X-Play Online Games Inc.
X-Play Online Games Inc., using the brand X-Play, was a live service game publisher and video game retail distributor in the Philippines. It was, at one time, the exclusive distributor of Blizzard Entertainment software products in the country.[1]
The company was a subsidiary of IP E-Game Ventures, Inc., and was originally used as IP E-Game's brand for publishing casual live service games (hence the "Online Games" in its name). The company was reformed as a distributor of boxed retail video games after Level Up! Inc. merged its live service publishing operations with IP E-Game.
About
In March 2008, IP E-Game Ventures, Inc. and GMA New Media Inc. announced the launch of I-Play Online Games Inc., a joint venture company, in Taguig City. I-Play, with an authorized capital stock of ₱800 million and an initial paid-in capitalization of ₱200 million, was a 50-50 joint venture of IP E-Game and GMA-NMI, which aims at evolving and promoting casual online gaming and its digital content development.[2]
In the third quarter of 2008, the brand I-Play Online Games Inc. was changed to X-Play Online Games Inc., and its official site was revamped.[3]
In 2010, it attempted to start an esports league called Pro-Gaming League. The plans for the league were later canceled.
In 2012, IP E-Game merged its live service publishing operations with its competitor, Level Up! Inc. Licenses for X-Play's existing live service games were transferred to Level Up!. X-Play later became a boxed retail distributor in the country.
Live service casual games
X-Play handled all casual, non-MMORPG titles under E-Games.
- Audition Dance Battle
- Band Master
- Operation 7
- Superstar Online
- O2Jam
- Top Speed (Unpublished)
Games after E-Games merged with Level Up!:
- NBA Street Online
Boxed retail games
This is an incomplete list of games X-Play was authorized to distribute in the country.
Blizzard Entertainment
- Diablo III
- StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty
- StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
- World of WarCraft Battle Chest
- World of WarCraft: Mists of Pandaria
Take-Two Interactive
- Bioshock Infinite
- NBA 2K13
- NBA 2K14
- Civilization V: Brave New World
- Grand Theft Auto V
- The Bureau: XCOM Declassified
Capcom
- Resident Evil: Revelations
Sony Computer Entertainment
- The Last of Us
- Ubisoft
- Splinter Cell: Blacklist
Controversy
On November 5, 2012, the Philippine National Police's Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), acting on the complaint filed by X-Play, raided various DataBlitz establishments for selling unauthorized copies of NBA 2K13 in the country.
References
- X-Play About Us page. Snapshot from 2015. X-Play website author. X-Play website. Retrieved on 2023-08-29.
- GMA Network goes online gaming with E-Games. March 03, 2008. Cris-Ann G. Odronia. Manila Times. Retrieved on 2023-08-29.
- I-Play now X-Play. September 26th, 2008. gameshogun.ws author. gameshogun.ws. Retrieved on 2023-08-29.