RP-based game developers hold landmark festival
The Game Developers Association of the Philippines (GDAP) recently held its first-ever game convention to resounding success. The First Philippine Game Development Festival, a three-day convention at the UP Diliman campus, featured different game-related summits, exhibits, and activities to showcase the world-class work of local developers, and present young gamers with viable career opportunities in industry.
- (1888PressRelease) September 29, 2010 - Gathering rallies promising emerging industry.
"The Philippines is home to a large and vibrant gaming community, made up of both kids and adults, and this Festival gives the perfect venue for game developers to get together and share their love for games," said Lyshiel Valencia, president of GDAP and country manager of MoAnima, a top motion capture and animation studio.
"The Festival allows us in the industry to present what we are all about. It gives us a platform to discuss and showcase our work, and convey the message that the Philippine game development industry is quickly on the rise, and ready to make a strong impact on the global gaming scene," added Valencia.
Among the highlights of the convention was the Summit for Students, which targeted gaming enthusiasts from various schools and universities, and the Summit for Professionals, attended by many game designers, artists, and developers from both here and abroad.
The Summit for Students attracted more than 2,700 IT students who were treated to various presentations and discussions on myriad game-related topics, such as Digital Arts, The Life of a Game Developer, and career opportunities in video game development, which piqued the interest of the audience. These students were also participants at the annual Y4IT (Philippine Youth Congress in Information Technology) convention, which was held at the same venue as the Summit.
"We want young people to know that there is more to video games than fun and recreation," said Valencia. "There are viable opportunities for those looking to make a career out of their love for gaming, and for us game developers, I think we all agree that video game development is probably one of the most exciting jobs in the world," she enthused.
The Summit for Professionals featured lectures and presentations from local and foreign game development experts, covering industry-related topics such as the high potential of the Philippines as a game development hub, various trends in the global gaming industry, and the creation of an undergraduate degree program for budding game developers.
Showing government support, the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) Chairman Ivan Uy graced the event, delivering the keynote speech at the Summit for Professionals.
"The CICT and the rest of the government are one in expressing full support to the local game development industry," said Uy. "This business sector has shown great potential as a top-flight offshore destination, and already, there are Filipino studios and companies that have been tapped by well known game publishers in developing A-list titles. This is welcome news indeed; the industry is priming itself for a significant boom much like what the BPO industry accomplished in the past decade."
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