Philippines Bootcamp

The Philippines Games Market Bootcamp

The Philippines, whose 43 million gamers spent $572 million on games last year, is currently the world’s 25th biggest market by game revenues, according to Newzoo.

Join us at the Philippines Games Market Bootcamp to get first-hand insight into the market situation and trends. Hear from prominent local experts to gain their know-how about the gaming ecosystem in the Philippines – find out who are the key players, what are the regulations, where are the opportunities.

This event is part of gamescom asia ‘Games Market Bootcamp’ series – a digital initiative to provide comprehensive insight into new, often under-explored markets in Asia Pacific.

Alvin Juban, President, Game Developers Association of the Philippines (GDAP)

Alvin Juban hails from the Business side of Synergy88 Digital Inc., the first Microsoft Certified Art Provider for AAA games from the Philippines. He has a lifetime experience in various fields of production and over a decade in games. He is also a former board member of the Animation Council of the Philippines and still the Creative Services Industry Champion (Private Sector) of the Board of Investments. Alvin is also the decade long President and Chairman of the Game Developers Association of the Philippines – a true advocate of the entire Philippine Creative Ecosystem.

Darang Candra, Director for Southeast Asia Research, Niko Partners

Darang S. Candra has worked with an array of research institutions including ASEAN Study Center of the University of Indonesia, Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, Horizon Intelligence, and the Economist Intelligence Unit. Darang also has two master’s degrees, a Master of International Affairs from University of California, San Diego and a Master of Chinese Studies from Zhejiang University. He is based in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Andro Baluyut, CEO, GameOps

Andro Baluyut is an entrepreneur that serves as the Philippine Board of Investments’ (BOI) Private Sector Industry Champion for the country's video game industry. He had led the country's "GameDev Philippines" initiative that capitalizes on the country's advantages in English proficiency, westernized culture and labor costs, and turn the Philippines into the ideal destination for video game development. Through his own company, GameOps, Andro has supported live operations and quality assurance for international online games for more than 10 years. He is also a former board member of the Game Developer Association of the Philippines.

Walter De Torres, Founding Partner, PixelMafia

Walter de Torres is a 19-year veteran of the video games industry and the co-founders of Pixel Mafia, a premiere art development studio located in the Philippines. Prior to this, he was a Principal at Microsoft Studios and held the position of the Director of Production for the Gears of War franchise. He was also previously the Group Development Director at Electronic Arts where he led the development teams that shipped titles like Madden, FIFA, Medal of Honor, Sims, Tiger Woods, Fight Night and Need for Speed.

Ria Lu, Executive Director, Game Developers Association of the Philippines (GDAP)

Ria Lu is the Executive Director of the GDAP and Founder of Komikasi Games and Entertainment. She is active in the development efforts of the Philippine Game Industry and is particularly involved in its talent development efforts.

Robert Vincent Yatco, Editor-in-Chief, UnGeek

Robert Vincent Yatco is the editor-in-chief of UnGeek, one of the biggest Geek and Gaming sites in the Philippines. Robert is a gamer at heart, and a marketer and strategist by trade.

Ronald Schaffner, Founder & President, Secret 6

Ronald Schaffner is a veteran in the Philippine game development scene, who has shaped Secret 6 from the art outsourcing studio he founded in 2005, to an established full game development service. His background encompasses over 20 years in tech and business, including his past tenure as the Director of New Business Development at Sony Computer Entertainment America.

Emile Tanglao, VP of Business Development, Rumble Royale

Emile Tanglao was previously the Head of Rumble Royale's Talent Management and Acquisition Department, with over 10 years of experience in the production and talent industry and a lifelong love for gaming and content.

Felipe Velez, Game Designer & Head Organizer, Indie Fiesta

Felipe (Flip) Velez has worked in various facets of game development from game designing to project management. He also contributes to the local indie scene by bringing together indie developers in the annual Indie Fiesta event.

Pontus Mähler, Director of Business Development, Global Top Round

Pontus Mähler has over 10 years of experience in the gaming and esports space. He was formerly the CEO of Neolution E-Sport, as well as a game designer, advisor, content creator, streamer, entrepreneur and a pro Dota 2 gamer, sponsored by Denial eSports, Logitech, Cooler Master, Twitch, HyperX, Nvidia, Biostar and more. He currently manages the GTR and G. Rounds' Thailand office, and is responsible for investments, internal operations and global partnerships.