Refighting Dien Bien Phu: Vietnamese develop a winning video tribute

A portrait of  Vo Nguyen Giap, a hero of Vietnamese independence, enjoys pride of place in the room occupied by the development team at Emobi Games, a recently launched Hanoi company. Its latest game, 7554, is an opportunity to relive the battle of Dien Bien Phu, one of the greatest war exploits of General Giap, now aged 100.

From March to May 1954 the forces of the Vietnamese People's Army, commanded by Giap, laid siege to a French outpost in the north-west of the country. Vietnamese victory came at a high price (more than 10,000 Vietnamese and 3,500 French losses) but it signalled the beginning of the end for French colonial power.

The offline video game starts with a reminder of the historical context, with the arrival of the French in 1858, drawn byVietnam's rich natural resources. It ends with the defeat of the French expeditionary force and occupation of the camp by the Vietminh on 7 May 1954.

Inspired by American first-person shooters such as Call of Duty, a global bestseller, 7554 differs in adopting the point of view of a Vietnamese soldier. Until now the "baddies", who serve as cannon fodder before the players' weapons, have always been enemies of the western powers.


"We wanted to make a game which talks about Vietnamese history, which isn't just fun but will give Vietnamese players a little bit extra," the Emobi Games CEO, Nguyen Tuan Huy, 33, said.

He launched the firm in 2009 and it now employs 24 people. 7554 was released in December and sells for $12.49, with more than 4,000 copies sold, far from bad in a country where most games are played online and piracy is rife. An English version can be purchased on the net.

The graphics are not as spectacular as in top US productions, but its designers reckon this is not a priority. "A lot of Vietnamese think a local firm cannot even develop a game like ours, so we're trying to change that mindset," Nguyen said.

He said he was not worried about negative feedback from French veterans. "It is not an anti-French game. He's just a Vietnamese soldier fighting for his country. We don't want to offend French veterans."