Systematic, sustainable success of game industry

How would you assess the development of Vietnam’s game industry over the past decade, particularly since the “Flappy Bird” phenomenon?

Over the past five years, Vietnam’s game industry has made what I would describe as extraordinary progress. Looking back to 2014, when Mr. Nguyen Ha Dong achieved unexpected global success with the Flappy Bird game, and comparing it with where we are in 2025, it is clear that Vietnam’s game industry has grown far beyond a single breakthrough. It has become a sustainable, internationally-competitive industry built by Vietnamese talent, without relying on foreign partners.

I call it extraordinary because Vietnam’s game industry has two distinct segments. The first consists of companies that license games from China, South Korea, and Japan for the domestic market. This model dates back to the early 2000s, but its total revenue is estimated at just over $500 million.

The second comprises Vietnamese-founded companies that publish games globally. While there are no official figures, their combined revenue is estimated to be three to four-times larger. More importantly, they have achieved remarkable international success.

Take iKame Global, one of our academy’s industry partners. In 2025, the company generated nearly $200 million in global revenue from a single game. That was not a one-off success, as iKame has produced multiple hit titles and maintained that performance over several years.

This proves that Vietnamese developers can compete head-to-head with the world’s best and even reach the No. 1 position globally. Unlike the exceptional case of Flappy Bird, this is not about luck or a one-time phenomenon. It is systematic, sustainable success.

Our goal at the academy is to help students realize they can achieve the same. They will not only learn the fundamentals but also work alongside industry partners who can help bring their ideas directly to international markets. Failure is inevitable, but it is also an essential step toward success.

The biggest advantage today for digital content creators, especially in gaming, is that their ideas can reach the market almost immediately.

Why are game students now able to bring their ideas to market so quickly?

Because Vietnam’s game companies have matured enough to publish products globally. Our students, including some in just their second year, have already launched more than 10 commercial projects. Several have performed very well. The most successful has reached around 500,000 downloads and generated nearly $300,000 in revenue.

In today’s competitive economy, this industry offers young people the opportunity to build successful careers at an early age. It is a path that suits Vietnam’s younger generation.

Many games developed by Vietnamese studios have succeeded in markets such as the US, Japan, and South Korea but struggled at home. Why is that?

Vietnam’s gaming market generates only around $500 million in annual revenue, while the global market is worth about $200 billion. Vietnam is only beginning to climb the global rankings. China and the US each generate roughly $60 billion-$70 billion annually, Japan around $40 billion, and South Korea about $18 billion.

Another important factor is consumer behavior. Vietnamese players are still relatively unaccustomed to paying for games.

Many high-quality titles developed by Vietnamese studios have struggled domestically. A good example is “7554”, created by Mr. Nguyen Tuan Huy and Emobi Games. The project was intended not only as a commercial product but also to promote Vietnamese culture and history. However, when it launched, the domestic market was not yet ready to pay for premium games.

Even today, games released in Vietnam, particularly mobile titles, generally deliver limited commercial returns.

By contrast, Vietnamese-developed games have performed strongly in major “Tier 1” markets such as the US, the UK, South Korea, and Japan.

What strengths enable Vietnam’s game industry to compete globally despite strong competition from China and other countries?

That is a complex question, but I believe the key factor is what I would call the “smartness” of Vietnamese people - our ability to adapt quickly, recognize opportunities, and identify what matters most. That quality is especially valuable in digital content.

The most successful Vietnamese games are rarely built entirely from scratch. Instead, developers carefully study successful titles, identify opportunities to improve them, and create something better.

Within the industry, people often summarize the formula as “7-2-1”: 70 per cent follows what already works, 20 per cent improves on it, and 10 per cent introduces something genuinely different. Vietnamese developers have become very good at applying that formula.

Unlike the one-off success of Flappy Bird, many Vietnamese companies have built sustainable, long-term success over the past five years using this approach. The evidence is clear: more companies are entering the industry, more young people want to become game developers, and the government now recognizes the sector’s potential and has introduced supportive policies.

At the strategic level, most major barriers have been removed. The remaining challenge is turning those policies into practical implementation.

How is the Postal Telecommunications Institute of Technology (PTIT) working with industry partners to train game developers?

Industry participation is essential in game education. A game can only succeed once it reaches the market and is judged by players. Game students face different expectations from students in many other disciplines. They must produce real products. Only through completed products can they demonstrate their abilities, validate what they have learned, and measure their professional skills. Without players, there is no meaningful evaluation.

I often tell my students that I never praise them, nor do I expect them to praise me. Instead, we should let the market evaluate both teachers and students. To receive that evaluation, industry partners are indispensable because they publish the games, and publication is what generates player feedback.

The gaming business is global. We rarely know exactly who our customers are or where they are. We understand them through data. Without companies, there is no data. Without data, we have no way of knowing how successful a game truly is.

People who excel in game development often thrive in other fields because the discipline combines knowledge from many areas and reflects complex human interactions. In many ways, life itself resembles different kinds of games. Relationships with spouses, colleagues, and friends all involve interaction, role-playing, and their own sets of rules.

Could you share PTIT’s plans for 2026 and beyond?

The academy aims to become Southeast Asia’s leading institution for digital content and game education by 2030.

In 2024, we offered only one program - Game Design and Development - focused on game design and programming, with an emphasis on logic and analytical thinking.

In 2026, we will launch two major programs that will complete our game education ecosystem.

The first is Game Graphic Design, designed for students with stronger artistic abilities. It focuses on visual design, particularly digital art. Even the best-designed game is incomplete if its visuals fail to engage players.

The second is Cultural Industry Technology, with a specialization in Digital Cinema. Half of the program focuses on producing digital video content, including short films, web dramas, livestreams, TikTok and YouTube content, and animation. The other half directly supports game production.

Major blockbuster games such as “Black League” and other global titles rely heavily on cinematic cut-scenes between gameplay sequences. Those scenes require professionals with genuine filmmaking expertise and artistic depth.

While mobile games depend less on this capability, it becomes essential for developing large-scale PC games with billion-dollar ambitions.

These two programs are strategic additions to our ecosystem. Within the next five years, we hope Vietnam will develop a generation of professionals capable of creating games at this level while maintaining competitive production costs by leveraging advanced technologies, including AI.

Speaking of technology, AI is advancing rapidly. Has PTIT changed its training approach in response?

That is an excellent question, and one that challenges educators everywhere, not just PTIT or the game industry. My view is that AI remains a tool rather than a complete solution. A true solution would mean AI could independently solve problems on our behalf. It is not yet capable of doing that, especially in game development.

AI performs well on narrowly-defined tasks. Game development, however, is inherently interdisciplinary, so AI currently serves as an assistant rather than a creator. Games are ultimately about people and emotions, something AI still cannot fully understand.

AI excels when objectives are clearly defined, such as programming software with predetermined functions. But creating experiences that genuinely connect with human emotions remains well beyond its current capabilities. That is why we teach AI from the first year as a tool.

For example, students who cannot draw can use AI to generate artwork, but they must still provide the creative vision. They need to know what they want AI to produce. We teach students how to direct AI, not let AI direct them. We also remind them that relying on AI to write an entire game storyline offers little value because anyone can ask AI the same question. Students should focus on mastering the things AI cannot do. Make AI your servant, rather than becoming its servant.

AI is not something to fear. It helps us work faster and more efficiently, but it cannot replace human creativity and emotional intelligence in fields such as game development.