On March 4, 2015, Asiasoft held a launch event to promote their new gaming portal called 'PlayPark' for gamers in the Philippines. We were present at the event to get an idea of what PlayPark is all about, and witness the reveal of three games joining PlayPark's roster.
Attendees of the event were given the chance to relive part of their childhood by playing old-school playground games such as tumbang preso and a lot more. Why are those games in the event you ask? It's to give us a clear picture on what PlayPark is all about. “The Playpark Launch event is a great opportunity for everyone to experience the fun philosophy that Playpark represents,”. We’ve got the most anticipated online games under our belt, and we’re bringing in even more games down the road, so we’re excited to see what the future holds for online gaming in the Philippines now that Playpark is here and here to stay. “ says Jake San Diego, General Manager of Playpark.
Among the titles revealed to join PlayPark is the MMORPG Cabal 2, online rhythm game World in Audition, and online FPS Special Forces 2. Asiasoft has been quite aggressive since the acquisition of Level Up! Games last year with titles such as DC Universe Online, Blizzard's upcoming MOBA Heroes of the Storm (currently in closed beta), and Phantasy Star Online 2 hitting the Philippines. Online games has always been widely popular here and the added variety of games is greatly welcomed, and will greatly contribute in the growth of the online community in the near future.
You can check Asiasoft's Playpark and all their games here.
PS4 owners will get their first dose of the Final fantasy franchise with Final Fantasy Type -0 HD and is the first JRPG to be available on the PS4. If you haven't played the original on the PSP, it would be a treat on it's own, but Square Enix made it a little interesting by adding a demo version of the highly anticipated Final Fantasy XV.
Currently titled Final Fantasy XV -Episode Duscae-, the demo was specially rearranged and edited to contain a part of the opening scenario of Final Fantasy XV, giving players the opportunity of trying out the game's open world and new combat system.
First announced as Final Fantasy Versus XIII in 2006, it was later re-launched as Final Fantasy XV on June 2013 as a next-gen title. The story will revolve around a cross-country road trip with protagonist prince Noctis Lucis Caelum and his entourage. In the demo, their car, which seems to be their mode of transportation in the game, will be unavailable, and the demo revolves around fixing it. The Final Fantasy XV demo will only be available to the first batch of copies of Final Fantasy Type -0 HD on release.
Added Asian localization was not originally planned for the demo, but director of Final Fantasy XV, Mr. Hajime Tabata, might prepare traditional Chinese and Korean languages and update the demo hopefully on April :
“I had the chance to participate in the Taipei Game Show this year, and was touched by the serious and direct passion of the fans in Asia. It had strongly motivated me to prepare Asian languages in the demo version. Though it had not been planned initially, I discussed with the development members, and decided to localize the demo.
We hope to update the demo bundled in the “FINAL FANTASY TYPE-0 HD” in April, and provide the Traditional Chinese and Korean subtitles for the Asian customers to play in their languages.
I hope to see many customers experience and enjoy the genuine FINAL FANTASY adventure in the new open world.”
Pre-orders for Final Fantasy Type -0 HD is now available and those who pre-order in authorized PlayStation sellers will be given a limited edition steel book of the game. Final Fantasy Type-0, originally known as Final Fantasy Agito XIII, was released for the PSP (PlayStation Portable) in 2011 and is a part of Fabula Nova Crystallis: Final Fantasy series. Release of the HD port to the PS4 was announced last year.
Final Fantasy -0 HD will be released on March 17, 2015 on the PlayStation 4.
As I said in my Dragon War Phantom unboxing post, my Thor started giving out which prompted me to buy a replacement for it. Not going to say much about the mouse in this post. Instead, I have a video review about it. As well as a video showing off how to change the color of the LED on the mouse.
