By Joey Alarilla, hackenslash Editor
INQUIRER.net
SINGAPORE–Will Filipinos bring home the gold and show they’re a force to reckon with in the massively multiplayer online role-playing game Granado Espada?
Let’s not sugarcoat things: It’s going to be a tough battle, especially against the Singaporean players who are just as passionate about the latest game from the “Father of Ragnarok” Hakkyu Kim as our own growing community of GE fanatics in the Philippines. But the Filipinos are out to prove that they have indeed embraced GE and have made the game their own.
At any rate, the execs of IP e-Games, which publishes GE in the Philippines under its IP Interactive brand, seem pretty confident that the Philippines will have a strong showing in the Raid Party, which will be held later today at Zouk. I arrived last night with fellow journalists Adel Gabot, group editor in chief of our sister company Hinge Inquirer Philippines, and Howard Paw, editor in chief of GAME!, HIP’s gaming magazine.
The online game publisher has flown in not just one but two teams to Singapore for the competition — the team of Mark Anthony Sta. Ana and Paolo Inocencion from the National Capital Region, who topped he pre-qualifying tournament in the Philippines, as well as “wild card” team that was formed to support the Philippine contingent. Apart from the teams that are now in Singapore, seven more Filipino teams will compete in real-time at the Philippine Toy Convention 2007 at the SM Megamall Megatrade Hall in Mandaluyong City.
Our bets will compete against their counterparts from Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam. Oh, and did I mention that Hakkyu Kim himself is also here to witness this tournament? And that they’ve decorated Zouk to make it look like the in-game world of GE, complete with models in Granado Espada costumes?
Steve Tsao, the president and COO of IP e-Games, has made a fearless forecast for this first ever Southeast Asian Granado Espada Raid Party.
“The Philippines represents some of the top guilds and players in GE. I really expect the to win in the tournament,” he said in a press statement.
Let’s see if our bets will be able to pull it off. We’ll be rooting for them all the way.
Catch you later during the tournament.
