Meet Our Experts – Dr Renusha Athugala | Innovating games beyond entertainment | RMIT Vietnam

Summary

Ru Shula, the program manager for the Games Design program at RMIT Vietnam, highlights the growing potential of the Vietnamese games industry, currently ranking in the top five globally for game downloads. Through projects like SensScapes, an interactive sound installation, Ru combines arts and sciences to push the boundaries of game design and interactivity. With Vietnam’s game industry expected to generate billions in revenue by 2026, Ru emphasizes the need for more original content and improved design expertise, which RMIT’s game design program aims to address. The program focuses on developing both technical skills and soft skills to prepare students for diverse industry challenges.

Takeaways

• 😀 Games serve many purposes beyond entertainment, including education, healthcare, training, simulation, storytelling, and raising awareness.
• 😀 Ru Shula is the program manager for the games design program at RMIT Vietnam, with a focus on exploring the integration of arts and science in interactivity.
• 😀 Shula's research emphasizes that interactivity is the foundation of games and has contributed to RMIT's Interactive Campus initiative.
• 😀 SensScapes, an interactive sound installation created by Shula and Bernard, triggers nature sounds through human motion and was based on their PhD research.
• 😀 SensScapes is the first soft-made permanent interactive art installation at RMIT Vietnam's campus, showcasing the blend of art and technology.
• 😀 Vietnam is one of the top five countries globally for game publishing, with 4.2 billion downloads and expected revenues of 2.7 billion USD by 2026.
• 😀 Despite its success, Vietnam faces a significant challenge in the games industry due to a lack of original content and insufficient design expertise.
• 😀 The gap in design expertise in Vietnam's games industry is attributed to insufficient support from academia, which is why RMIT Vietnam launched its games design bachelor's program.
• 😀 The program at RMIT Vietnam aims to develop both technical and design skills, addressing the needs of the growing Vietnamese games industry.
• 😀 Games and interactive media represent a blend of art and science, offering great potential for modern problem-solving and innovation.
• 😀 RMIT Vietnam emphasizes the importance of developing students' soft skills and teamwork abilities to prepare them for diverse challenges in the industry.
• 😀 Shula believes that pursuing what you love brings joy, and he takes great satisfaction in seeing students learn and grow each semester.
• 😀 As a designer, Shula values the freedom to be creative, which he experiences at RMIT, and also enjoys playing games and composing instrumental music in his free time.

Q & A

What are some of the purposes of games beyond entertainment mentioned in the script?

Games serve various purposes beyond entertainment, including education, health care, training simulation, storytelling, and raising awareness.

What is the main focus of Ru Shula's research?

Ru Shula's research focuses on interactivity, specifically exploring ways to integrate Arts and Science.

How does Ru Shula view the role of interactivity in games?

Ru Shula believes that interactivity is the foundation of games, and it plays a crucial role in blending art and science for modern problem-solving.

What is SensScapes, and what makes it unique?

SensScapes is an interactive sound installation where nature sounds are triggered by human motion. It is unique because the sounds were recorded in Vietnam, and it was developed based on Ru Shula and her colleague's PhD research.

What significant achievement does the SensScapes project represent at RMIT Vietnam?

SensScapes is the first soft-made permanent interactive art installation on the RMIT Vietnam campus.

What is the current potential of the games industry in Vietnam?

Vietnam is one of the top five countries in the world for game publishing, with 4.2 billion downloads. The revenue from games and applications in Vietnam is expected to reach 2.7 billion USD by 2026.

What challenge does the Vietnamese games industry face, according to the script?

The Vietnamese games industry faces a significant challenge due to a lack of original content, despite developers possessing the necessary technical skills. There is a noticeable gap in design expertise.

What is the purpose of RMIT Vietnam's bachelor's degree in games design?

RMIT Vietnam's bachelor's degree in games design was created to address the gap in design expertise in the Vietnamese games industry by providing education and training to develop both technical and design skills.

What does Ru Shula believe about the value of games?

Ru Shula believes that games are more than just for entertainment. They represent a blend of art and science, opening up amazing possibilities for solving modern problems.

Why does Ru Shula emphasize the development of students' soft skills?

Ru Shula emphasizes the importance of developing students' soft skills and teamwork abilities to ensure they are well-rounded and prepared for diverse challenges in the games industry.

What is Ru Shula's personal philosophy in life, and how does it relate to her teaching?

Ru Shula's personal philosophy is that you must do what you love. She finds joy in seeing students learn and grow each semester, and she believes that teaching shapes students and defines individuals.

How does Ru Shula balance her professional life with personal interests?

Whenever Ru Shula needs a break or has free time, she enjoys playing games or creating music. She composes instrumental music as a way to express her creativity and passion.