What better way to celebrate Philippine Indepence Day (June 12) than to discuss the legacy of Filipinos when it comes video game design, right?

Well, in the forefront of the news are Anino Games (formerly Anino Entertainment) – best known for the game Anito (which I wrote about ages back when I was working for Fast Forward magazine) and Flipside – these talented guys (led by my good friend Gabby Dizon) dabbles in servicing international clients for casual games.

ANINO

Anino, led by another friend, Niel Dagundon, is best known for breaking the barrier and making the first, all-pinoy-made, RPG for the PC (offline, single player) – Anito: Defend A Land Enraged.

Released in November of 2003, this award winning game is a single-player isometric adventure RPG game set in 16th century Asia, in the land of Maroka. Maroka is an island besieged both by internal conflict and armored invaders from a faraway land who are slowly turning Maroka into their monarch’s colony. When Datu Maktan, leader of the Mangatiwala tribe and the land’s most influential peacemaker, mysteriously disappears, it is up to his children Agila and Maya to find him and restore the delicate peace that their father has kept in balance, before unbridled forces tear the land apart.

Anito features a unique gameplay system which makes heavy use of Philippine folklore and mythos.

Other games developed by Anino include Black Ops, Snakes on a Plane and Word Archery

FLIPSIDE

According to their “About Us” page; “Flipside Game Studios, Inc. is a Manila, Philippines-based company that specializes in full-scale development and outsourcing services for the game industry. Founded in 2005 by Jon Morin, Gabby Dizon and Lennard Garcia, the company plans to help change the game industry’s current business model by allowing small, creative teams to pursue a killer game concept while relying on us to handle the game’s production and management.”

Currently, Flipside is servicing international clients such as Hyboreal and Immersive Realms. Gabush is hush-hush on the projects but I’m sure I’ll milk him on the titles after a few rounds of lattes at Starbucks.

PINOY FPS

We all know how big the Counterstrike phenomenon was in the early years of this decade. And a filipino company called Ladyluck well… tried their luck in making a multi-platform FPS (PC, Xbox, PS2) called Terra Wars NY Invasion.

But luck wasn’t on their side as IGN reviewed it and gave it a 2 out 5. According to that review; “While budget titles fill a certain role, you just don’t get what you pay for with this game. Terra Wars is atrocious across the board, and simply not worth shelling out the money for, even if it is budget priced. Your money would be better spent elsewhere.”

There are news about Ladyluck developing an online shooter based on this game. Good luck!

CONCLUSION

At any rate, game design is still new in this country. But the Filipino talent is not to be mocked. Granted there will be hits and misses, successes and failures, let’s all support the Pinoy game-design industry. One such move has been organized as the Game Developers Association of the Philippines or GDAP whose goal is to is to “promote the rising game development industry in the Philippines, and the association is composed of the premier game development studios in the country.”

As fellow pinoys, we salute you!

Best of luck in your future projects. Mabuhay!

Maligayang Araw ng Kalayaan sa inyong lahat.

Nagpupugay,

GM T