campus. He was looking forward to experiencing the all-new facilities but ended up spending only one semester before graduating.
“Whether you are a gamer or not, try your best to learn as much as you can. You can choose to learn something that you love, but at the same time open up your mind to learn about everything else too. Never be afraid to make mistakes. I have learned that sometimes personal life does intertwine with work life. You just have to find your balance. That is all that you can do. Nothing is perfect, so just do your best,” he advised on the bright side of facing life challenges and lifelong learning.
Watch more about how Fadli steers Todak to reshape today's local gaming industry on MSUPop: