Organized by the International Game Developer’s Association (IGDA) Manila in partnership with UP ITTC, the Manila Game Jam is part of the Global Game Jam where game lovers and developers race against time to create a game in just two days.

Here’s the official PR from IGDA Manila:

Manila Game Jam 2011 was organized by IGDA Manila in partnership with UP ITTC. The event had more than 80 participants, have formed 18 teams and produced more than 20 games! Among these submissions, Speck made it to the Top Ten games on GameSauce Challenge. You can check out the MGJ site for the other games that we have featured.

This year, we’ve partnered with DevCon Philippines, UP ITTC and DLS-CSB hoping to make this year the best and largest MGJ event to date! We would now be having two game sites to choose from to accommodate more participants and share this game making experience with others. You can learn more about the game jam locations by visiting the registration page.

Similarly from last year, a one day game making seminar will be held on January 20, a week prior to the Game Jam. Talks will be given by previous jam participants, discussing their game-making experience, tips and tricks on how to churn out a game in 48 hours. This seminar is open for all aspiring game developers and will also serve as an orientation for the participants.

We’re fortunate to have the support of our awesome sponsors this year: Manila Game Jam 2012 is being co-presented by Boomzap, Nokia and Accenture, with additional sponsorship from Microsoft, Anino Games, Proudcloud, Zachtronics Industries, Introversion Software, Casual Connect, Globe Labs, Unity 3D, Webgeekph.com and Spot.ph! *whew*. Our sponsors have not only helped us in organizing this event, but they’ve also graciously offered to provide amazing prizes for this year’s participating teams!

All updates regarding the event will be posted on the Manila Game Jam website, as well as on the IGDA Manila’s website. Bookmark these pages for future updates. You may also join the IGDA Manila Facebook Group to keep yourself posted on announcements.

Thanks, and let’s make this year’s jam the best! See you there!

The Human Bingo game was a great ice breaker that encouraged everyone to mingle. It was a fun way to interact with officemates—and even the bosses—all of whom were wearing silly wigs. Everyone joined in the challenge of completing cards that featured descriptions instead of the usual numbers. They needed to find people who fit into the specific requirements like “a good singer”, “wore a black shirt”, and “have braces”. The goal was to ask for the signature of these individuals and complete the card in the shortest time possible.

Another contest than made everyone really competitive was Santa’s Sack where contestants had to complete a bizarre list of things (girlfriend or boyfriend’s photo, receipt, shoe lace, etc.)

Before the party started, there were only 5 people who agreed to join the singing contest, but as the night wore on, more people stepped up to the mic. FunGuy Studio’s CEO Graeme Warring awarded the giant cheque to Joel, the winner of FunGuy’s Got Talent contest who also happened to be a dead ringer for Hangover’s Zach Galifianakis

Snagging the Best Wig award was lead developer Pietro Jamlig who didn’t spend a dime on his Son Goku-inspired headdress. Bringing home the award for winning the Human Bingo challenge was Gem Muzones, our resident awesome copywriter. (Photographed with Robert Johnson of 2XL and Darwin Tardio FunGuy Studio’s COO)

The biggest award of the night was handed out to Team Brazil for their creative Christmas in Brazil decoration in their corner of the office. The party was a fun proof of how the FunGuy Studio game developers, web designers, programmers, copywriters and online marketers are not just good at what they do—they also know how to party! It was definitely a psychedelic good time!

As FunGuy Studio Co-Founder and GDAP President Darwin Tardio said in a recent feature on the present and future of game development in the Philippines, “The local industry is very small right now and we’re trying to get a bigger share of the market. It’s booming, and can be lucrative. When GDAP started there were only four member companies. Now, three to four years later, there are 22 companies working on a lot of game projects, many of them big ones.”

Apart from the growing number of game development companies in the country, existing businesses are moving forward and forging partnerships with established global companies. One such game development company in the Philippines is Makati-based Filipino gaming studio FunGuy, which recently announced its team up with Phoenix-based 2XL games.

FunGuy Studio is known in the Philippines for developing successful Massively Multiplayer Online Games and mobile and web apps for leading Filipino companies and media outlets. It directly employs around 30 staff in its gaming division and over 100 across its other businesses at present. The joint venture aims to generate up to 100 additional jobs over the next 24 months.

According to CEO Robert Johnson, when 2XL made the decision to expand into Asia, it looked at openings in China, Korea, Singapore and the Philippines. But it was the outstanding combination of talent and great communication that triggered their decision to focus on the Philippines.

There’s definitely a lot to look forward to in the coming year for the game development industry.

FunGuy Studio Co-Founder and GDAP President, Darwin Tardio spearheaded the festival by delivering the welcome remarks. The two-day festival provided insight into the current state of the online games development industry and its future. Students and game developers also had the chance to expand their knowledge and skills through various lectures and workshops. The wide range of topics offered technical know-how on online games development. Industry experts, including FunGuy talents Richard Matey and Kevin Codamon, imparted their valuable knowledge and wisdom on game development during the discussions.

Richard Matey is senior game designer for FunGuy Studio. His lecture was about 3D modeling and animation for online games. Richard tackled the rapidly changing field of online games. He also gave a walkthrough of the 3D tools and processes that FunGuy projects use, as well as his thoughts on the future of 3D development.

FunGuy Studio project manager, Kevin Codamon gave a talk on MMORPG and Virtual World Flash Game Production. A crucial part of online games development, Kevin discussed the stages of production of flash-based MMO, including the insights gained by FunGuy Studio in such endeavours. To describe the company’s vision, he quoted legendary game designer Sid Meier who said, “Our approach to making games is to find the fun first and then use the technology to enhance the fun.” He also provided a sneak peek of the new features of the new version of SqwishLand.com.

FunGuy Studio was also one of the exhibitors at the Game Development Festival, showcasing its latest projects such as various mobile apps and games. As a leader in the game development in the Philippines, the company believes in supporting events that help the industry reach greater heights. The Philippine game development industry has a huge potential and FunGuy Studio is eager to do its share to help the industry achieve this. The 2011 Philippine Game Development Festival was a huge success and FunGuy Studio was proud to have been a part of it.

The game developers took a break from their computers and partied for the spookiest day of the year. As they say, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy—and here at FunGuy Studio, we are anything but dull.

Apart from producing educational and fun online games for kids, the FunGuy Studio family also uses its extensive list of talents for entertaining and enjoying lively activities that boost the company’s morale and camaraderie. This year, the main event is the costume competition. After forming their groups and choosing their own theme, the studio was filled with interesting and captivating creatures as everyone came dressed to impress. An enticing prize awaits the winning group, so each team readily gave their best.

Game development is a very dynamic field fueled by creativity and imagination. To keep our ideas fresh and innovative, the company recognizes the need for its employees to engage in enjoyable activities. These activities not only help relax the mind, but also give us the opportunity to think outside the box. Furthermore, it allows us to use our creative juices in areas outside of game development. It also gives the game developers a chance to collaborate on something else besides work.

Since the event is a group competition, teamwork is an important key to win. Teamwork is also vital in game development. A lot of factors are needed to produce an online game and each member of the team contributes to make the game engaging and educational for the kids. Because of this, we at FunGuy Studio strive to make our working environment as healthy and fun as possible. We ensure that good working relationships are maintained among our employees to make it easier for them to give their best.

FunGuy Studio is a global game development company. It specializes in creating virtual worlds, casual Flash-based games, mobile apps and Facebook games. Founded in 2006, FunGuy Studio is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona and has strategic locations in the Philippines and Australia.

Photo credit: Apple.com

For game developer companies like FunGuy Studio, Jobs paved the way for great innovations in the gaming industry. He revolutionized the gaming world by creating a huge market for mobile gaming. He changed the way people live by making the personal computer and putting the fun in functional smartphones. Instead of seeing the demand for mobile, tablet and flash-based games as a threat to the online gaming industry, FunGuy Studio along with other companies, regarded it as an opportunity for platform migration.
Jobs was focused on creating simple and easy-to-use machines and software that helped make gaming fully accessible for everyone. Apple’s App Store changed the game industry forever with its vast selection of game titles that can be easily downloaded with just a few taps of one’s finger.

Jobs has a life story worth retelling. He was given up for adoption as an infant and raised by his adoptive parents. He was a prodigy who dropped out in college and built the first truly personal computer called Apple with his childhood friend, Steve Wozniak, in the late 1970s in his parent’s garage. By 25, he was a multi-millionaire and was the cover of Time magazine at 26. He was fired from Apple in 1984 but was brought back in in 1996 when Apple purchased NeXT, computer platform development company he founded. He became CEO of Apple in 1997 and the rest was history.

The Silicon Valley icon stepped down as the chief executive of Apple on August 24, 2011 but remained as a chairman of the multi-billion dollar company. He was succeeded by Chief Operating Officer, Tim Cook.

Hosted by University of the Philippines Information Technology Training Center (UP ITTC), Y4IT brings together students, faculty, IT practitioners and enthusiasts, government officials, national leaders and prominent IT personalities from all over the country and the world to discuss and share knowledge about current IT trends. Attended by no less than 23,000 delegates, Y4IT is an important event for every college IT student in the Philippines.

FunGuy Studio’s Tardio and Codamon shared the country’s status in online game development for the discussion on Mobile and Online Game Development. They also shared their knowledge with the youth participants on how to enter a career in game design.

FunGuy Studio, the game developer of the virtual world SqwishLand.com is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona with a design studio based in the Philippines. The company focuses on casual massively multiplayer online (MMO) games, creating a platform for high-quality games and premium content through subscription, free-to-play and micro-transaction models. It aims to enrich products and services by combining online and mobile applications which customers love, while at the same time enhancing the value in the product and increasing sales.

FunGuy Studio creates highly engaging games for different platforms, which includes mobile and PC. It also specializes in making virtual worlds, Flash-based casual games, Facebook games, iPhone, iPad and Android apps.
The company offers end-to-end game services—from conceptualization to development, to implementation and after-support. The company has the capability to launch a fully fictional virtual world in a development period of less than 6 months. In addition, FunGuy Studio’s proprietary game engines, which are included in the client packages, help the company in fast tracking development and ensuring clients of quick and high-valued returns.
The FunGuy Studio research and development group is comprised of more than 50 designers, producers, programmers, artists, sound engineers and game support specialists. Each FunGuy staff is a hardcore gamer, giving the company invaluable insight into product development for gamers.

September started on a positive note for FunGuy Studio when we attended the recently concluded The Game Xpo (TGX) 2011 in Singapore. Together with FunGuy lead developer Titony Sarmiento participated in the three-day event which is known as Asia’s most comprehensive games expo. The annual event brings together game developers, publishers and gaming enthusiasts from around the region showcasing the latest offerings from the gaming industry.

While the event primarily featured exhibits and game tournaments, it also paved the way for the SAGA Summit, a gathering of Asia-Pacific game association presidents, representatives and their members which has been an annual event since 2007. The SAGA Summit also allowed us to visit game studios and a technology provider around Singapore including Magma Studios, IAH Games, and Tata Communications.

The SAGA Summit was a two-day program with day two’s events incorporated into TGX Connects for better synergy and to leverage crossover attendance from the international communities. TGX Connects is the dedicated business-to-business matchmaking event that allowed for one-on-one meetings with potential partners that come from the entire spectrum of the gaming industry.

Apart from the opportunity to touch base and establish new ties during TGX Connects, the afternoon of day two was dedicated to a round-table discussion exclusive to the major players in the Asia-Pacific game industry. I was fortunate enough to represent the Philippines in the said discourse which involved other representatives from Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Korea, and Japan. During the round-table discussion, we exchanged ideas about the challenges and opportunities that the regional game industry is facing.

I was also one of the resource speakers in the panel discussion attended by game companies from different countries. Among the major interests is outsourcing game development to the Philippines because they recognize the talents and potential of our country as a game development hub in this region. During the discussions, the idea of creating a portal where the representatives from these countries can share information regarding the Asia pacific game industry was also brought up. Other future plans included organizing more events and partnerships to further solidify the gaming industry in the region.

It was definitely a productive and meaningful two days for us because the expo enabled us to expand our network and build more connections with other game development companies. The event also allowed us to gain a better insight into the status of other Southeast Asian countries in comparison to the Philippines’ gaming industry. In the dialogues, we learned that the Philippines and Indonesia have an advantage in terms of manpower for design and creative talent. The cost of service in these countries is just about average compared to Southeast Asian countries and Western companies still consider the Philippines as one of the top outsourcing destinations in the world.

We, at FunGuy Studio are definitely looking forward to other events like the TGX 11 where we can share our expertise and expand our network. As FunGuy Studio continues to produce high-quality games and premium content, we will likewise continue improving on our techniques, expanding our knowledge and learning from the best minds in the gaming industry.

