Belated happy birthday again to GM Tristan! Cheers!

MMOsite: Hello, Jake, thanks for taking our interview. To start, can you say hello and introduce yourself and Level Up! to our readers?

Jake San Diego: Hi to the beautiful people who belong to the mmosite.com community. I’m Jake San Diego, Marketing Director for Level Up! Phils. Inc. We are the ones who pioneered MMORPG’s in the Philippines through the introduction of Ragnarok Online in 2003. We are currently the leading game publisher in the country with 7 titles in our game portfolio.

MMOsite: Welcome to China, and what is your impression of this year’s ChinaJoy? Have you achieved your goals for attending the sixth ChinaJoy?

Jake San Diego: Well it’s my first time in China and I must say I was really impressed. Not only with the number of game companies who showcased their games, but more so with the intensity and passion of the Chinese online gaming community. Braving 38 degrees Celsius under the heat of the sun to line up outside of the Shanghai Convention Center is no mean feat.

I would say that we as a team were able to achieve our goals for coming to CHinajoy. We’ve met the top game developers, checked out how they market their games in China and saw very interesting new contents.

MMOsite: Are there some criteria for you to select a title to distribute? At the 2008 ChinaJoy, did you find any interested title you will like to distribute? What will be the next title you’re planning to release in Philippine?

Jake San Diego: One basic criteria we have for selecting a game is the accessibility in terms of game specs. That’s why we are very keen on going to China as any game that works in China will work in the Philippines because both countries would have the same internet infrastructure.

We definitely saw a lot of interesting titles there; our team of 5 people from our content group went to all the booths and tried out all the games during the convention’s first 2 days. However, we can’t say which titles we will be testing further when we get back home…for obvious reasons.

The next title we’re launching in OBT is actually a game made by Shanda (SNDA) of China, it’s Crazy Kart. We recently launched it’s official site and I hope all you guys visit it, it’s pretty cool (www.crazykart.ph). Our closed beta period is coming to an end this month and we’ll announce in the site when the OBT launch is in the next few days.

MMOsite: I noticed that most of your games are cute style MMOs such as Ragnarok, Rose and FlyFF. How do you describe the Philippine players?Do you think that Philippine players have a predilection for cute games?

Jake San Diego: That is true. With Ragnarok breaking through the mainstream and being accepted as part of pop culture, it definitely set the bar in terms of the art you would expect out of an online game. However, the past 2 years saw the growth in terms of popularity of games with the classic MMORPG style artwork. Games like RF Online and Perfect World displaying realistic character art now cater to the more hardcore, mature gamers.

MMOsite: Many people think that casual games can’t have a lot of hardcore gamers, but it seems that it’s different for Level Up!’s games. What’s the reason behind?

Jake San Diego: Casual games have definitely grown a lot in the country the past year. Mostly due to entry of new titles. Primarily, what drives the hardcore players in the game would be the tournaments that are done both locally, at the internet cafe level, and nationally, through events like Level Up! Live.

MMOsite: In your opinion, what contributed to the great success of Level Up! in Philippine? And what are your future prospects for Level Up!?

Jake San Diego: It helped a lot that we were the ones who started locally publishing games in the country. But personally, I think that what made Level Up! successful in the Philippines is that it has constantly remained true to it’s vision– which is to have a Level Up! Gamer in each and every Filipino household. This is the battlecry of all the employees of the company; from the people in charge of content who make sure we have a wide array of games for whatever type of gamer there is, to the people in marketing who spread the word, down to the people in the operations side of the business–all of whom espouse the age old business adage that the customers should always come first. Our main inspiration is seeing the Level Up! Community growing every single day.

Special thanks to Carolyn Chen, our PR Contact with MMOSITE, for arranging this interview. More power to MMOSITE! Cheers!

Wauks: Thanks for accepting this interview! I’m sure the readers of the blog are interested in knowing who the Marketing Director of Level Up is. Anyway, let’s get started. What was your job prior to joining Level Up?

