In 2013, five medialogy students developed a game prototype for free download in connection with a study project. Almost overnight, to their surprise, the game received several thousand downloads, and later nominations for numerous game awards nationally and internationally. The great interest indicated that there was a commercial potential to explore. The next step was to create the gaming company Tunnel Vision Games (TVG) and to become part of AAU's then completely new established environment for student entrepreneurs.

- It has been a long, tough move. It is because of our great stubbornness and a regular reconciliation of our expectations for the project that we have continued, says Philip Hundevad Nymann, CEO of TVG, about the hard work that was necessary to develop the study project into a commercial product.

Redemption came in january 2020 when the company launched its first PC game, Lightmatter, which, according to TVG, was ground-breaking and took 3.5 years to develop. The game is a so-called puzzle game. The player struggles through the challenges of the plot in a dark, industrial universe, where you must constantly make sure to light up where you step, because the shadows kill.

TOUGH COMPETITION CALLS FOR ENTREPRENEURIAL ADVICE 

Lightmatter is for sale on Steam, the largest online marketplace for PC games, where it has received a lot of publicity, which is crucial for gaining visibility and sales. On Steam alone, 50 new PC games are released every day. According to Philip Nymann, that offer corresponds to a customer in a cinema on any given evening being able to choose between approx. 350 movies.

The tough competition places great demands on AAU's support for student entrepreneurs who want to try their hand at game development.

- We have recognized over the years that gaming companies require a special type of entrepreneurial advice. They get this, among other things, through a number of strong local and international networks. It strengthens both the individual company and the supporting entrepreneurial efforts within game development at AAU, says Jesper Helleskov Sørensen, who advises startups in the AAU Game Hub and adds that he expects more game companies to emerge from AAU in the future.

According to Mediawatch, computer games in 2018 generated sales of almost DKK 920 billion worldwide. In Denmark, turnover in the gaming industry amounted to DKK 1 billion, while in comparison it accounted for DKK 13 billion in Sweden and DKK 20 billion in Finland. In other words, there is great economic potential for Denmark to pursue and something to learn from the neighboring countries. AAU is part of Game HUB Scandinavia, which, with a collective Nordic effort, aims to promote and attract global investors to the Scandinavian game industry, which has produced many successful games in the past ten years.

INVESTORS ARE ATTRACTED BY A STRONG TEAM

Since 2018, TVG has received capital from the investment fund Capnova. The investor capital ensures salaries for the company's six employees, but there are no expectations that a profit will be generated from this first game. It must be used as a stepping stone to establish TVG as a new player in the gaming industry.

- Game development is a long-term, artistic process. As a new game producer, you have no source of ongoing income while developing your first game, so it has been crucial that we have managed to attract investor capital. We have been able to do this because of our strong team composition and academic foundation, explains Philip Hundevad Nymann.

The founders of Tunnel Vision Games all have a university degree from AAU in medialogy, which can be described as a technical IT designer education. The education's methods and tools support game development by mixing elements from visual forms of expression, sound design and computer programming.