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IP E-Game Ventures, an online gaming subsidiary of IPVG Corp. and
GMA New Media Inc. (NMI), the digital media arm of GMA Network Inc.,
announced the launch of I-Play Inc., a joint venture company, on
Tuesday in Taguig City.
I-Play, with an authorized capital stock of P800
million and an initial paid-in capitalization of P200 million, is a
50-50 joint venture of IP E-Games and GMA-NMI, which aims at
evolving and promoting casual online gaming and its digital content
development. It will be focusing on designing and maintaining casual
online gaming and casual online gaming-related portals offered to
all Filipino gamers.
“GMA-NMI’s unique position of being both a
media company and a technology company will certainly be played to
the hilt in this partnership,” said Judd Gallares, president of
GMA-NMI. “In combining the creativity and speed of digital with
the broad reach and appeal of traditional, we’ll be breaking new
paths in gaming,” he said.
In a media briefing, IPVG CEO Enrique Y.
Gonzalez said the future of online gaming in the country lies in
casual gaming for it appeals much to the general Internet users. He
said, casual games, besides its simple mechanics, are “easy to
learn and easy to master.”
He added that among the four million Filipinos
engaging into Internet gaming in the Philippines, 45 percent of them
are casual gamers. With its partnership with GMA-NMI, Gonzales is
hoping that they could multiply the numbers by two to three folds
over the next few years.
Gonzales said this collaboration will provide
Filipino online gamers a unique experience. I-Play will localize,
integrate local themes, artists, and local contents in the
Philippines, which he said something never been done in the country.
The first two casual games currently offered are
Audition Dance Battle and O2Jam where they integrated local artists
to it. In O2Jam rhythm casual game, casual gamers can play the game
to the tune of the songs of some local artists such as Sugarfree,
Sandwich, and among others.
Felipe L. Gozon, GMA chairman and president,
told reporters that through I-Play, Filipinos will be having “a
new way of experiencing the Kapuso brand, a new way of engaging the
audience and bringing the shows and stars closer to viewers.”
I-Play envisions itself to be the number one
casual gaming publisher in the country and to bring casual gaming
mainstream.
-- Cris-Ann G. Odronia
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