Remember when Singapore launched a 'Metaverse' in 2010?
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah, hey!
It was March 2010 and Singapore was gearing up to host the inaugural Youth Olympic Games (YOG). Mascots Lyo and Merly had already been introduced and merchandise was lining store shelves.
As a sporting event for youths, the organising committee could not ignore the hottest trend that was revolutionising communication—social media. The last Olympic Games had been held in China, which has the Great Firewall, making YOG 2010 arguably the first Olympic Games to fully embrace social media.
But YOG 2010 went further than this. Besides launching a “WhyOhGee” microsite which provided youth-friendly resources on the Olympics and encouraged user-generated content, an entire virtual world was created to market the event.
An Odyssey into the Future
The Singapore 2010 Odyssey game was described as a “three-dimensional virtual world modelled after the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games and the ideals of the Olympic Movement”. Set in 3010, players could participate in YOG sports virtually and interact with each other. There was even an option for players to code their own content on the platform.
The cinematic trailer hinted at a storyline where humans would compete against aliens in futuristic Olympic events. However, in the final release, only human avatars were available, and players from across the globe could create accounts and interact in the game world. This was how the game began:
Players could explore different landmarks in Singapore, which, interestingly, seemed unchanged even a thousand years into the future—Suntec City still had the Fountain of Wealth, and Pulau Ubin retained its rustic charm.
In contrast, the sporting facilities looked futuristic, featuring aquamarine neon lights and sleek glass surfaces, giving them a high-tech aesthetic.
Beyond Olympic sports, players could try out random mini-games like whack-a-mole, a Tetris clone, and even a recycling-themed game where they sorted trash into the correct bins.
The game offered generous avatar customisation options, allowing players to buy outfits and accessories using sports credits earned through gameplay. The in-game shop was named Boomzwear, a nod to Miss Singapore 2009 Ris Low’s viral “boomz” catchphrase.
A Snapshot of 2010's Vision of the Future
Singapore 2010 Odyssey’s aesthetic offered a snapshot of how 2010 envisioned the future—from its tall and thin typography to its rainbow gradient “O” logo with circular lines suggesting movement. Although flat design now dominates as the aesthetic of the future, this logo still radiates a sense of adventure.
What truly made the game feel like a 2010-era creation was the noticeable amount of fog in the in-game world, likely added to mask rendering limitations. This gave the environment an almost liminal, dreamlike quality.
Many of the screenshots also showed the world devoid of avatars, which made the game appear eerily deserted. This was not the actual game experience, especially during the final lead-up to YOG 2010 - students were onboarded en masse as the game was actively introduced at school assemblies and even promoted at canteens during recess.
A school-wide competition was organised, motivating students to compete for top scores and bring glory to their school.
Just before YOG 2010, in celebration of Singapore’s National Day, some 10 schools participated in a virtual pledge-taking ceremony, where avatars were dressed in red and white.
Behind the Game
The game was developed by a consortium of Singapore companies with international partners. Led by ST Electronics, the consortium included Activate, NextGen, New Media Express, Crystal Graphics, Sohu, Fujitsu, and Hipihi. Today, only ST Electronics and Fujitsu remain in operation.
Hipihi, in particular, was a noteworthy partner—it was once described as China’s answer to Second Life, a multiplayer virtual world that was popular in the West. Singapore 2010 Odyssey was likely built using Hipihi’s game engine.
The End of Odyssey
After YOG 2010, the game was rebranded to Odyssey, which positioned itself as a “futuristic 3D Virtual World where youths from across the world can interact with each other while travelling through space and time”.
For a game designed to connect youths worldwide, it was an odd choice for the first non-sports scenario to transport players to Singapore in 1942, during the Japanese Occupation.
This was Odyssey’s first and last Facebook post—the game was likely shut down due to low player numbers. Even though there were over 200,000 accounts, the momentum could not last after the YOG 2010. In the end, players probably found more engaging virtual worlds elsewhere, rather than revisiting a dark chapter of Singapore’s history.
A Moment in Time
Today, creating an entire multiplayer online game as a marketing tool for an event is almost unheard of. Instead, brands turn to established sandbox platforms like Fortnite or Roblox, where they can develop custom experiences without building an entire game from scratch. The Singapore Tourism Board and Singapore Food Agency have already taken this approach—if YOG were held in Singapore today, the organisers would likely do the same.
Nonetheless, building a full-fledged multiplayer platform from the ground up was a remarkable achievement. Despite technical limitations and a lack of prior references, the game successfully captivated schoolchildren, many of whom looked forward to exploring its world during IT class instead of learning PowerPoint.
Just don’t ask if it actually inspired them to be more active in sports after spending hours running virtual marathons instead.
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