Indie games take the spotlight in first-ever Philippine GameDev Expo

MANILA, Philippines — When CBZN Perspective founder and CEO Jojo Calma traveled to the Taipei Game Show, he saw a Filipino game developer whose small booth displayed awards won by the game they were showcasing.

"Tinanong ko, ang dami niyong awards, pero bakit walang nakakaalam sa game na ito?" Calma said in an interview with Philstar.com.

"Doon ko nakita na may gap. There's something wrong in the local game development scene. When we're traveling to GamesCon and Taipei Game Show, you can see that Indie game developers have more space and are being valued. Here in the Philippines, they are participating in local conventions but normally it's just tables and no one really tries their games," he added.

This became Calma's motivation in creating a platform wherein local game developers can showcase their works. In talking with the Game Developers of Association of the Philippines (GDAP) and learning of their desire to also highlight game developers, the Philippine GameDev Expo (PGDX) was born.

Calma adds, "Yung feeling lang na ang daming local game developers [sa PGDX] is really overwhelming. Ang gagaling ng mga Pinoy. Wala lang talagang platform na ma-highlight sila and with the support of the government now, sana magtuloy-tuloy. We're here in Manila pero sana dumating yung time na even yung mga provinces can also be exhibitors."

He shared that there was supposed to be an Indie Game exhibitor from Zamboanga but unfortunately was not able to make it due to challenges in booking a flight. They still added the developers’ booth and had it manned so the game could still get featured.

"It's sad to hear those circumstances pero still, nilagay pa rin yung booth niya tapos pina-man sa iba. That's good pero mas maganda sana kung nandito siya," said Calma.

For independent game developers, the first PGDX is a huge leap in the betterment of the industry.

“For so long, the industry, especially the indie scene, has been relegated to small areas within larger conventions that don't really prioritize us. PGDX is a first of its kind, being a convention catered solely towards nationwide game development. We’re very thankful to GDAP for taking the time to organize PGDX. It helps the development of the game in many ways: through playtesting feedback from both gamers and seasoned developers alike, through giving us a platform to showcase our projects to industry players, and through learning from educational talks and workshops hosted alongside the event,” said Angelo Barrera, founder of Katakata Creative, the studio behind the adventure game Kata.

For so long, game developers had to plan on attending game expos in other countries just to have an opportunity to speak with game publishers. But PGDX had bridged the gap.

"A large event is a huge networking opportunity for new and relatively unknown game development studios. Filipino game devs have fewer chances to put their game in the spotlight because most of the larger game developer-centered events, such as the Game Developer’s Conference (GDC) and Gamescon which take place abroad. PGDX is the first event of this kind in the Philippines and for us, the event not only increased visibility for our game, it also allowed us to connect with potential partners, publishers, investors, and collaborators. We left the event with more connections in the international games industry and a deeper appreciation for the talent of our fellow game developers," said Matt Limbaga, narrative designer and composer of San Fernando, a game that features paintings by Fernando Amorsolo that follows the story of an anthropologist who is assigned to learn more about the distant island of San Fernando. 

Other independent game developers have echoed their appreciation for the country’s first game development expo as it helped in connecting developers to publishers and to their target audience, bringing valuable information in improving their projects.

“Hundreds of con-goers got to play our game. We also receive valuable results such as the validation of our product. Since we and a few people only get to test our game on a regular basis, PGDX opened the door for big playtesting sessions where we can identify in-game bugs and valuable feedback straight from our target market," said Franz Vilela, lead programmer of RiBeat! Muira's Sonata, a rhythm game inspired by the legend of muiraquitã that has players jumping through joyful tunes and challenging puzzles.

The same was said by developers of thrilling game St. Castro Plaza: Night Shift, which lets players take on the role of a roaming guard in charge of closing down a mall while menacing mannequins try to catch you. Developer Veo Yap shared how they received so much feedback from people who tried the game and garnered insights on further improving their demo.

For game designer Ella Garcia of Anilu Studios, whose game SEAker is an advocacy hidden objects game that feature the Philippine Marine ecosystem, it was PGDX’s seminars and talks that had a huge impact on them as they gave them the knowledge on the technical side of game development.

She adds, "All the seminars, guests, and events in PGDX, were amazing opportunities to learn so much more about game development, and improve our products and abilities. Being the first game development expo in the country, it gave us a lot of inspiration being surrounded by other passionate people, and seeing how big the event became made us hopeful for the future of game development in the country. We left PGDX more motivated and excited to keep working on our games, and ready to continue uplifting the local scene and prove that the Philippine game industry is not one to be underestimated."

For Psychic City Games founders Nissie Arcega and Andrei Fernandez, PGDX showcased the strength and the growing number of the local game development scene.

“Yung pinaka important na nakita ko is the fact that there was a real strong sense of community sa Indie Game area. Prior to this, not a lot of events feature a wide variety of indie game devs. It's one of the few times that the community get to see each other. Iba rin kasi pag nagkikita in person. These conventions give us a chance to do so,” said Arcega.

“There were quite a lot of indie games na first time kong makita and I've attended a couple of conventions before. San sila galing? I really think it’s helpful in a way, it really highlights the game development side na hindi lang siya after thought of other conventions na primarily focused on gaming and esports.” added Fernandez.

That sense of camaraderie was also the highlight of PGDX for Joyce Ting, CEO of Caracoa, the developer behind Pearls of Asia, a business simulator game set in the Philippines’ that feature many of the country’s rich culture and resources.

“It was nice to see an entire community of game developers and fellow players as well. It's gives me and the team hope na we're not alone in our struggle, in our challengers. It shows the camaraderie in building the ecosystem here in the Philippines. I hope in the future, di lang puro US, Japan, Korea, pati tayo na rin mafeature or makilala as game creators,” said Ting.

With the success of PGDX, Calma hopes that events like this will help push the local game development industry to new heights.

“The event was well received but what happens next? We have to plan the next step, how to make it better. Maybe not bigger, ‘di naman ibig sabihin bigger ka, better ka. We’re not selling tickets here, we're selling the experience. Ayaw namin na masyadong crowded sa loob, na wala kang time to go around and to try out the different games. What we offer here is the experience and for the developers to really have a platform to promote their games,” said Calma.