Vietnamese games must be recognized as a form of “heritage,” serving as a digital bridge that links traditional culture with the future, said Nguyen Ngoc Bao, General Director of VTC, at the Vietnam Gameverse 2025 event, which opened on May 26 in Ho Chi Minh City.

According to Nguyen Ngoc Bao, games can become powerful tools for cultural connection if given the right direction.

Without a collective effort and shared vision, game developers may simply chase quantity and profits without fostering meaningful cultural engagement.

To achieve real qualitative change, the industry must accumulate momentum with a united goal of bringing Vietnamese games to the global stage.

He emphasized that games create immersive environments where images, sounds, and interactions actively embed cultural elements.

Unlike film or music, each gaming experience is dynamic, placing players in control as they explore cultural references embedded in varying storylines.

Globally, games generate a staggering USD 188 billion in revenue - far surpassing the combined USD 60 billion revenue of the music and film industries. Games are, in essence, more economically significant than both.

In the realm of eSports, games also act as a creative vehicle for cultural transmission. Bao cited the example of Audition, a dance game that has endured for over two decades, helping players engage with music and realize their dancing dreams through a digital space.

He also pointed to successful cultural dissemination through games in other countries. In South Korea, distinctive national culture is widely propagated via games, films, and music.

Games are considered a strategic cultural preservation and promotion tool.

China’s Black Myth: Wukong has made a global impact, bringing traditional Chinese cultural references to international audiences.

Similarly, the Assassin's Creed franchise has introduced millions of players to the Pyramids of Egypt - many of whom may one day visit these monuments in real life.

In Vietnam, the cultural dissemination potential is immense, with 50 million gamers and one of the top five highest-grossing gaming markets in Southeast Asia.

However, Bao noted that despite Vietnam’s 4,000-year cultural heritage, its rich trove of history and folklore remains largely untapped in gaming.

He likened it to an enormous "Tàng Kinh Các" (imperial archive of knowledge). To harness this treasure, he proposed the development of a national strategy for “Vietnamese Cultural Games,” including the establishment of support funds for cultural game startups.

The goal is to encourage developers to create national game titles inspired by Vietnamese history and legends.

He firmly stated that Vietnam must view games as a modern form of heritage - a vital bridge connecting tradition with the digital era - and assign clear objectives for Vietnamese games to fulfill this role.

Lam Huynh Phat, Director of Viet Legacy Joint Stock Company, echoed this view, calling games a powerful “cultural flow” that can significantly amplify Vietnam’s cultural influence.

He described this “cultural flow” as the spread of cultural elements - music, cinema, animation, and games - through youth lifestyles. Phat cited the success of idol groups combining music and anime-style visuals in games as a prime example.

China, he noted, has successfully adapted martial arts novels, television series, and folk legends into games, making traditional culture accessible and engaging through technology.

In Vietnam, pop culture is thriving through game shows, movies, and music, but the pressing question remains: how can the local game industry integrate with and benefit from this cultural wave?

Phat believes Vietnam holds many advantages, including a vast reservoir of tangible and intangible heritage - from ancient architecture and national history to folklore and legends.

These provide a rich, relatable resource for creating uniquely Vietnamese game content that resonates with players of all ages.

Le My