Philippine Game Development Industry Marks its First International Foray Through Games Convention Asia, Singapore

(PRWEB) September 5, 2007 -- The Game Development Association of the Philippines or GDAP eyes new market opportunities in the forthcoming Games Convention Asia (September 7-9) in Singapore.

Five member companies of GDAP will lead the first Philippine participation to the Singapore event: Anino Games, Flipside Game Studios, Inc., Matahari Studios (Philippines), Pixel Stream, and SkyRocket. These companies offer a wide spectrum of services that include online, PC, mobile, simulation, arcade and serious games, and 2D and 3D animation and modeling.

Anino Games, which is at the forefront of the gamedev industry since its inception in the country in 2002, has produced the first Filipino-made computer game "Anito: Defend a Land Enraged" in 2003 under its PC- and console game division, Anino Entertainment. Earlier this year, through its mobile game division, Anino Mobile, it bagged the "Best Use of Connectivity Award 2006" at the International Mobile Gaming Awards held in Barcelona, Spain, for its video game, "Anima Wars". It targets North America, Canada, the UK and France. To view an Anino demo reel, visit www.aninogames.com/Demoreel3/AninoDemoReel_DivX.zip or http://aninogames.com/anino/index-outsourcing.php?Section=26&id=39

Flipside Game Studios, Inc., founded by GDAP President Gabby Dizon in 2005 along with other experienced game developers, specializes in full-scale development and outsourcing services for the game industry, and has done major projects with US- and UK-based companies.

Manila- and Jakarta-based Australian company Matahari Studios is the idea factory behind the successful Timezone Family Arcade Centers, and is part of the Leisure and Allied Industries (LAI) group of companies, which has direct sales and service offices in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines and the US.

Meanwhile, Pixelstream Corporation is a versatile game development company inspired by industry veterans from Japan, serving mostly Japanese clients. Its wide array of interactive games and animation services include publishing work for Manga/Anime sensation, Naruto.

SkyRocket Interactive Entertainment Philippines Corporation is a full-service media development firm that specializes on casual online, desktop and mobile games.

This is still just the beginning as GDAP is actively pursuing other local game development companies to join the fold in order to solidify the industry. There are around 15-20 gamedev companies locally, each with target markets that revolve around videogame hotbeds US, UK, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

"With the formation of GDAP, local game developers became among our new stakeholders in Philippine ICT," said Game Development Association of the Philippines President Gabby Dizon.

Last year, the industry as a whole recorded US$3.7 billion and recorded 103,000 new jobs. Still revenues are expected to rise up to US$12.4 billion in 2010.

Equally optimistic about gamedev is GDAP VP and Anino Games President, Niel Dagondon, who added: "The global market for games outsourcing is set to grow to US$2.5 billion by 2010. That is 40 percent of the total game development spending! The Philippines should grab a slice of that pie."

Filipinos, video game enthusiasts since the time of the 80's mushroom-grabbing Super Mario to the turn-of-the-millennium terrorist-sniping Counter Strikers, are ideal game developers due to their affinity with the US, in terms of education, media and sports; and Japan, in terms of animation and video entertainment.

The country boasts of a rich pool of professionals, which is enriched by 380,000 college graduates annually, and English language-proficiency that places it third only to the US and the UK.

"In the Philippines, game developers' monthly salaries are significantly lower," Dagondon shares. "In the US and in Japan, game developers command salaries in the US$5,000-7,000 range. Here, it is in the US$2,000 level. That's 20-40% savings in the overall production budget for prospective outsourcing partners."

"With government support through DTI-CITEM and other major sponsors, GDAP is organizing its first mission as an organization to represent the gamedev industry at the first-ever Games Convention Asia," Dizon shared. "We'll wave the country's colors and make our presence felt in Singapore. We're bringing the Philippines' finest in gamedev."

Dizon expressed confidence, saying: "We want to see the trends of the trade, look at the competition within the region, and generate business leads for our own upstart electronic gaming industry."

The Philippine participation to the Games Convention Asia 2007 is in line with DTI-CITEM's flagship project, e-Services Philippines, which promotes the information and communications technology- and information technology-enabled services in the country. e-Services Philippines 2008, which is to be held in February 2008, promises to be a convergence of the industry's best of breed from the ICT world.

Contact:

CITEM, IT Services and Electronics Division

T: (+632) 8325044 & (+632) 8312201 locals 212, 251, and 301

E: itservices @ citem.com.ph

URL: www.e-servicesphils.com

Other useful websites:

URL: www.citem.com.ph

Blog: www.citem.blogspot.com

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