• Uthpala Pathirana on the potential of the Lankan game development industry

Gaming has revolutionised how ‘young people’ today spend their time. The last 30 years alone have seen immense transformational development in computer games – the pixelated graphics of the first 1960s video games like Spacewar! and Pong laid the foundation for what is now a multi-billion-dollar industry. 

The technological growth of the 1990s and the availability of Personal Computers (PCs) saw the video game industry grow by leaps and bounds with the introduction of 3D graphics. Local Area Networks (LAN), the internet, and the rise of consoles from companies like Nintendo also saw video games transform and reach increasingly larger audiences. 

The 2000s and 2010s saw online gaming really come into its own with stories and worlds becoming more intricate and enthralling. Online gaming and mobile gaming also entered the chat, taking gaming beyond just PCs and consoles. 

The growth of the gaming industry has also meant the growth of game development, an industry that is made of so many moving parts. Much like gaming itself, the game development industry is also universal and depends heavily on talent, ingenuity, and innovation. 

This week, The Sunday Morning Brunch sat down for a chat with Uthpala Pathirana, Project Manager of the home-grown game development firm Mogo Games, dedicated to pushing game development boundaries and taking the potential of Sri Lankan game development talent to the world. 

Uthpala’s journey is special in more ways than one. Not only is she leading a team of over 20 game developers to create the first AAA video game to come out of Sri Lanka (an AAA video game is a high-budget, high-profile blockbuster typically produced by the likes of global gaming companies), she is also one of the only women to lead a big game development studio as Project Manager in the country. 

Brunch explored the Lankan gaming industry with Uthpala, focusing on the work she is leading through Mogo Games and looking at the roles that women can play in game development locally and globally. 

Uthpala’s origin story

Uthpala’s first steps into gaming began fairly traditionally. Originally from Warakapola, she always had creative leanings, but her family initially pushed her towards more traditional education and career paths. 

While pursuing a Business Management degree at the National School of Business Management (NSBM), she noticed that the members of the IT department were constantly playing computer games. This was her first introduction to the mesmerising world of gaming. That first spark of curiosity led to Uthpala becoming part of daily gaming sessions with other gamers, and gaming became more than just a recreational activity to her; it became a part of her life. 

“I remember when I used to go to the canteen at campus, the whole IT department would be there playing games. I watched my peers dive into virtual worlds and embark on epic adventures,” she shared. “There was something captivating about the immersive experiences games offered – the storytelling, the graphics, the gameplay; it all fascinated me.”

This initial fascination planted the seeds of interest that would eventually blossom into a full-fledged passion for game development. After graduating from NSBM with a management degree, Uthpala embarked on her professional journey, initially finding herself in editorial roles within the digital media landscape. 

Her journey began as an Assistant Editor at Derana Macroentertainment, a leading media company in Sri Lanka, where she honed her skills in content creation and management. Progressing to the position of Deputy Editor at gasma.lk, a digital media platform focusing on social issues, culture, and entertainment, she demonstrated her ability to navigate the dynamic landscape of digital content.

During her time as an Editor, Uthpala’s curiosity about game development truly took root. Driven by her newfound passion, she embarked on a journey of self-discovery and skill acquisition. 

Determined to transition into the world of game development, she began teaching herself 3D modelling in her free time. “I spent countless hours honing my skills, learning from online tutorials, and experimenting with different tools and software,” she explained, describing how she built her skill base. 

Uthpala’s dedication and perseverance caught the attention of Mogo Games, a pioneering game development studio in Sri Lanka. Recognising her potential, Mogo Games offered her the opportunity to join their team as a 3D modeller along with an active training opportunity, marking the beginning of a new chapter in her career. “It was a dream come true for me,” she shared. “Joining Mogo Games allowed me to turn my passion for gaming into a career.”

Eventually, Uthpala was promoted to the role of Project Manager at Mogo Games. In this capacity, she took the helm of innovative projects, leading a rapidly-growing team and shaping the creative direction of games. 

“Going from a management student to becoming a Project Manager in the gaming industry has been an amazing journey filled with many opportunities for growth. While my family was initially sceptical, once they understood the potential of my career, they gave me their full support,” she reflected, adding that she was very excited to be developing Sri Lanka’s first AAA video game through her role at Mogo Games. 

Mogo Games: A Lankan gaming studio

Uthpala serves as Project Manager at Mogo Games, an indie video game studio with a focus on game development, publishing, and technology provision. Founded in 2022, the team at Mogo Games is just over 20 people, and with their very first AAA game in the works (the first of its kind to be developed in Sri Lanka), the team is rapidly growing. 

