Philippine-based firm develops Wii game

MANDALUYONG CITY -- Game development firm Kuju Manila has launched the first Filipino-made Nintendo Wii game called Circus Games. Circus Game was launched in the US this October and is targeted at younger players, groups and families. The game can be played by up to two players and has about 20 different circus themed mini-games. These require the use of the NintendoWiimote and the nunchuk attachment. Some of the mini-games require players to shoot or throw objects while others allow for catching items. The game is published by French company Ubisoft, which distributes popular titles such as Rainbow Six and Splinter Cell series. The game is also sold locally at Datablitz for about P2,000. Kuju Manila is formerly Matahari Studios which created games for the arcade shop Timezone. Matahari was then acquired last October to become a subsidiary studio by Kuju Entertainment based in the UK. Kuju Manila becomes the seventh development studio for Kuju Entertainment, which is credited for their work in such games as the EyeToy: Play 2 and EyeToy: Play 3 for the PlayStation 2, Call of Duty: Finest Hour, Geometry Wars, among others. It currently has 27 employees all of whom are Filipinos. The company aims to grow their employment roster to 50 or 60 by 2009 in anticipation for new projects after the acquisition. Kuju Manila General Manager Eric Marlow said the company's acquisition will widen their scope towards console and handheld games. However, they will still focus on casual, family-oriented games for the arcade and consoles. Marlow also said they are now working on two new titles, one of which he said is based on a popular title. Marlow is also a member of the Game Development Association of the Philippines, which is promoting the country as a hub for outsourced and original game development.