“I started programming when I was in high school and started playing games, ever since I’ve been addicted to it”, Tardio tells ShopTalk. Turning his gaming hobby into a career, Tardio founded FunGuy Studio 4 years ago with his partner, Graeme Warring, President and CEO of the gaming company.

An active member of the Game Developers Association of the Philippines (GDAP), FunGuy Studio continues to promote and support the gaming industry in the Philippines. When asked what sets Pinoys apart in the gaming development industry, Tardio said, “Pinoys are passionate about gaming and we know the western culture that is helpful in converting concepts into a game”. With so much potential, the gaming industry in the Philippines isn’t that far from reaching the great heights that international game developers have already built.

FunGuy Studio is not your ordinary game developer company, producing fun and educational games catered for kids, its latest and biggest game; Sqwishland.com is a tie up between online gaming and real toys with special codes. “We have minigames for math skills and memory games targeted for kids. We have the toys and a site where Sqwishland toys come to life,” said Tardio.

Focusing on casual massively multiplayer online (MMO) game by creating a platform for high-quality games and premium content through subscription, free-to-play and micro-transaction models, FunGuy Studio enriches products and services by combining toy products, online and mobile applications. The company specializes in making virtual worlds, Flash-based casual games, Facebook games and iPhone/iPad apps.

Aside from Sqwishland, FunGuy Studio also produced ActionJetz, Camp TreeHouse, and Financial Villains. The company has the capability to launch a fully fictional virtual world in under 6 months development period.

To keep up with the trend and the fast-paced Internet generation, the company is also targeting to invade other venues in the Internet like Facebook to release social network-based games as expansion of their virtual worlds. Recently, FunGuy Studio released mobile apps for Sqwishland like Sqwishlander Rush, SqwishFinder and SqwishConnect.

FunGuy Studio is headquartered in Phoenix, AZ, with strategic base of operation located in the Philippines and Australia.

The program aims to uphold FunGuy Studio’s social-responsibility to share its resources and talent to teach kids about the fast-growing world of game development. Alongside their continuing effort to promote and support the gaming industry in the Philippines, several lucky high school and college students were chosen to be trained by the company’s game designers and developers. Free of charge, the program will run for 4 months, covering 3 hours every Saturday.

Providing one on one hands-on tutorial, the participants will be taught the ropes on game development, focusing on basic Flash animation and actionscripting. As well as in game design by allowing them to provide suggestions and creative input on the design aspect.

For the whole course of the program, the participants will be working on a minigame that once completed, will be published by FunGuy Studio to either one of its virtual worlds or through Flash game portals.

FunGuy Studio’s COO and Co-Founder, Darwin Jerome Tardio said that the program is set to promote game development among students and increase the talent pool in this industry. Students who excel will be hired by the company.

FunGuy Studio enriches products and services by combining toy products, online and mobile applications which customers love, enhancing value in the product and increasing sales.

The company focuses on casual massively multiplayer online (MMO) game by creating a platform for high-quality games and premium content through subscription, free-to-play and micro-transaction models.

A global game development and design company with focus on creating highly engaging games for different platforms, which includes mobile and PC, FunGuy Studio specialized on making virtual worlds, Flash-based casual games, Facebook games and iPhone/iPad apps.

FunGuy Studio offerings include end-to-end game services from conceptualization to development, from implementation to after-support. FunGuy Studio’s track record of developing and publishing highly engaging and market-focused games, spans half a decade, and various virtual world for kids launched in web space which includes Sqwishland®, ActionJetz®,  and several mobile and social network games. The company has the capability to launch a fully fictional virtual world in under 6 months development period. In addition, FunGuy Studio’s proprietary game engines, which are included in the client packages, help the company in fast tracking development, ensuring client of quick and high-valued returns.

The FunGuy Studio research and development group comprises more than 30 designers, producers, programmers, artists, sound engineers and game support specialists. Each FunGuy staff is a hardcore gamer, giving the company invaluable insight into creating products for gamers.

Headquartered in Phoenix, AZ, with strategic base of operation located in Philippines and Australia, FunGuy Studio was founded in 2006 by President and CEO, Graeme Warring, and Vice President and COO, Darwin Tardio.