THE growth of the local online gaming industry will follow the growth of broadband Internet in the country.

Amid an ongoing economic recession, industry executives said the local online gaming industry remains to be small because there are still untapped locations where there could be gamers.

“Broadband Internet penetration is still small. Majority of players are in the Internet cafes. We’re hoping that it becomes affordable for people to play at home when prices of Internet usage go down,” AMDG Vice Chairman Arturo Diago, Jr., said in a recent briefing.

Gaming is seen to be one of the cheapest forms of entertainment, according to iAM Interactive President and CEO Fadzly Yusof.

The company is seeing more growth in the overall local gaming industry as competition intensifies.

In fact, iAM is even looking to launch at least two new games within the year, including a new massively multiplayer online game similar to two of its previously distributed titles, Guild Wars and Lineage II.

The company recently launched its first casual racing game GoGo Racer and an anime-styled shooter game called Exteel.

Both games are on a free-to-play platform, with an in-game item mall, which charges players for certain items purchased.

Yusof said online game publishers are also expanding to other markets. iAM is targeting three countries: the Philippines, Singapore and Malaysia. “This allows us to expand our revenue sources.”

By Rhee So-eui and Michael Wei
Reuters

SEOUL/BEIJING–Flush with cash from IPOs and a lucrative online game operating business, Chinese companies are trying to expand into game development, breaking free from their dependence on foreign titles and boosting incomes.

After long relying on foreign hit games such as U.S.-based Activision Blizzard’s “World of Warcraft” (WOW) and “Kartrider” from South Korea’s Nexon, China now wants to develop its own blockbusters and eventually lead the fast-growing market.

It may be a while before China overtakes South Korea, which dominates Asia’s online gaming market, but there are growing signs that Chinese firms such as Netease.com and Tencent are now in a strong position to compete globally and are catching up with rivals quickly.

Successful online games can generate earnings for years from monthly service fees, character customization and other micro-transactions and carry higher margins than classic console games. Developing games in-house also reduces uncertainties over license contracts and renewals.

“We consider in-house development a sound business model, which brings relatively high margins,” said Phyllis Sai, spokeswoman for Nasdaq-listed Chinese game firm The9.

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ONLINE game publisher MyGame recently announced that it will be launching Twelve Sky 2, the company’s first serious massively-multiplayer online game (MMORPG).

Twelve Sky 2, developed by Korean firm ALT1, will follow two previous games that MyGame has launched: the first-person shooter Special Force and the casual game Fiesta Online.

In an interview, MyGame Product Manager Jon Roque said the introduction of Twelve Sky 2 would put MyGame toe-to-toe with other online game publishers that have already existing MMORPGs.

The game is also currently in beta testing in other countries.

He claims that the game’s unique player-versus-player (PvP) would entice players to move to Twelve Sky 2. “It’s the experience of intense battle between players is the selling aspect of the game.”

Roque said that players would be rewarded with experience points for the character and the clan they have joined and in-game money when they frequently play in PvP.

Roque said the company would start the close beta test sometime in July, to be followed by an open beta test in August and finally, the commercial launch in September.

Roque added that the game would be free-to-play and would have an online item shop.

Twelve Sky is a martial arts fantasy game set in ancient China. There are four rival factions called the Guanyin, Fujin, and Jinong, each with unique fighting styles, armor and weapons.

A fourth faction would be available when players reach the higher levels of the game.

CAMPCOM’s Resident Evil series is the most prolific action-horror title in the video game business and is also the most successful in being ported from just about all console devices and PC.

Apart from the action-horror aspect of this game series the story continuity is also what makes this series successful. Every game is good enough to be played on a stand-alone basis but the back stories make them even better.

The stories of the main characters are integrated in each medium where they are present, which includes about seven games, two novels and a CGI film entitled Resident Evil Degeneration.

Of course, the three RE movies where Milla Jovovich starred are of a different universe and are not canon to the main RE story.

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WHILE majority of Filipinos are going home to their respective provinces this Holy Week, online gamers here are still expected to log on and continue playing.

In fact, most online game publishers in the country will continue operating during the entire week, including Good Friday and Black Saturday, days when most business operations are closed.

Level Up! Philippines and E-Games said they would still run their operations during the Holy week, an annual religious event.

Both companies said they have never slowed down their operations since they started.

E-Games Vice President for Game Operations Gary Escobar said they only see lesser gamers logging in during Good Friday. It then picks up on Black Saturday and Easter Sunday.

Level Up! Marketing Director Jake San Diego said many players continue to log on even on Good Friday to escape boredom.

Other game publishing companies such as iAM Interactive, Amped Games, and Mobius Games have not yet announced any operational changes for the next few days.