If you think video games are just for kids and teenagers, think again. In a survey done in 2017, gamers under the age of 18 only make up 29% of the gaming population, meaning over 70% of avid gamers are adults[1]. Here’s a piece of important fact: the gaming industry is an important creative industry both as a form of mainstream entertainment and as a key contributor to the global economy. In a report by an investment banking firm, the combined revenues of video games hardware and software may reach US$235 billion by 2022, with software sales accounting for just below 75% of all revenues[2]. Observing the promising potential of the market and the expected growth in demand for professional game developers, the Department of Computing founded a Game Lab over a decade ago, not only to prepare students for their jobs in technical terms, but also to inspire them creatively in terms of storytelling skills and artistic vision. According to Dr Peter Hiu-fung Ng, Teaching Fellow, Department of Computing, the Game Lab also acquired Hong Kong’s first multi-user projection virtual reality system in 2016 among other commercial gaming platforms, to equip students with programming and design skills.
MR, VR and AR: trends to watch
Over a decade ago, the Game Lab was set up as a workshop for students to hone their technical skills in game programming. Up till now, the hardware has been updated every 3 to 6 months to keep track of the latest development in the gaming industry. “Since 2014, we have also covered the artistic and narrative sides of video games, including storytelling skills and attractive graphics. This strategy has certainly paid off as our students were named one of the top 10 teams in the Hong Kong Ani-Com & Games Entrepreneurship Programme 2017,” said Dr Ng.
When asked about the upcoming trends in video games, Dr Ng believed mixed reality (MR) topped the list. It combines virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) to integrate real world objects or people in a virtual space where physical and digital entities co-exist and interact. “One of the reasons why VR has not caught on is the bulk and weight of the head-mounted display. It weighs more than 1 kg and could be quite tiring after a while. That’s why we procured Hong Kong’s first multi-user projection virtual reality system that enables users to experience the thrill of VR by wearing lightweight polarized glasses just like those used for 3D movies,” added Dr Ng. The system projects images onto two big screens placed at right angle with each other. Several pairs of glasses can be connected via Bluetooth and all users can see the same compelling images. They can also interact with the virtual objects as their motion is detected and weaved into the virtual space in real time. “With state-of-the-art facilities, we believe our students would develop all skills necessary for their career to take off,” said Dr Ng.
Giving back for a good cause
And if you think video games are a bad influence, think again. With VR technology, our students at the Game Lab has designed over 10 games for the students with special needs at a number of schools. Dr Ng explained, “Intellectually challenged students need physiotherapy, but they are less tolerant of boredom and repetition than the rest of us. Our games make the exercises a lot more fun so that they find them more enjoyable. At present, we are also developing learning games for dyslexics and training games for rehabilitating drug users.”
