ESGS 2016: The local game dev scene
The world has become a very different place thanks to the advent of technology. This includes the world of gaming, which has evolved from coin-operated machines of the mid to late 70’s to today’s mobile and desktop games.
A SHOWCASE OF LOCAL TALENT. ESGS 2016 proved to be more than just a place to find the best upcoming game titles; it was also a place to see local talent. Image grabbed from Electronic Sports and Gaming Summit – ESGS Facebook page
The world of gaming is still evolving, and Filipino game developers are already looking at breaking into the scene. The recently-concluded Electronic Sports and Gaming Summit (ESGS) showcased some of the up-and-coming local game developers in their Indie Arena.
Here are three of the many game development studios present at ESGS 2016:
Yang Yang Mobile
Founded in 2015, Yang Yang Mobile is a small team of developers who have been in the industry since 2011, developing various apps for different companies. Their aim is to become one of the country’s leading app developers by churning out unconventional yet fun applications.
They mostly deal with mobile apps, but their latest creation, The Letter, sees them delving into the world of PC games through the gaming platform Steam.
The Letter is an interactive horror, visual novel game set in the fictional village of Anselm, where a supposedly haunted 17th-century English mansion is put up for sale. Set to be released in 2017, a demo version of the game can be downloaded from Yang Yang Mobile’s website.
Monstraunauts
One of the country’s representatives at the Tokyo Game Show, Monstronauts is an up-and-coming game development studio composed of 10 fun-loving game developers and designers led by Allen Tan. Their mission is to create world-class original games for desktop, web, and mobile platforms.
They showcased two of their latest projects at ESGS 2016: Pocket Arcade, a joint development project they shared with Kuyi Mobile, and their solo project Potion Punch. Pocket Arcade is a simulation of classic arcade machines including the coin machine, prize claw machine, and the iconic Whack-a-Mole with aliens replacing the moles.
TAKE OVER THE MEDIEVAL WORLD. Potion Punch is available for iOS and Android. Image from monstronauts.com
Potion Punch, on the other hand, is a time-management game where you taken on the role of a potions master who seeks to conquer the palates of the Medieval World through his potion shop.
Fun fact: Monstronauts was supposed to be used as a game title for one of their earlier projects.
Most Played Games
It wasn’t long ago that a certain game took over the App Store and Google Play. What most people were not aware of was that the developer of that game, called Flippy Bottle Extreme, was a Filipino by the name of Derrick Alain Mapagu, CEO of Most Played Games.
FRUSTRATION GAMING AT ITS FINEST. Prepare to be reminded of Flappy Bird.
He’s also produced other games that have topped the Google Play Philippines charts like Make Tusok the Fishball, Make Pana Blue Eagle, and Make Tuka Green Archer.
Source: GMA News Online, Ungeek.ph, Flip Geeks
