Erinrose Sullivan is the head of cultural heritage and museums at So Real Digital Twins, a Swiss-based startup at the convergence of entertainment, imaging and physics by re-inventing precision model technology creating 4D+ objects.
She regularly speaks on the importance of support for art and technology in Switzerland. Sullivan also lectures lean marketing and consumer insights to bachelors and masters marketing students and is a board member, advisor and coach to startups throughout Europe and the Middle East.
As a strategy specialist and marketing executive, Sullivan has been growing businesses in entertainment, media, technology and telecom for over 20 years. From Orange, EA, and Ubisoft to CCP, Google and IRU, she 'sprinkles magical fairy dust' over a global business through consumer insight and innovation. She is a guiding light for strategy and business as a coach for HES Pulse Incubator and Creative Hub, as well as vice president of Creatives+, the newly created Swiss creative industries association.
Sullivan is part of the Innovate or Die panel that asks whether we have to give up on tradition in order to succeed in the future at Beyond Games.
Before the brand new online event explores the intersection of games and other creative industries next week (May 10th to 14th), we caught up with Sullivan to see which innovations in the creative industries have impressed her and how games contribute to other media.
PocketGamer.biz: Tell us a bit about your company
Erinrose Sullivan: So Real Digital Twins, a Swiss-based startup, sits at the convergence of art, entertainment, imaging and physics by re-inventing precision model technology. The future is one 100 per cent 3D and digital throughout the entire value chain, from design to distribution, using our patent-protected scanning and conversion technology.
With this tech we are able to mass-produce cinematic-quality, XR and game-ready 3D objects, which facilitate global access to immersive experiences for use in fashion, retail, games, films, cultural heritage and museums and almost every sector.
What does your role entail?
I work with museums and cultural heritage sites around the world to digitise their collections for enriched experiences and virtual engagement, as well as for academic, cataloguing and archival purposes.
It started by accident 20 years ago in Paris! I finished my MBA and was joining a startup just when the first tech bubble happened in 2000. One of the angel investors was the strategy director at Ubisoft. He asked me to join his team.
The last game I had played was Super Mario Bros - needless to say, I was not a "gamer boy" like most everyone else on the team. I came with an outsider perspective and focused on the consumer to ensure we weren't biasing our interpretations and understanding of the market. I have been in and around gaming ever since!
Any indie can make a game, publish it fairly easily and potentially reach thousands to millions of people around the world.Erinrose Sullivan
How has the way the games industry is perceived changed in recent years?
It's so much bigger and gone mainstream. We have people of all ages that play games - especially on mobile - but wouldn't call themselves gamers.
Any indie can make a game, publish it fairly easily and potentially reach thousands to millions of people around the world. This was quite niche in the GOD space 20 years ago.
It has also become more diverse - there are more women, there are more people of colour. There's more work to do, but that has changed significantly in the past 20 years.
What innovations have impressed you in recent months?
Thank heavens for games! It's amazing that just over two years ago, the WHO was saying that games are addictive and then in the midst of the pandemic, recognising the importance of social connection through gaming.
Gaming tends to be at the cutting edge of new tech. When I work in other sectors, I'm surprised by how behind they are technically and the way they can engage with people. I think the industry has a lot of learning that it can bring to other industries.
What major trends do you predict in the next 12 months?
There will be more and more growth in user generated content - it will be necessary as we have seen challenges in content flows this past year. There will be more growth in metaverse games: Roblox, Manticore - even in games like EVE Online.
Which part of the Beyond Games event are you most looking forward to and why?
I enjoy engaging with people and listening to the industry and discussing developments in games and how it can impact other sectors. Really, the whole kit and kaboodle!
Book now!
To hear Sullivan discuss the future of interactive media next week at Beyond Games, make sure you book your ticket now. Mid-Term prices offer savings of up to $140, but hurry - the offer ends at midnight TONIGHT (Thursday, May 6th).
