By Pamela Chow

START at the bottom of the hotel corporate ladder as a receptionist, and work your way up to become a general manager.

Hospitality students can now do that in a multi-player game that helps to improve their service and management skills.

The game, called Hotel Career, is being developed by Singapore games developer NBDA Asia.

Ms Sharon Choo, who is in charge of business development for the company, said: "This serious game is targeted at a world audience and is set to revolutionise the way service training is delivered."

The younger generation will connect better with this training method, she said.

The company is also crafting a similar game for the foodand- beverage industry.

Another company, 3rd Planet, is working with a company in the tourism industry here to develop the 3D Online Virtual Tourism World, which helps travellers and trainee tour guides learn about the history and cultural background of tourist destinations like the Great Wall of China.

The game is likely to be released in the third quarter of this year.

These educational games are two of eight pioneer projects that the Media Development Authority (MDA) will be funding, to the tune of $1.5 million, under its new initiative, Media in Learning.

It will inject at least another $4.5 million in the next three years to develop 16 more games.

Mr Thomas Lim, senior director of special programmes at MDA, told my paper that besides games, the initiative is also tapping on other media platforms such as broadcast and print.

He said: "This is also an opportunity to transform the e-learning sector."

The MDA hopes that the initiative will reach 100 million users globally.

Mr Aroon Tan, the founder of home-grown company Investor Central - whose game Bao Bao Tang teaches children how to manage their finances and is among the funded projects - believes that Singapore is a lucrative market for such educational games.

He said: "There is a massive potential for the local industry, especially for domain experts like educators and doctors."

pamelac@sph.com.sg

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