DRAGON WAR ELE-G4 PHANTOM GAMING MOUSE
Product Code: ELE-G4
Purchased at Datablitz for 1795php
Features:
Ergonomic design for professional gamer
Gaming Mouse with Performing Capability
Powered by 5600 DPI Precision Laser Engine
Suitable for almost every surface
Adjusted Sensor Resolution of 800/1600/3200/5600 DPI
Turning Weight-in Design Offers the Perfect Feel
Gold-plated USB Connector for a Reliable Transmission Integrity
Mouser Cable Length 1.8 meters (with Braided Fibre Cable)
Gaming mouse with 10 control buttons
Adjustable Length to Suit Your Hand Size and Grip Style
Precision Aim Mode that Will Hit Your Target the First Time
Designated Configuration Panel:
Assign Your Choice of Key Gaming Actions to Programmable Buttons to Create Your Own Custom Profiles
Resolution: 800/ 1600/ 3200/ 5600 dpi
Interface: USB
Dimension: W110 x D100 x H36 mm
Package Contents:
Dragon War Phantom Mouse
User Manual
Dragon War Sticker
Spare Foots – 4 Pairs
On February 4, 2015, PlayStation invited 40 lucky fans and media to attend a closed event that would make them the first gamers in the Philippines to try out two exclusive games coming to the PlayStation 4 - The Order: 1886, and Bloodborne. The TMG Crew attended the event and was surprised to see Sony make an effort in reaching out to gaming community here. For those that were unable to attend, here’s what you missed.
It was discreet to say the least; a single Facebook post from PlayStation Asia seemed to be the only promotion done to such an event. But it seemed to be enough because when we arrived, a solid number of participants were all lined up patiently waiting for the doors to open. It was held at Imperium e-Sports Bar and Video Game Lounge at Metrowalk, which they closed shop for the whole day to cater to the event. Registration to enter Imperium started at 6:30PM. By 7PM, we were asked to gather at the main stage to begin.
Before we were given a chance to try out Bloodborne and The Order: 1886, Sony Computer Entertainment's Asia Region marketing manager Arata Naito went up on stage to do a quick presentation –a brief description of Bloodborne and The Order: 1886 was given, as well as highlighting SCE Worldwide Studios' such as Media Molecule (Little Big Planet), Sucker Punch (Infamous), Guerrilla Games (Killzone), and Naughty Dog (Uncharted, The Last of Us). Talk about The Order: 1886 was first. Then, something I was not expecting happened – a video message from Ru Weerasuriya, CEO of Ready at Dawn and director of The Order: 1886. What’s special about this message was it was recorded just for this event, welcoming Filipino fans and the media present. They even started his video message with “Kamusta”, which means “How are you” in Tagalog. At this point, it made me think Sony is testing the waters here in the Philippines, looking at the reception given by the gaming community here.
The Order: 1886 is set in a unique vision of Victorian-Era London, where Man uses advanced technology to battle a powerful and ancient foe. In an alternate history where myths and technology co-exist, players take on the role of Sir Galahad, a hardened member of an elite order of Knights engaging in a centuries-old war that will determine the course of history forever.
Arata asked us to head over to the only TV on that displayed a demo version of The Order: 1886, which is to be played by cosplayer Myrtle Sarrosa. Two sections of the game were demonstrated; shooting gameplay and a portion that features the game’s visuals and other mechanics (puzzle, stealth, etc). The demo started with Sir Galahad and the rest of the Order rappelling down the side of a blimp in order to board it. A conversation between the characters kicks in and Arata explains that all of this is being done in-engine, it’s not CG. We’ve seen trailers and actual gameplay footage of The Order, but seeing up close, this game is definitely a visual marvel. After a small chat with the Order members, Galahad enters the blimp and we see Myrtle sneak behind an unfortunate soul and stabs him to death with a simple press of the triangle button. Then, we were shown a small hacking mini-game in order to unlock doors and disable certain devices. Galahad whips out a weird looking contraption with two mercury rods on both sides. With the mercury rods moving up and down on both sides, the player is tasked to press L3 for the left side and R3 for the right side at the right time. You’ll need to do one side at a time and once you get it, you’ll have to hold that button until you get the other side. Once done, you can now progress. At this point Arata cuts that section short and went straight to another portion of the game to showcase the game’s gun play.
In terms of gameplay, it looked like the traditional third person cover shooters you’d come to expect. But the only difference I was able to get while watching Galahad mow down 10 guys in under a minute is that it becomes even more stunning visually. Bullets seen flying; Galahad’s garments gracefully swaying as he takes cover; papers up in the air; debris coming from walls, soaking up bullets; there’s a lot going on and it was smooth all throughout. During the fight, the player was welcomed with a fearless thug equipped with a powerful shotgun that easily overpowered Galahad. We didn’t get a game over screen though, but more of a “downed” state. Arata explains that there’s an item called Blackwater that can bring Galahad back to the fight. Once used, Galahad stands up and does his thing. Arata then says that thanks to the PS4, developers at Ready at Dawn were able to create a game they’ve always wanted to make. After the dust clears, the player heads to the kitchen and more thugs appears and we are back to another gun fight.
