By Alexander Villafania
INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) raided the office of Philippine game development company Anino Games Inc last August 22 for alleged software copyright infringement.

The raid resulted in the seizure of 36 computers that were installed with alleged illegal copies of several applications from software developer Autodesk Inc. Among the pirated software that were supposedly found were 3D Studio Max 2008, 3D Studio Max 9, AutoDesk Maya 8.5, AutoCAD 2008, AutoDesk Maya 2008 and Combustion 4.

A complaint was filed at the NBI’s Anti-Fraud and Computer Crimes Division (AFCCD) by AutoDesk, a member of the Business Software Alliance (BSA). The group has been promoting the use of original software and seeking prosecution against alleged copyright violators, BSA said in a statement.

Anino, the first commercial game development firm in the Philippines, is a member of the Game Development Association of the Philippines. The group’s president, Gabriel Dizon was unavailable for comment as of this writing.
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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.