UPDATE: Editor’s note: Corrected error in second paragraph.
By Erwin Oliva
INQUIRER.net
LEVEL UP! Philippines CEO Jane Walker clarified Friday that the local game publisher is in a “neck and neck” battle with publicly listed IPVG Corp., a close rival, in the local gaming business.
Walker stressed that PLDT’s figures do not reflect its overseas, mobile game business, and advergaming, which when added up to the existing online game business, is “at par” with exceeds that of IPVG Corp.
“For the total Philippine operations, Level Up! Philippines is at par,” Walker said in an interview, stressing that Level Up!’s overseas and mobile game business are huge. Level Up! International, which is a privately held company, operates in Brazil and India.
Publicly listed firm IPVG Corp. said it has beaten the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co.’s (PLDT) gaming company Level Up! in gaming revenues during the first quarter of 2008, according to IPVG Corp. CEO Enrique Gonzalez.
Gonzales reported that the company’s gaming business generated P124.60 million in gross revenues and profits of P57.13 million during the first quarter of 2008.
PLDT reported earlier that it has earned about P77 million in net revenues during the first quarter of 2008 from online games through subsidiary Level Up! Philippines. It also reported that the online gaming service revenues of Level Up! Philippines grew by 27 percent to P77 million.
Walker said that gross revenues of Level Up! Philippines, however, have reached more than P100 million, despite the closure of several online games in 2007 and this year.
Level Up! has also launched its mobile business recently.
Walker, however, said that Level Up! cannot release its overall revenues, including overseas and mobile gaming business. “I can only release what PLDT said,” she added.
Gonzalez said that IPVG gaming subsidiary IP e-Games has generated P92.92 million in net revenues during the first quarter, surpassing Level Up!’s figures.
He said gaming, which covers online and mobile gaming and some overseas licensing support services, has remained IPVG’s steady money earner because of the high margins it generates from online and mobile games.
The IPVG executive said “advergaming” or advertising generated from games has produced about P21 million in 2007.
Meanwhile, Walker said Level Up! Philippines’ advergaming revenues were not included in the reported net revenues. She explained that net revenues usually reflect the money they earn from selling pre-paid gaming cards to subscribers minus the discounts and taxes.
IPVG Corp. said its gaming subsidiary IP e-Games produced the biggest share of gaming revenues at P111.55 million, while recently acquired mobile content developer firm MegaMobile added P 1.39 million during the first quarter of this year.
IPVG Corp. also reported P11.66 million in “overseas” gaming revenues generated from “relicensing” gaming titles to Vietnam, Gonzalez said.
May 21st, 2008 at 9:37 am
sa buhay ng pinoy, unaunahan lang yan mga fafi, weather weather lang yan ika nga ni ka intoy
May 20th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
sinu ba talaga ang tama? Hahaha!
May 19th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
The pissing contest never ends. God, I love how these guys try to pound each other. Should have brought some popcorn and soda with me. Still, “wala pa rin kayo sa Lolo ko!”
May 17th, 2008 at 8:56 am
yeah,yeah,yeah, ok ok ok bla bla bla bla you talk to much level up LOSERS!!!! its pay back time
May 16th, 2008 at 4:59 pm
Ahh yes, the future of online gaming is exactly like the ABS-CBN vs GMA7 war.