Looking Up: SkyVu Pictures reaches great heights

The following article is part of a special insert in the June 3-9 issue of The Reader, a weekly newspaper focusing on the area’s culture. | Things are looking up for Omaha’s SkyVu Pictures Inc. The animation studio, originator of BATTLE BEARS (currently the No. 1 adventure game in 50 countries), specializes in mobile games…

The following article is part of a special insert in the June 3-9 issue of The Reader, a weekly newspaper focusing on the area’s culture. The insert, titled disRUPT, is the result of a partnership between The Reader, Scott Technology Centeran incubator and data center aiming to enhance technology and innovation in Omaha’s business community – and Silicon Prairie News.


        

Benjamin Vu of SkyVu Pictures. Photo from battlebears.com.

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Things are looking up for Omaha’s SkyVu Pictures Inc. The animation studio, originator of BATTLE BEARS (currently the No. 1 adventure game in 50 countries), specializes in mobile games and content, as well as film endeavors.

“The BATTLE BEARS iPhone game was originally meant to be a proof of concept for our movie pitches,” said Benjamin Vu, who founded SkyVu with brother Hoa Vu in 2007. “My goal was to reach a few thousand downloads and to show Hollywood that there’s indeed an audience out there for BATTLE BEARS. I kept the game play simple and the story line light and funny to reach a wide audience. We spent zero dollars on marketing and then the game skyrocketed to No. 2 in America and became a hit around the world.”

That “hit” was no accident. With offices in Omaha, Singapore and Vietnam, SkyVu has quickly gained a reputation as a hard-working, efficient and creative venture with round-the-clock capabilities and a can-do attitude.

To manage the workload, Benjamin handles Omaha operations while Hoa supervises the organization’s Singapore studio.

“We collectively design our games and every artist has a say in the design process,” Benjamin Vu explained of his Omaha-based creative team. “We work in an open room where everyone can see each other’s work and we constantly throw ideas back and forth.”

There is a general idea for design: “If a concept manages to make us all laugh hard three separate times then we ‘might’ consider it for the game.”

Humor aside, Vu’s background as an animator and innovator is both textured and respected. A graduate of Creighton Prep, Vu holds a master’s in animation from CalArts (California Institute of the Arts, founded by Disney) and a bachelor’s degree from Ball State University. He also worked on the celebrated stop-motion film Coraline, and has lectured at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, University of Nebraska (Omaha) and Vietnam’s Yersin University.

Plus, SkyVu’s BATTLE BEARS was named one of TouchArcade’s Best Games of 2009 and was included in iLounge’s Top 100 Games of 2009.

Even so, Vu recognizes both the challenges and triumphs of managing a young company in a rapidly changing field.

“Many days we feel like we’re behind the curve in regards to the quality of our games,” he said. “There are so many technologies we’d like to integrate into our games, such as cross-platform multiplayer, real-time chat, and stereoscopic 3D; but, as a small studio, we can only focus on the core game play and making sure it’s as engaging as possible.”

On the other hand, Vu suggested, “I do think that we are able to stay ahead of the curve in creating original content. We’re not in the business of making clones of Modern Warfare, Grand Theft Auto or Tetris. We simply enjoy creating character-based games with entertaining stories that get audiences asking for more — or asking, ‘What the … ’”

 

BATTLE BEARS is not the studio’s only project. Also gaining popularity is SkyVu’s StoryBoy, an ebook/elibrary application for iPhones and iPod touch. Aimed at kids ages 1-7, StoryBoy offers on-demand, animated reading adventures designed to spark imaginations and engage young learners.

To anticipate what mobile consumers want, from future products and existing offerings like StoryBoy, Vu said, “we listen to the fans on our website, Facebook, Twitter and iTunes. Although it sometimes hurts to read, paying very close attention to criticisms of our games is helpful in spotting out the core problems with games,” he added.

What’s more, Vu said the organization’s Midwest ties mean he and his colleagues have a “good pulse” on what the mass market demands. Such a perspective, coupled with a young, mobile-device savvy staff, helps round out the studio’s ability to meet customer requirements.

One noteworthy triumph of such a mix: BATTLE BEARS: Zombies! has exceeded three million downloads.

“Like the music and film industry, mobile games is a hit-driven business in which you need to make a hit in order to make serious money,” Vu said. “By having teams in Omaha, Singapore and Vietnam, we’re able to create more products faster, which in turn increases our chances of creating a hit.”

New products, new hits: SkyVu, it seems is already reaching great heights.

This story is part of the AIM Archive

This story is part of the AIM Institute Archive on Silicon Prairie News. AIM gifted SPN to the Nebraska Journalism Trust in January 2023. Learn more about SPN’s origin »

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