Mogo Games is a subsidiary of Mogo Studios, Sri Lanka’s most extensive animation studio with over 80 staff. The latter is also Sri Lanka’s first real-time, base feature-producing animation company and possesses the world’s number one motion capture system, Vicon. It is a fully-fledged animation studio backed by Sri Lanka’s largest media powerhouse Derana Macroentertainment, and is working towards releasing the country’s first-ever international full-length animated feature film in early 2025. 

With a focus on both gaming and animation, Mogo has quickly made its mark, with larger goals in sight. Uthpala, an integral part of the team, shed light on the studio’s larger aspirations: “Our hope is to lobby for and create policies in the country that are important for the industry to grow.” 

Part of how Mogo is driving this is through the formation of the Animation, VFX, and Gaming Association (AVGA) – Sri Lanka’s first association of its kind for those in the animation and gaming industries. 

While Mogo Studios has been in operation since 2019, Mogo Games is newer, having launched one-and-a-half years ago, and is driven by creating the first entirely Sri Lankan AAA game for PC and console. 

“The aim of Mogo Games is to create our own intellectual property. Our first game is still in the conceptual and funding stage, but we have recently completed our first trailer for the game,” Uthpala explained, adding that this trailer would allow Mogo Games to pitch to other larger partners who could help Mogo develop the game for global consumption. 

Taking us behind the game development process, Uthpala shared that inclusivity was a cornerstone of the Mogo Games process, with each member of the team given the platform to share their perspectives on how to enhance the game experience for potential players, from the technical side to the more emotional side of the game. 

Giving us a peek at the development process, she shared: “We get together and discuss a gaming idea. We then give it to the concept art team to make a mood board, to develop characters, assets, levels, and a rough idea of the final product.” All team members being given a voice adds to the texture and value of the game while also building inclusivity. “An inclusive workspace encourages anyone from any race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and background to join in on discussions and development.”

Looking ahead, Mogo Games aims to expand its reach and make a global impact. Uthpala highlighted the potential of Sri Lanka’s creative exports, stating: “Sri Lanka’s potential in the global gaming industry is immense. Our unique storytelling style, rich culture, and untapped resources make us stand out from others in the region, especially India, which focuses more on providing a service to a client’s existing requirement rather than an entirely new product.”

Women and game development

The realm of gaming, both in terms of game development and playing games, has historically been dominated by men. This is shifting fast. 

In the US alone, 48% of gamers are women. Game development however is a different story. Women make up only 24% of game developers globally, while 71% are men and 3% are non-binary. The gender gap is even more pronounced in leadership roles, with women taking just 16% of senior positions in the gaming industry. 

The game development industry needs gender diversity, not just for the sake of gender diversity and statistics but because the harsh reality is that the lack of such diversity in development teams leads to a lack of diverse perspectives in game design and storytelling, which in turn results in games that fail to resonate with or represent female players.

Speaking on the Lankan game development industry, Uthpala shared that as a woman in gaming, she had certainly faced challenges but these had been balanced by immense opportunity. One of the key challenges she pointed out that women faced in entering the field of game development was a lack of awareness and exposure to the diverse career opportunities available. To overcome these challenges, it is crucial to communicate the vast potential of the field to women. 

“In school, girls often think about traditional creative career paths, like becoming an art teacher. There needs to be more awareness about the various career paths within game development,” she said.

Game development offers a multitude of career opportunities, spanning from programming and design to art and project management. Uthpala emphasised on the importance of education and awareness: “We need to change the content of university courses to better reflect the demands of the industry,” she said, while also pointing out that education should by no means be the be-all and end-all of gateways into the industry. 

Using herself as an example, she noted: “There are free courses available online and anyone can build a career in game development based on their skills and portfolio, but this is why people need to know about the industry as a career path.”

From her own experience, Uthpala highlighted that the gaming development industry offered unique advantages for women, including creativity, empowerment, and financial independence. “It’s a very powerful avenue to be independent, build a career, make your own money, and enjoy life while working on something interesting.” 

In order to attract more women to the field of game development, it is also essential to showcase the success stories of women who have thrived in the industry. Uthpala’s own journey from editorial roles to project management serves as an example of what women can achieve in the gaming sector.

“I transitioned from editorial roles to project management in the gaming sector, leveraging my background in digital media. It was a risk that I took, but I wanted to build a future and change my path,” Uthpala shared. She added that there was a huge demand for developers, especially women, with the Mogo Games team alone expected to grow from 20 people to more than 200 within the next two years. 

“Don’t be afraid to join the field. There aren’t as many barriers to getting into the industry as you think. Join in.”