GMA Network goes online gaming with E-Games

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.