Gaming group to developers: know your audience

By Alex Villafania INQUIRER.net MAKATI City – Industry organization Game Development Association of the Philippines (GDAP) said the local game developers should know their audience to prosper in this competitive industry. Speaking to local academicians during an industry-academe seminar, GDAP Vice President Eric Marlow said game developers and entrepreneurs should understand the needs of their intended audience to be able to provide them what they want. Despite increasing publicity being given to the local gaming industry, Marlow said a lot of work needs to be done to increase public awareness of the gaming industry and its benefits to potential local developers. "Misconceptions must be addressed. Not everyone understands us and not everyone can distinguish game development from [game] publishers. It's important to know your audience," said Marlow who is also the general manager of game development firm Matahari Studios in Manila. Marlow said getting into the gaming industry entails a lot of risk for both potential entrepreneurs and employees. It may not be financially rewarding business at first but finding good focus and strategy could bring success, he added. "Employers must find motivated people. They should start small and remember that success is measured by how well the product sells. Not all games will be hits," he said. Marlow said the gaming industry needs good culture and environment that values creativity, and that follows global standards. For the academe, the challenge is to produce enough manpower to support the fledgling industry, Marlow said. Schools must be willing to establish educational curricula that support game development, apart from just providing sufficient funding to allow for purchases of hardware and software, he said. "Gaming is infrastructure intensive but it can be satisfying," Marlow added.