Next up was Bloodborne, a new IP from From Software that strongly resembles the Demon Souls/Dark Souls franchise. Arata asks the crowd if people are familiar with Dark Souls, and the crowd replied with an ecstatic “yes”, suggesting that majority of those present were fans of the Action RPG franchise. Then, we get another video message, this time from Bloodborne producer Masaaki Yamagiwa, also wishing they were there to attend the event. The game takes place in the gothic, ruined city of Yharnam. Over the years, many travelers make pilgrimages to the city seeking the remedy to cure their afflictions; the player takes the role as one of these travelers known as Hunters. Yharnam is plagued with an endemic illness that has malformed most of its denizens into bestial creatures.
We head over to the only station on once again to watch a demo of Bloodborne, ready to be played by Myrtle Sarrosa yet again. The section demonstrated was said to be at the beginning of the game and the player was equipped with a scythe-like weapon, able to switch between two forms to cater to the situation at hand. These are called “Trick weapons”, and it’s one of the unique elements introduced to this new IP. Also unique to Bloodborne is the use of guns in the game as an offhand weapon (goodbye shields). Arata states that guns in the game isn’t used as a main damaging tool, but more of a tool to either stun your opponent or get yourself out of tight situations. The player was equipped with a blunderbuss-like gun that provides a pushback to whoever gets hit by the blast, my kind of weapon. The enemies wandering the stage were easily disposed by the typical spam of the attack button. After some quick dodges, we finally get hit hard, and we were introduced by a new system for the game – The “Rally System”. Arata starts explaining that after getting hit by a lethal blow, you are given a small window to attack your enemy in order to regain some health back. This also shows that they are taking a more offensive approach in combat with this new system, oppose to the more defensive route taken from the Souls series with the use of shields. From Software has stated in the past that it will be one of the most difficult games you’ll ever play on your PS4 system, but we’ll see once it hits shelves this March. The demonstration went on going through the same stage with Arata explaining the different kinds of weapons in the game, said to give a lot of variety to the player. At this point, Arata was in control and stated that there are different paths to take in Bloodborne. We then see a larger foe wielding a hammer, banging at a gate. Arata then says that we can choose to not engage and opt to find another path, but then the crowd shouts in unison “FIGHT…FIGHT”. With a simple smile from Arata, he accepts the crowds request and we were greeted with the infamous ‘YOU DIED” screen found in Demon Souls/Dark. It was roughly a 30 second fight.
The presentation was over and the first wave of players was about to try out the games themselves. All participants were given a stub before entering and were given the choice to pick one of the two games to demo. Fans were able to bring one friend during the event, so we saw a couple of folks discussing what game they’d like to try. Miggy and I had a similar discussion, and since he was never a fan of shooters, I happily gave him the chance to try out Bloodborne while I deal with The Order. Each batch of players playing the game was given roughly 10 minutes to try the demo. Once time is over, the next batch of players take over the stations prepped for the playable demos. Dinner was served and those waiting for their turn was able to dig in and mingle, talking about what they’ve seen so far. Mr. Arata and the rest of the Sony crew was very welcoming to all those that approached them. Taking photos with the fans; talking more about the two games, I think I also overheard someone asking about Uncharted 4. This was after all a PlayStation Fans event, so I’m sure they were expecting questions like those. We had a good talk with him and he appreciated the enthusiasm of the Filipino fans.
During the demo, we were told that whoever can beat the boss at the end of the Bloodborne demo will be given an exclusive Bloodborne t-shirt. There were roughly 9 waves of players that tried out Bloodborne and only two players were able to beat the big baddie waiting at the end. And no, Miggy was not one of the two players that snagged a shirt. He’s still dreading about the last move he did that lead to his death.
When it comes to events in the Philippines, this is the first of it's kind. It’s an event greatly overdue for the Filipino gaming community. PlayStation is finding huge success with the PlayStation 4 and it looks like they are staying aggressive in order to keep the momentum going by reaching out to other regions. I'm going to take this event as a sign. A sign that big companies like Sony will make a bigger presence for console gaming in the Philippines.
Our full hands-on impression of Bloodborne and The Order: 1886 will debut on episode 69 of the TMG Podcast going live on February 10, 2015.
The Order: 1886 is scheduled for release on February 20, while Bloodborne will be out next month on March 24, exclusive to the PlayStation 4.
