THE growth of the local online gaming industry will follow the growth of broadband Internet in the country.

Amid an ongoing economic recession, industry executives said the local online gaming industry remains to be small because there are still untapped locations where there could be gamers.

“Broadband Internet penetration is still small. Majority of players are in the Internet cafes. We’re hoping that it becomes affordable for people to play at home when prices of Internet usage go down,” AMDG Vice Chairman Arturo Diago, Jr., said in a recent briefing.

Gaming is seen to be one of the cheapest forms of entertainment, according to iAM Interactive President and CEO Fadzly Yusof.

The company is seeing more growth in the overall local gaming industry as competition intensifies.

In fact, iAM is even looking to launch at least two new games within the year, including a new massively multiplayer online game similar to two of its previously distributed titles, Guild Wars and Lineage II.

The company recently launched its first casual racing game GoGo Racer and an anime-styled shooter game called Exteel.

Both games are on a free-to-play platform, with an in-game item mall, which charges players for certain items purchased.

Yusof said online game publishers are also expanding to other markets. iAM is targeting three countries: the Philippines, Singapore and Malaysia. “This allows us to expand our revenue sources.”

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By Rhee So-eui and Michael Wei
Reuters

SEOUL/BEIJING–Flush with cash from IPOs and a lucrative online game operating business, Chinese companies are trying to expand into game development, breaking free from their dependence on foreign titles and boosting incomes.

After long relying on foreign hit games such as U.S.-based Activision Blizzard’s “World of Warcraft” (WOW) and “Kartrider” from South Korea’s Nexon, China now wants to develop its own blockbusters and eventually lead the fast-growing market.

It may be a while before China overtakes South Korea, which dominates Asia’s online gaming market, but there are growing signs that Chinese firms such as Netease.com and Tencent are now in a strong position to compete globally and are catching up with rivals quickly.

Successful online games can generate earnings for years from monthly service fees, character customization and other micro-transactions and carry higher margins than classic console games. Developing games in-house also reduces uncertainties over license contracts and renewals.

“We consider in-house development a sound business model, which brings relatively high margins,” said Phyllis Sai, spokeswoman for Nasdaq-listed Chinese game firm The9.

[Read the rest of this entry »]

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MOBIUS Games is adding WolfTeam, its first-person shooter title in its roster of published game titles in the Philippines.

This puts to seven the total number of titles that Mobius Games has in the Philippines.

WolfTeam plays similar to most first-person shooter games but adds some elements of fantasy and science fiction; instead of ordinary humans soldiers with weapons, players can transform into werewolves that are more resilient against weapons but themselves are unable to carry any while in this state.

Characters that transform into werewolves are able to move faster, jump higher and can climb walls. They use their claws instead to attack enemies.

Mobius Games said in a statement that the game will be launched on May 7 across Internet cafes in the Philippines.

“We are very excited to work together again with mobiusgames and we have no doubt Wolf Team will be successful. Players in the Philippines will love this game,” said WolfTeam Executive Producer Kang Jihun.

The story is set in the year 2013 when scientists develop a vaccine called “Epocine” to treat a human genetic disorder caused by a wayward wolf DNA. However, the vaccine developer creates a “Anti-Epocine” that enhances wolf features in humans.

The French Army is supplied with the Anti-Epocine and creates a group of mercenaries called WolfTeam. Unfortunately, the WolfTeam disengages from the French Army to become a mercenary group.

WolfTeam is developed by Korean firm Softnyx, which was behind the casual game GunBound also published by Mobius Games.

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ONLINE game publisher MyGame recently announced that it will be launching Twelve Sky 2, the company’s first serious massively-multiplayer online game (MMORPG).

Twelve Sky 2, developed by Korean firm ALT1, will follow two previous games that MyGame has launched: the first-person shooter Special Force and the casual game Fiesta Online.

In an interview, MyGame Product Manager Jon Roque said the introduction of Twelve Sky 2 would put MyGame toe-to-toe with other online game publishers that have already existing MMORPGs.

The game is also currently in beta testing in other countries.

He claims that the game’s unique player-versus-player (PvP) would entice players to move to Twelve Sky 2. “It’s the experience of intense battle between players is the selling aspect of the game.”

Roque said that players would be rewarded with experience points for the character and the clan they have joined and in-game money when they frequently play in PvP.

Roque said the company would start the close beta test sometime in July, to be followed by an open beta test in August and finally, the commercial launch in September.

Roque added that the game would be free-to-play and would have an online item shop.

Twelve Sky is a martial arts fantasy game set in ancient China. There are four rival factions called the Guanyin, Fujin, and Jinong, each with unique fighting styles, armor and weapons.

A fourth faction would be available when players reach the higher levels of the game.

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MANILA, Philippines–“DOTA, or any role-playing game for that matter, may be fun, but it won’t be able to teach you the skills you need for your first job, or for higher education.”

This was the message of AKYBAYAN Rep. Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel during the commencement exercises of the University of the Philippines Cebu College, a copy of which was sent to media.

Hontiveros-Baraquel said that online games should be treated as an addictive game and should be played in moderation.

“You may protest and extol the virtues of being Mogul the Axe for five hours, but unless you are in the brink of developing gaming software and needs the game to test your theories, then play DOTA or any RPG in moderation,” she said.

Hontiveros-Baraquel spoke against online games during a part where she told graduates about the skills necessary to find jobs, as well as the means to survive the current economic situation.

Instead, she stressed the need for the graduates to take up a sport to remain physically fit.

Nevertheless, Hontiveros-Baraquel praised the availability of online search engine Google.com for being an “oracle” that allows people to search for specific topics.

She added that Google is also more efficient than the Philippine government’s own Department of Labor when looking for jobs.

“What’s true with Google is somehow true with life. There are certain keywords that we must learn to live by. The more we hone our keywords, the better the search result is,” she said.

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