In the field of game development, outsourcing production is a popular solution that helps game production studios optimize their time and resources. Studios, large or small, need more or less support staff, especially during peak periods. In addition, there is also a need to supplement the missing skills, expertise and technology to be able to successfully bring the game project to the finish line.

Founded in 2004, Virtuos is one of the leading game production service providers, with more than 20 studios and research labs across Asia, Europe and North America. Virtuos entered Vietnam through the merger of two studios Sparx* and Glass Egg in Ho Chi Minh City in 2011 and 2022 respectively, and is now one of the largest game production companies in Vietnam with more than 1,000 employees.

Unlike the typical production outsourcing model, Virtuos can support its partners in developing a complete game from start to finish. This capability comes from Virtuos’ global network, which allows member studios to work together on the same project, while also sharing their diverse resources and expertise.

In Vietnam, the two studios Glass Egg and Sparx* have over the years also affirmed their expertise in the field of 3D graphics production for AAA games. This is a game line with the highest quality images and content on the market, accompanied by a huge production budget for each project.

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Staff at Glass Egg studio (HCMC) during an internal training session with international experts. Photo: Virtuos

In fact, there is no shortage of human resources in the game graphics industry in Vietnam, and they are even of quite high quality compared to the general level in the region.

A typical example is the Marvel's Midnight Suns project from the producer Firaxis Games - one of the most highly rated games of 2023. In this game, the Sparx* studio collaborated with many other Virtuos studios in France, the United States, Malaysia and Ireland to produce 108 minutes of in-game transition clips.

However, despite having great strength in the graphics field, finding highly qualified personnel in the field of AAA game design or programming in Vietnam is still a big challenge.

“In recent years, we have been persistent in our goal of strengthening the game design and programming capacity of our domestic team. With 20 years of experience in all developed game markets around the world, Virtuos has built a systematic system, as well as a reputation for training game development personnel,” said Samuel Stevenin, Director of Virtuos Art Department.

A testament to this effort is the establishment of the Game Design Department at Virtuos' Sparx* studio in 2019. In order to participate in important stages of production such as level design, story, or game mechanics integration in AAA projects like today, the team has had to undergo a continuous training process.

In 2024 alone, game designers and technical artists at Sparx* completed more than 300 hours of training from nearly 70 intensive sessions, ranging from classes on tools, programming, to soft skills courses on project management.

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Game design team at Sparx* studio (HCMC). Photo: Virtuos

“In addition to the company's training program as well as learning from colleagues and international customers right on the project, we also work together on demo games, as well as participate in many large and small game design competitions inside and outside the company to accumulate more experience," Tran Quang Vinh, a member of the Game Design Department at Sparx*, shared.

After a short time, Sparx* has filled in as a game designer for many prestigious projects such as SpongeBob: The Cosmic Shake, or the horror game series The Dark Pictures Anthology.

"The favorable learning environment and practical experience helped us quickly perfect our skills," Quang Vinh said.

In 2025, Virtuos will continue to enhance the capacity of the Game Design Department in Vietnam by coordinating with other art departments in the production process to seek project opportunities in the areas of level and character design. In addition, it will continue to develop working skills in Unreal software to keep up with general trends. The team aims to turn 1-3 game ideas into playable prototypes (demos) next year, creating momentum for the next stages of development.

"With a long-term vision and strong commitment to the domestic game industry, we expect to continue to turn our studios in Vietnam into centers for transferring knowledge and technology for AAA game production to domestic personnel," affirmed Mr. Samuel Stevenin.

Bich Dao