Jake: Before working for Level Up, I was in advertising. I worked at 4 different ad agencies for a total of 8 years specializing in media planning and strategy. But my very first job straight out of college was for this trading firm who had mango puree from Cebu as one of its main products. A routine day for me then was standing in a Makati building cafeteria doing product sampling… that’s no bullshit. What interested me in it was the livelihood program we were pushing together with our products; we encouraged the underemployed to become entrepreneurs to augment their meagre incomes by selling our products and convincing their friends or families to do the same. I saw something noble in it back then; still do. Sadly the company didn’t make that much money so some of us new hires got retrenched. Coincidentally, that’s when one of the advertising agencies where I was able to drop my resume gave me a call.

Wauks: Interesting. What made you join Level Up? Wasn’t it a risk for you since you had a good career in advertising?

Jake: It wasn’t much of a risk since I really decided to call it quits from advertising. I had it with back to back days where I go home at 3am in the morning only to come to the office at 8am the next day since your work is not finished yet. At that time I was already starting my own family, my first daughter was about to come and I was so excited to become a dad that I just took a sabbatical leave from work for a year to be the one to take care of her.

When my second daughter arrived, that was when an ex-office mate from called if I wanted a job. Most of you would probably know her, Sheila Paul, she used to be the one who headed Marketing in Level Up! I already knew what the company was about because of my nephew who is an avid Ragnarok player. Sabi nya “sige tito Jake, tangapin mo!” To me, it sounded really exciting so I went for it. The rest is history.

Wauks: What were your thoughts when the merger was announced?

Jake: All I can think of was “oh f*#&! Our enemies are going to invade our sacred halls!” LOL. Seriously, before the merger it was thoroughly explained to us by LU management when the right time came to announce to the entire company. I won’t deny that there was this cloud of nervous anticipation in the air from both sides before the actual integration happened. But when it did, it was surprisingly smooth. I found out that there was hardly an adjustment needed as both companies have a lot of similarities, both in terms of operations and structure as well as the culture. It was also greatly aided by people from LU having friends from Netgames.

Wauks: What was the first thought in your mind when you heard that I was joining LU (since I’ve always been a critic when I was a player LOL)?

Jake: When I heard about you joining Netgames even before talks of the merger came, I thought, well he definitely hates us so I’m sure he’s going to find a lot of friends working for our competitor. *chuckle* When talks of the merger came, it didn’t really register that we will soon be officemates with one of Level Up’s most vocal detractors. That’s probably because it was overshadowed by the many possible repercussions due to the merger. That or… siguro kasi hindi ka pa naman talaga ganun kasikat kaya di ko naisip. Bwahahaha! But when the preparations for the merger came, most of the senior managers from both sides of the company were tasked to meet and facilitate an easy transition for both sets of staff. That’s when I got to talk to people from Netgames and in the course of our discussions your name came up. Thankfully for you they didn’t have anything bad to say.

Wauks: What’s your most memorable moment here at Level Up?

Jake: Charo Santos-Concio doing game trials at Level Up’s conference room. Yes, the host of Maalaala Mo Kaya and the current president of ABS-CBN. It came during the time we were talking to ABS CBN for Ragnarok the Animation in 2005. I actually met both Gabby Lopez and Ma’am Charo. I’ve been with the media department of 4 advertising agencies for 8 years and I haven’t gotten the chance to even come close to these two media icons. So you have to understand how surreal it was for me that just into my second year working for LU, a gaming company at that, that I was able to cross paths with them. Both were really cool individuals, very pleasant to deal with. To me it was a testament that people have started acknowledging gaming as a legitimate business here in the Philippines… and it was the next best thing to becoming a contestant in Game Ka Na Ba or that Wowowee segment with the giling-giling girls.

Wauks: Are you a gamer? What LU titles have you tried and what titles have you went on “addik” mode?

