Arcade fire

Make no bones about it. American game software developer Eric Marlow, who heads Matahari Studios, has arguably the best job in the world. You see, Marlow plays video games for a living.

"I love playing simulation and real-time strategy video games," says Marlow, who has been working in the interactive entertainment industry since ’99. "So, it was an easy transition for me when I started making game software. It’s always fun to say I play games for a living."

What are his top video games of all time?

"Well, not to be biased, but the Falcon Flight Simulator – a game I worked on – is one of my all-time favorites. Great details. The Age of Empires is another classic because you could do a lot of different things. I will always come back to those two games."

Marlow was doing technology strategies for big companies in the States after attending college in Kentucky when he started playing video games and enjoying that quite a lot. "Some friends of mine formed a quality-assurance company for games. In other words, we checked other people’s games for bugs. I worked on simulations and console games. And now I’m developing arcade games for Matahari."

Matahari Studios – a Jakarta-based company that recently set up its office here in Manila – is part of Leisure and Allied Industries (LAI) Games. The company develops next-generation games for Timezone, as well as game titles for the overseas arcade market.

As for the most popular games in our neck of the woods… "Looking at the Timezone numbers, the shooting games are the more popular ones – such as House of the Dead 4 and Time Crisis, as well as prize-vending games like Stacker and Lighthouse," says Marlow.

Predictably, the singing and dancing games are also top attractions among Filipinos. Which says a lot about our culture (sprinkled with juicy tidbits like the obligatory grappling with the microphone for the right to sing My Way, or drunkenly singing Bread songs over gin bulag).

"Timezone even installed karaoke booths, where you could use your Powercards, choose songs and perform with your friends," he says.

According to Marlow, Matahari wants to look into any kind of game that allows players to interact musically. "Maybe we could put up a game that allows you to form your own band – one guy plays guitar, the other guy plays drums, and another guy can play tambourine."

Wait. Maybe create a House of the Dead game with singing involved. This would scare karaoke singers shitless: blasting zombies while crooning My Heart Will Go On.

"That’s pretty far out," answers Marlow with a laugh.

Put Your Game Face On

"We set up shop in the Philippines in February this year. We actually are looking to hire artists, programmers, and team designers. We would like to find great talent and get them onboard. Aspiring video-game artists could check out our website for more information," says Marlow.

He adds that there are courses in the States that offer a complete four-year university degree for video-game development – if you want to be a programmer, a producer, or an artist. Which is not the case in the Philippines.

"We have been working with local universities – Ateneo, UP, La Salle, FEU and others – in improving their game development curriculum. We sit down with schools that are interested and tell them what areas to improve on."

Next year, Matahari Studios is sponsoring a game-development competition. He says, "We are going to ask students to form their own teams and submit their own computer games. Also, we’re going to have a computer arts competition. That would allow us to see who the key players are in game development. We’re always on the lookout for new and original concepts. We can’t just remake the next version of House of the Dead."

What is his take on critics who say that spending too much time on video games is bad for kids?

"It comes down to good parenting," he says. "As a parent, you should be able to set for your kids the proper time for playing and studying. As a game developer, I don’t want to create games that would be considered dirty, rude, or totally gross, which would expand the bounds of what people are used to – like a cop-killing game. I don’t want to get involved in something like that."

Marlow explains how a video game is created at Matahari Studios. First, they exchange ideas about possible games to develop. They circulate a paper called a concept development document, and then narrow the choices down to three or four that have potential. A game engine – a software code that controls the graphics, sound and artificial intelligence – is then created. They then modify it, add their own enhancements – cars, or tracks, or guns, or lasers, depending on what the game is all about.

They also set up a box in the corner of the arcade, let people play it, and then ask for their opinions on it.

"We follow an interactive process. We start with a really simple game and then enhance it over time. For us, feedback plays a really essential part (in developing games)."

Marlow says input from his Timezone partners is also very important. "That’s a competitive advantage for us. We got two organizations – Timezone and Matahari Studios – working for the same company. That is the key element of being here (in the Philippines)."

By the way, the office of Matahari Studios is right next to Robinsons Galleria, which has a Timezone branch. So, Marlow could go there anytime and play arcade games in aid of (ahem) "research" – all part of his job description, of course.

Didn’t I tell you Eric Marlow has the best job in the world?

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For information, check out www.mataharistudios.com.