By Alex Villafania
INQUIRER.net
GAMING really is serious business nowadays. Game consoles such as the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii are selling like hotcakes, and the sheer number of online games being distributed in the Philippines is transforming Internet shops into gaming cafes. The old haunts for video games, the arcades, seem to be facing more challenges from the new video game systems than from other arcade operators.
But who says the gaming arcade business is dying? Tell that to arcade operator Timezone, which has in the last 10 years operated over 51 outlets across the Philippines and is still opening new shops, including two outlets at TriNoma Mall in Quezon City.
"Our market is much different from the game console or online gaming businesses. We try as much as possible to be as family-friendly as possible, targeting people of all ages," said Timezone business development and marketing manager Lelet Volfango.
Volfango said the company invests heavily on its machines, some of which could cost as much as P500,000. They also replace or retain these machines depending on customer reception. The selection of the machine is based on what specific market they want to target.
Timezone's popularity can be attributed to its whole visual design and arcade machines. Volfango said that while an arcade shop is always aimed at younger ages, some of the services they offer also cater to the older generation of players. For example, parents who are waiting for their children playing the video game machines can treat themselves to videoke. Likewise, older video game players can play some of the more serious video games offered.
Some of the video game machines offered in Timezone include popular fighting games such as Tekken, Street Fighter, Guilty Gear and King of Fighters. They have shooters such as Time Crisis, Virtua Cop and House of the Dead, as well as various racing games, such as Maximum Tune, Initial D, Need for Speed, and Daytona. Of course, they also have non-video game machines such as Air Hockey, basketball and a newly-released pinball game.
Volfango said that some of their games, particularly the racing games and motion-based ones such as Dance Dance Revolution, Guitar Freaks, and Percussion Freaks, are so popular that they have spawned groups that show off their skills. It is more apparent in some of the racing games, particularly Initial D and Maximum Tune, where players take advantage of a separate memory card that saves the attributes of the cars they upgrade as they win races.
"It's quite a surprise because these customers are really serious about playing," Volfango said.
One of the main features of Timezone is its use of a centralized gaming card wherein players can load up a play card with credits to play any of the arcade machines. Playing customers are given reward points that they can exchange with prizes from the redemption center. Volfango considers this an add-on service that entices people to come back and play more in the hopes of collecting more points to be redeemed for bigger items.
"Even kids who just played once will be given a small toy in exchange. Once we've even had a customer who has played in Timezone so much that he's redeemed a laptop," she said.
An advantage in using the gaming card is that the company would know the frequency of a person's game time and how many times a machine is played. "We can make more informed decisions based on the trends we get from Timezone card holders."
Volfango said that so far, they have an average of 1.6 million unique users per month and the number is still growing. Incidentally, their most popular arcade machine is the new Deal or No Deal box. She said they already have 40 units being distributed among their outlets.
Volfango also said Timezone prides itself for being open to customer comments and suggestions as to what they would like to see in the arcades. "We get lots of e-mails and we sift through these and see what else we can offer. Our president, Raffy Prats Jr., looks through these e-mails himself."
Timezone will be celebrating its 10th year in 2008 and Volfango said they are preparing for new activities, including a racing competition in Maximum Tune 3 and their annual Celebrity Match. Despite the huge market for home-based game consoles and the online gaming business, Volfango said they still see a huge market for the arcade shops in the Philippines.
"What we're offering here is a place for families to come together and play. For them, it's an experience and a lifestyle."
Timezone sees arcade growth amid gaming boom
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