S'pore "serious" games sector goes29 Jan 2012 10:28
SINGAPORE: Games are hardly considered "serious", but there are in actual fact many that don't just serve to entertain. Some are created to educate, train or even simulate.
Singapore's recent venture into this sector is bearing fruit, with local developers making a name for themselves globally. Two overseas companies have even set up offices here.
In the educational game NewsMaker, you assume the role of a news presenter, with stories to write and bulletins to read. The award-winning teaching tool, designed by local developer EyePower, is now being used by schools in Australia and the United States.
Co-Founder and CEO of EyePower, Benson Loo, said NewsMaker has hit 30 states in the US and at least 100 schools in Australia. It has also livened classrooms in Singapore, where more than 50 per cent of the country's primary and secondary institutions have this game.
Mr Loo said: "We are trying to make learning an entertaining process. Our products, like Moo-O (a digital puppetry game which involves storytelling) for example, we really transform the way that reading is done, so it is now a very social activity that parents, families and friends can come together and read together and have fun."
It is also important not to take "serious" games too seriously.
Thomas Lim, director of Inteactive Media & Games at the Media Development Authority (MDA), said: "By serious games, we actually mean games that are not for entertainment. So it can mean games for education, healthcare, corporate training and so forth.
"The way we look at the serious games market in Singapore is that we certainly have the competency, plus we have the pedagogy know-how, especially in areas such as education, where we have an advantage in terms of many years of having experimented in schools and institutions of learning."
The MDA has set its sights on developing the sector here, having pumped S$6 million to attract overseas collaborations. As a result, two UK companies, Roll7 and PIXELearning, have decided to set up offices here in Singapore.
Singapore's official venture into serious games began in 2009, when the industry was still considered rather niche. But over the years, local companies have also gained traction in the mainstream market.
This year, the MDA also brought along eight local companies to BETT (formerly known as the British Educational Training and Technology Show) - the biggest trade show for educational technology in the United Kingdom.
Mr Lim said: "They (the eight companies) have a variety of product offerings, from those that are meant for autistic children, to corporate training, to healthcare. With this portfolio, we think it is therefore possible for us to start working with our British counterparts, localising them for the European market."
Five product deals - in the range of S$200,000 to S$300,000 - have also been signed so far. And the MDA expects more deals in the
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