The TMG crew had the big opportunity to attend this year's Manila Game Jam in Ateneo De Manila University. With around 120+ participants, they were all tasked to create a game under 48 hours and revolve their concept on a specific theme: 'What Do We Do Now?'. After all the pitching, coding, and sleepless nights, 32 games were created in the Ateneo site. Here's the crew's personal top 5 games list.
Putting the Street Fighter inspiration aside, this fighting game was quite a surprise in the event. If there was one genre I wasn't expecting in a Game Jam, it's a ragdoll fighter. To stay true to the theme, it felt like the developers kept everything about this game random. From gameplay mechanics, down to the elements in the stage. It was a great game that kept me at the edge of my seat because I had no idea what was going on, but I guess that was the idea.
I'm not putting this on my list because I've beaten every high score in this game(I'm bragging, yes), it's up there because of it's addicting nature and it's need of constant focus. The more mistakes I do, the more I sweat. I love a challenge, and would love to see what the developers can do with this rhythm-inspired game if given more development time.
This makes my list because of sheer concept alone. When the theme was announced on day 1, pitching started and the concept of the Angry Wife game stuck, resulting in us hellbent in looking for this game once the exhibit floor was available. You play as a husband with an Angry Wife. You don't know what you did or what happened, so what do you do now? How do you fix it? It lacks in gameplay and polish, but it's the best use of the given theme.
There's a lot that made me appreciate Hugo. Was it the atmosphere established by the music? Or the need to find more about this lost soul unable to move on? "WHY DON"T YOU JUST MOVE ON". I keep saying that on the screen, but it just doesn't happen for this guy. Gameplay is quite simple and you are left in this endless loop of despair, forever lost in this world. Oh, the feels. It sounds depressing I know, but it's great art style and presentation really stood out for me. Add more characters and story and I just might reach for a tissue.
This could be one of the weakest application of the Game Jam theme but it's execution and gameplay was quite impressive considering that they created the game in less than 48 hours. It's complex platform gameplay wasn't punishing but inviting. Materializing what color objects you need in order to progress, I found myself having loads of fun, reminding me of a stage taken from Mario Galaxy 2. Only three stages were available, and the presentation(Textures,art,color) was not even close to done. What's important is it got me invested, and if there was more to it, I'd probably use the remaining time I had left in the Game Jam to complete it.
Not a lot of games have you controlling two characters on one controller. The stained glass aesthetic and the mellow paced puzzle gameplay can make this a good game on a slow afternoon.
This level memorization based infinite runner was one of the most solid games at the event in terms of art style and gameplay. A simple concept with a mix of old school difficulty
It's ragdoll Street Fighter mixed with some random stage effects and hazards. Looking forward to a full version of this in some form in the future. Hopefully with slightly better and more responsive controls.
A puzzle platformer where you summon colored blocks to stand on in order to progress. No doubt my favorite from the event. This is the kind of game I look for in indie puzzle games.
This list of course is our personal favorites. Almost all the games found in the event floor showed a lot of potential with the given theme. The variety of genres in this site was also a big surprise since we saw a First Person explore game with Unreal Engine 4, platformers, a fighting game, a text adventure, a card game, and all the way down to even a board game!
Congratulations to all that participated! This event was one of many sites that participated in the annual Global Game Jam, with a good number of countries participating that weekend to celebrate games development. When the event concluded, 5,437 games were created world-wide. In that 5,437, 85 of those games were developed here in the Philippines, with 4 game jam sites organized this year.
If you'd like to pick your own personal favorites on any site in the Philippines or even in other countries, head over to www.globalgamejam.org and start playing.
Our full video coverage of the event is now up on our YouTube channel!We have a playlist all set and ready for you all to check out.
Too Much Gaming | Video Games Reviews, News, & Guides
Video Game reviews, news, previews, videos, and gaming podcasts.
On March 4, 2015, Asiasoft held a launch event to promote their new gaming portal called 'PlayPark' for gamers in the Philippines. We were present at the event to get an idea of what PlayPark is all about, and witness the reveal of three games joining PlayPark's roster.
The TMG crew had the big opportunity to attend this year's Manila Game Jam in Ateneo De Manila University. With around 120+ participants, they were all tasked to create a game under 48 hours and revolve their concept on a specific theme: 'What Do We Do Now?'. After all the pitching, coding, and sleepless nights, 32 games were created in the Ateneo site. Here's the crew's personal top 5 games list.
