E-Games to operate NBA's Phl website

MANILA, Philippines - Online gaming firm IP E-Game Ventures Inc. (E-Games) has inked a deal that would allow it to operate the Philippine website of the National Basketball Association (NBA) in the hope of capitalizing on the popularity of the sport.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, E-Games said it signed a content license and distribution agreement with NBA Properties Inc., which operates the various commercial activities of NBA worldwide.

The NBA’s Philippine website is suited for Filipinos with a deep passion for basketball, the company said.

The NBA’s popularity appears to be peaking given the influx of spectacular talent in the league. Numerous blockbuster trades involving big names also made headlines and changed the NBA landscape.

Last September, E-Games further solidified its position in the Internet café business with the purchase of Webworx, owner and operator of the CyBr brand. The purchase gives E-Games a total of 160 Internet cafes, making it the largest Internet café operator in the country.

CyBr is the most prominent brand of Internet cafes in the Philippines focused on servicing the online gaming community. Its services offered consist of computer renting, printing & photocopying, and network and online gaming.

E-Games is ranked as the leading online games publisher in the Philippines and holds top MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role playing game) titles such as RAN Online, Cabal Online, and Presidential Award recipient Korean game, Granado Espada. Other titles include high-fantasy MMORPG Runes of Magic and Korean adventure games such as Dragonica and Nostale Online.