IACADEMY, one of the leaders in innovative and tech education recently conducted a media day event to discuss their perspectives on game development and virtual reality.
Many of the academy's prominent figures namely Kiko Napalit, Jon Cuyson, and Cecilia Sy gave their thoughts on the scene in general, which opens up opportunities for Filipinos.
The talent of Filipinos in game development
The Philippine Game Development Expo is an avenue for Filipino game developers to showcase their potential and with international prospects looking over, comes the opportunity for Filipino developers to finally get themselves recognized.
For Kiko Napalit, the Dean of the School of Computing for iACADEMY, Filipinos in general have the ability to blossom in the scene.
"We can thrive in game development because number one, Filipinos are great at design," he started.
He then mentioned about iACADEMY's students being one of the best in the industry.
"The designs that our students are making are at par with international standards. With sufficient support from the government and the private sector, iACADEMY will take the Philippine game development industry to new heights."
A key component to iACADEMY's talents stem from the list of games that they've developed. Napalit even listed some of the renowned projects that the students produced.
"We will be at the forefront of game development with GDAP (Game Developers Association of the Philippines) members being professors at iACADEMY. We have so many talented students in game development and many of their games such as Bayani, Unspoken, and Far Away From Home are already out in the market."
And to further stamp their mark in the game development scene are the competitions that they competed in.
"The first competition we joined was the Huawei ICT (Information and Communications Technology) 2023-2024. We had one team join and they won the nationals. Now they are going to Jakarta, Indonesia, to participate in the regional competition," revealed Napalit.
Entering the world of virtual reality
Beyond game development, iACADEMY likewise shared their insights regarding the growing trend of virtual reality (VR).
VR has been making a name in the gaming scene with titles such as the Resident Evil series reaching greater heights due to the shift.
For iACADEMY, VR is an opportunity for students to further expound their craft.
"A lot is going on internationally in virtual and augmented reality. What we do at iACADEMY is prepare them for the incoming career opportunities in the country," as stated by Jon Cuyson, Dean of School of Design and the Arts.
"As educators, we mold them and give them the information they need. That way, they are prepared when they go out in the real world. The key players in animation, virtual, and augmented reality are present in how we design the curriculum."
iACADEMY even showcased a demo of their VR projects, which highlighted the creative potential of the system.
The success of iACADEMY
And due to the overall efforts of the academe, iACADEMY ended up boasting a 96% job placement rate. Their vision of innovation and specialization has been a driving force for them to leave their mark despite the heavy criticisms that they initially encountered.
Cecilia Sy, Vice President for Academics even said: "Offering niche programs initially met with skepticism, but through strong industry partnerships, we not only weathered the storm of criticism but emerged triumphant."
She added: "Over the past two decades, iACADEMY's success has been shaped by these key elements; our commitment to innovation, strategic partnerships, and the invaluable support of our media partners."
Sy even reflected at the early days of iACADEMY and how much they have grown.
“In the beginning, iACADEMY faced the challenge of making a mark in a world where established colleges already held sway in the educational landscape. Undeterred, we embraced the challenge and set out on a path of innovation and specialization."
"Today, we stand at the forefront of education, fostering an environment where creativity, technology, and knowledge converge to shape the future."
"Our goal now extends beyond achieving a 96% job placement rate. We aspire to make a global impact, preparing students not just for local success but for a world where borders are blurred, and opportunities are limitless," she emphasized.
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