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.”

MOBIUS Games is adding WolfTeam, its first-person shooter title in its roster of published game titles in the Philippines.

This puts to seven the total number of titles that Mobius Games has in the Philippines.

WolfTeam plays similar to most first-person shooter games but adds some elements of fantasy and science fiction; instead of ordinary humans soldiers with weapons, players can transform into werewolves that are more resilient against weapons but themselves are unable to carry any while in this state.

Characters that transform into werewolves are able to move faster, jump higher and can climb walls. They use their claws instead to attack enemies.

Mobius Games said in a statement that the game will be launched on May 7 across Internet cafes in the Philippines.

“We are very excited to work together again with mobiusgames and we have no doubt Wolf Team will be successful. Players in the Philippines will love this game,” said WolfTeam Executive Producer Kang Jihun.

The story is set in the year 2013 when scientists develop a vaccine called “Epocine” to treat a human genetic disorder caused by a wayward wolf DNA. However, the vaccine developer creates a “Anti-Epocine” that enhances wolf features in humans.

The French Army is supplied with the Anti-Epocine and creates a group of mercenaries called WolfTeam. Unfortunately, the WolfTeam disengages from the French Army to become a mercenary group.

WolfTeam is developed by Korean firm Softnyx, which was behind the casual game GunBound also published by Mobius Games.

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.

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.

Agence France-Presse

SAN FRANCISCO–Sony is cutting the price of its older generation PlayStation 2 (PS2) videogame consoles to 100 dollars (US) in a move prompted by tough economic times and a desire to lure fans to the platform.

Sony Computer Entertainment America said the price of a PS2 console will drop 30 dollars beginning April 1 but that it is not trimming the price of its latest-generation PlayStation 3 consoles.

PS2 consoles have remained strong sellers despite the launch in late 2006 of a more powerful PS3 version with built-in Blu-ray high definition disk player.

PS3 consoles came with high price tags, a version with an 80-gigabyte hard drive costs 400 dollars.

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