By Agence France-Presse

BANGKOK–Copies of the GTA were taken off the shop shelves in Thailand on Tuesday following news about a teenager allegedly killing a taxi driver in a copycat crime.

The New Era Interactive Media company, the only legal distributor of the games and software, expressed regret over the incident on its website.

“We have stopped selling Grand Theft Auto (GTA) and inform all legal vendors to withdraw the game from their shelves,” the company said in an online statement.

“The company will not import GTA 4 (the next in the series) to distribute in Thailand,” it added.

The company also warned people to be careful about the types of computer games they buy and urged friends and relatives of gamers to watch their behavior closely when playing.

A Thai teenager incensed that he could not afford to play the violent computer game GTA robbed a taxi driver and stabbed him to death in his cab, police said Monday.

The 18-year-old male high-school student whose name was withheld was arrested on Sunday after police found the bloody body of a 50-year-old Bangkok taxi driver slumped in his car.

“He confessed that he committed the crime because he had copied it from the game he played,” Bangkok police Captain Veerarit Pipatanasak told Agence France-Presse.

The teenager was charged with robbery and possession of a weapon, and could face the death penalty or life imprisonment if convicted, Veerarit said.

“He wanted money to play the game. His parents, who work as civil servants, did not have enough money to give him,” he added.

Instead, the teen spent his 500-baht ($15) allowance on two knives.

The Grand Theft Auto computer game series, which has sold about 70 million copies, has come under fire for its graphic depiction of casual violence, drug dealing and prostitution.

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.

By Agence France-Presse

LOS ANGELES - Videogame makers are riding the social networking wave with a flood of soon-to-be-released titles that let friends play online as teams and even create their own characters.

The world’s big three console makers — Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony — are providing frameworks for players to connect with hardware and software on which online communities of gamers can have fun and flourish.

“Gamers aren’t just in it for the high scores anymore,” Sony Computer Entertainment of North America president Jack Tretton said, as videogame industry giants unveiled new offerings at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3).

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By Alex Villafania
INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines – Two pairs of brothers who hail from Cebu will be the first Filipinos to enter the international competition of online casual game GetAmped in Singapore on August 1 to 3.

The Cebuano brothers beat over 4,000 players during the concluded GetAmped National Tournament.

Mervin Medallo, 22, brother Masael Medallo, 18, and Jose Antonio Diosanta, 18, won the GetAmped’s team tournament category and took home P75,000.

Diosanta’s younger brother, Jose Miguel Diosanta, won the individual competition that netted him P25,000.

GetAmped Community Development Head Arnel Duran told hackenslash that the brothers have started training for the upcoming GetAmped World Festival in Singapore.

“They already have a Japanese GetAmped player training them. This is the first time we’re joining so we better come prepared,” said Duran who declined to reveal the identity of the group’s Japanese trainer.

Duran said they will be facing dozens of players from nine countries for the title of the best GetAmped players in the world. Among the countries participating are Japan, China, Thailand, Taiwan and Korea.

Editor’s Note: Updated article with links to list of winners

By Alex Villafania
INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — After nearly three months, the World Cyber Games (WCG) 2008 Philippine leg competition has come to a close with a dozen gamers chosen out of 104 to represent the Philippines.

They will join the WCG 2008 Grand Finals in Germany on November 9, as well as the Asian Cyber Games in Singapore in August.

Leading the group will be the five-man Counterstrike team Horsemen of the Apocalypse (HOA), composed of Arvin Agbisit, Paolo Nancho, Jupiter Mars Gaboy, EJ Clores and Gary Guevarras. The group has been the consistent Philippine representative to the WCG Grand Finals for the past four years, organizers of the local competition said.

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