06. Sep 2021
© FH des BFI Wien
UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES BFI VIENNA

Creating virtual worlds

Virtual reality (VR) is becoming an increasingly important part of our everyday lives. It enables us to create and explore strange new worlds. It is already used in many sectors and industries, most notably in the gaming industry. UAS BFI Vienna's Interactive Media and Games Business bachelor programme teaches students everything they need to know about interactive media and business administration. Students are in a position to develop game prototypes in the first semester, and in the third semester, they are already working on real-life company projects.

Student Beatrice Fuchs and her international team developed a virtual reality game for the Oculus Quest VR headset as part of the 2021 iLRNFuser Game Jam. Titled "Locust Defense", the game puts players in the role of Kenyan farmer Natalina, who has to protect her fields against swarms of locusts without using pesticides. Players have to collect the locusts by hand, burn rubbish, and build up an army of ducks to eat the insects. The game takes its cue from one of the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals: Zero Hunger, which is aimed at ending hunger, achieving food security and improved nutrition, and promoting sustainable agriculture. Locust Defense was named ‘Best VR/AR Game’ at the iLRNFuser Game Jam.

Interactive media and economic know-how

The university's Interactive Media and Games Business degree programme offers a unique combination of interactive media expertise (extended reality, virtual reality and augmented reality) and detailed knowledge of business administration. The curriculum also covers agile project management approaches, game design and balancing, as well as the development of interactive environments (including game environments) and preparation for operative applications. The programme focuses primarily on media technology and media informatics, the media industry and production of interactive media.

Career options

Bachelor programme graduates are able to provide consulting support for production managers when it comes to selecting business models and defining strategic focuses. They can also play a key role throughout the interactive media and game development process – from ideation to production and marketing. As experts in interactive media and the games business, graduates will have excellent job prospects in the digital creative industry as well as at conventional companies.