WANTED: Talent in game design and development to take the young industry here to the next level.
The industry earned more than $285 million last year - already past the halfway mark to the Government's goal of $500 million by 2015. Just three years ago, it was worth a scant $87 million. These figures were released by the Infocomm Development Authority yesterday, on the sidelines of the three-day Games Convention Asia 2008.
Mr Seto Lok Yin, the assistant chief executive of the Media Development Authority who opened the show at Suntec City, told The Straits Times separately that he gave the games industry here a 'B' grade.
'In terms of starting from a very low base - five, six, seven years ago - till today...we have done reasonably well,' he said.
Singapore has attracted some big video gaming names in the last three years, the most recent being Ubisoft, which set up shop here in July. Movie animation stalwart Lucasfilm Animation has also opened here; its Singapore office did parts of the animation for the latest film in the Star Wars series, The Clone Wars.
It is 'critical' to get more talent to grow the industry further, Mr Seto said.
Already, scholarships for local students to study game development and software have been offered. Tie-ups with established overseas schools are also in place.
The Economic Development Board (EDB) has also sent interns to be trained in game development in major game companies overseas, Mr Seto said.
An EDB spokesman said it has even discussed with the Manpower Ministry the criteria for granting employment passes to game developers looking to work here, since many may have eschewed typical university degrees for other more offbeat qualifications.
Meanwhile, game companies here are using Games Convention Asia to hunt for talent. Electronic Arts, one of the world's biggest game developers and publishers, is talent scouting for 30 positions for its regional office here, its recruiter said.
An arts school planning to open its animation arm, Sheridan Global Animation, here next year is also recruiting artists and animators as lecturers and speakers.
The media industry, including the video games segment, is expected to create 10,000 new jobs by 2015.
This article was first published in The Straits Times on September 19, 2008.
