IPVG brings casual gaming to mainstream TV

MANILA, Philippines - Listed information technology and gaming firm IPVG Corp. is entering television to bring its casual gaming business into the mainstream, a move seen as a new opportunity to flourish and strengthen its lead in the local interactive gaming industry.

In a filing with securities regulators, IPVG unit IP e-Game Ventures Inc. said it is working with GMA New Media Inc. (GNMI), the digital media arm of broadcasting firm GMA Network Inc., to promote casual games via TV and “make casual gaming a mainstream activity.”

The move is part of a strategy to expand into new platforms and recruit new players from the television viewing public.

In 2008, IP e-Game and GMNI set up a 50-50 joint venture called I-Play Inc. which aims at evolving and promoting casual online gaming and digital content development, especially with the convergence of traditional and digital media.

“We will have access to the website development, talents and advertising spots of GMA,” IP e-Game said.

Casual games, by definition, are games that everyone can play. There are no special skills or devices you need to play.

They also provide some kind of therapy as games help people to relax and forget about everyday’s problems.

“We believe casual games will be the key growth driver for the online games industry through the introduction of titles with mainstream appeal,” IP e-Game said.

IP e-Game said it aims to capture 70 percent of the casual games market and attract a large portion of non-gamers to try and regularly play its games.

In comparison to massively multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPGs), casual online games are easier to play, and are targeted at a mass audience.

 IP e-Game’s casual game portfolio includes O2 Jam and Audition, the most popular casual game in the world in 2009 according to Redbana US Corp., the North American publisher of Audition, and is the most often played casual game in the Philippines based on a study conducted by AE Research Exponents Inc. in August 2008.

The company plans to launch two casual games, BandMaster and Super Star Online within the first quarter of the year.

It also plans a massive relaunch initiative for Audition and the rolling out of Episode 2 of the game.

IP e-Games competes with operators of offline games, including PC games, console games, arcade games and handheld games, as well as other forms of traditional online entertainment.

IP e-Game will mark its debut on the Philippine Stock Exchange today with the introductory listing of 33.545 million common shares with an indicative reference opening price of P50 each share.

“With our access to the capital markets, we are well positioned to further grow the company by continuously investing in our content pipeline and publishing infrastructure. We hope to attract our gaming community to participate in the stock market,” said Enrique Gonzalez, chief executive officer of IP e-Game.

“Due to the dynamism of the online games industry, we believe our company will be an extremely exciting share issue for the investing public to watch and track,” Gonzalez added.

Since it started operations in 2006, IP e-Game launched five MMORPGs and four casual games in the Philippine market. It has 28 main distributors with a network spanning approximately 20,000 outlets such as Internet cafes, independent kiosks, mini-carts and computer shops.