Information technology and communications company IPVG Corp. (PSE:IPVG) and its subsidiary IP E-Games Ventures Inc. (IP E-Games) has partnered with Singapore-based regional gaming firm Infocomm Asia Holdings (IAH).
Under the agreement, IP E-Games becomes the exclusive publisher and distributor of exciting IAH titles including the multi-awarded "Granada Espada" ("G.E"), a triple-AAA title developed by Hakkyu Kim, the recognized "father to Korean online games" and creator of Ragnarok.
The partnership takes both IP E-Games and IAH further into the rapidly growing Philippine market for Massively Multiplayer Online Game (MMOG) and Massively-Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPG) alongside other IP E-Games titles such as Ran Online, Battle Royale and Supreme Destiny.
"Our partnership with IAH and the introduction of G.E into the Philippine market is a major milestone for both our company and the local gaming industry. With G.E, and IAH, we can assure Filipino gamers a continued stream of leading triple-AAA titles. This is in line with our vision of giving local gamers playing experience on par with other countries such as Korea and China," says Enrique Gonzalez, CEO of IPVG.
According to the IPVG CEO, "We believe and support IAH's vision of 'One Market, One Asia'. Though online gaming will continue to be a dynamic industry, leading operators must view this business from a regional perspective. As an online content business, we are 'boundary-less'. Our alliance with IAH not only provides us a pipeline of quality games for the Philippine market, it also means that we join ranks with Asia's leading game publishers. This places IPVG and IPE in a unique position in the Philippine market."
IAH for its part secured more than $14 million in funding, making it one of the most well-funded online games start-up in the region. It also recently acquired exclusive region-wide rights to top-rated MMORPGs Granado Espada and Hellgate: London from Korean online games publisher HanbitSoft, an unprecedented move that puts the company at the top of its game. IAH principal investors include The9 (NASDAQ listed) a China based gaming operator, IDA (telecommunications arm of the Singapore Government) and CommerzBank. IAH has also recently secured funding commitments from GigaMedia and SoftBank's Bodhi Investments bringing the total invested in IAH to over USD 23 Million.
In the Philippines, online gaming is likewise seeing explosive growth since it first hit its peak in 2003. The country's online gaming population of 3.2 million gamers is expected to increase to 11 million by 2010. With the steady progression of local Internet infrastructure, the Philippines is seen to become one of the most lucrative and highly valued market for online gaming.
Steve Tsao, President/COO of IP E Games says "We will continue to launch leading triple-AAA titles in the Philippines which will elevate the quality of game play for local gamers. We will only be limited by the appreciation and imagination of our online gaming subscriber base for new genres.
IAH and IPE offers game developers a highly sophisticated and well entrenched game publishing infrastructure. The same infrastructure offers gamers in S.E Asia a reliable and dynamic entertainment platform."
With the partnership between IPVG and IAH, local gamers will be able to experience more Asian-made virtual worlds. As the competition heats up to open more spectacular and breathtaking virtual worlds, more heart-pounding fights among virtual characters, and a more exhilarating overall experience, Philippine game publishers will be faced with more grueling real-world competition.