Swinburne’s Open Day goes pixel

This August, Swinburne University of Technology will re-define the traditional university Open Day experience by launching a gamified, virtual campus in the form of an interactive and immersive “open world” called Swintopia – a virtual university world accessible to all prospective students, anytime and anywhere.

Inspired by the rapid uptake of gaming during the global lockdown, Swinburne’s innovative open world experience is a first-of-its-kind for an Australian university and takes its cues from popular games such as Animal Crossing. Prospective students will have the opportunity to experience Swinburne’s environment in a fun and engaging way.

Swintopia will showcase everything Swinburne has to offer by guiding virtual visitors through an interactive tour of Swinburne’s Hawthorn campus – along the way users will be able to discover and experience life at Swinburne from courses to clubs, labs, student life highlights, favourite hangouts and more.

Carolyn Bendall, Swinburne’s Chief Marketing Officer says: “Despite the unprecedented times, it is still very important for anyone considering going to university to get a feel for what the institution and experience is like and the best way to usually do that is at Open Day.”

“Typically, we see approximately 18,000 prospective students and their families come to Open Day, However, with university campuses closed to visitors, this year’s Swinburne Open Day will be very different,” says Ms Bendall.

“We have been busy creating a virtual campus experience, Swintopia, which provides unlimited access to all of the information and experiences students need to help them make an informed decision about their future.

“Known for being a leader in innovation and technology – and one of a few universities in Australia to offer a range of gaming courses –Swinburne is delighted to be at the forefront of digitally-led experiences, overturning the idea of Open Day being a one-day event and changing what it means to get a taste of the university experience.”

Throughout the Swintopia experience, visitors will see some familiar faces including some of Swinburne’s renowned lecturers and alumni as well as Richmond AFL super star Jack Riewoldt and current students like 21-year-old Holly Dalton – all sharing advice and information which will allow potential students to get a sense of what to expect if they choose to study at Swinburne.

It is also not an Open Day without a free tote bag – Swintopia visitors will have access to a virtual tote bag where they can store all the guides and useful information they come across throughout the experience.

And just like at a ‘physical’ Open Day, visitors will also have the chance to score discounts and vouchers redeemable in real life at stores and venues around Swinburne’s Hawthorn campus - all they have to do is interact with Swintopia characters keeping an eye out for hidden tokens and complete quests along the way.

Swinburne’s new open world, Swintopia, is set to launch to the public on 12 August.

For more information and to pre-register for early access visit www.swinburne.edu.au/swintopia.