Jake: Of course it was Ragnarok that opened me up to the idea of playing in virtual worlds. When I was a kid I used to play the staple, old school Atari and Nintendo games until the wee hours of the morning. But it stopped when I went into high school and found out more about girls. Lolz. When I joined Level Up! as its Marketing Communications Manager in 2004, I had to immerse myself in the games and its communities in order for me to promote them better.

It was such a fun thing for me to do, imagine doing research by playing games. So it was not difficult for me to get to like playing all of Level Up’s games. In terms of being “adik mode” to particular titles, I can’t claim such an honor because I have to balance my playing time with work and family life. Right now, the game which takes most of my playing time is Perfect World. You of course know already that I also play WoW. But RO still holds a special place in my (gaming) heart. *sniff-sniff* ?

Wauks: What’s your response to the claims of some competitors who are saying that they are number 1?

Jake: All I can say to that is it is so easy to talk the talk, but can you walk the walk? One has to be really careful in making claims, you have to make sure you can back it up with hard, credible data.

One such claimant was in fact prohibited by the Advertising Board of the Phils. from continuing with their superiority claims in their ads for failing to prove that they are indeed number one. Level Up! on the other hand was able to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that Level Up! Live is the biggest online gaming event in the country. In doing so, advertising rules say that we hold that title for a year. And that is just one example, but it paves the way for us to continue proving that we are in it not just to be called number one, we are in it for the long haul. Kasi hindi kami nandirito para mangaya, we are here to create something out of nothing, to do more crazy stuff that nobody has ever heard before.

To put it plainly, Lance Armstrong didn’t become number 1 just by saying that “hey, I’m number 1.” He proved it in Tour de France… 7 consecutive times.

Wauks: Give three adjectives that embody Level Up as a company.

Jake: Innovative. True. Resilient*.

*this means that Level Up! is far from being a perfect company, but it will always strive to find solutions to problems it is faced with.

Wauks: Give three adjectives that describe Level Up as a work place.

Jake: Crazy. Fun. Crazy-fun.

Wauks: Do you have a message for all the LU Gamers reading this blog?

Jake: Sabi nga ng isang TV station, para sa amin, kayo ang tunay na number 1. Maraming, maraming salamat po sa suporta ninyo. Ang Level Up! ay naging Level Up! dahil sa inyo.

Like what I said earlier, we are far from perfect, pero makakaasa kayong gagawin namin ang lahat ng makakaya namin para sa inyo.

Keep playing Level Up! games!

Wauks: Do you have a message to all LU employees reading this blog?

Jake: To the beautiful people of Level Up!, even if it doesn’t seem so, I love you all. Let’s keep on pushing; let’s keep reaching for the stars. For it will only be through our combined strength that we will be able to achieve our goals.

Keep the faith! GO LEVEL UP!!!

Again, I’d like to thank Jake for agreeing to be part of the people I’ve interviewed for this blog! Maraming salamat and I look forward to working with you in the coming years.

Cheers!

Wauks: Hey Ric! Thanks for accepting the interview. To start off, can you tell us something about yourself? Where did you work prior to Level Up?

Ric: I was in the healthcare industry for the last 8 years. My last immediate employer was Johnson & Johnson.

Wauks: What made you decide to join Level Up?

Ric: Got tired of working mainly for the money and decided to try something out of the box. I’ve always wanted to work in the tech or entertainment industries. LU is a fusion of both, so it was a sufficiently off-the-wall choice. Luckily the finance and HR skill sets translate well across industries. I also liked The Boss (you previous interviewee) a lot during the interview so I ended up here. (Trust me, you tend to stay in a job because you like your boss, and you tend to leave a job because you don’t like your boss.)

Wauks: What’s it like working for Level Up compared to your previous job?

Ric: I wore a shirt and tie for eight years. Now I work in t-shirts and jeans. The job is still the job. The numbers still have to be made, the papers still have to be filed, and people still have to be taken care of. That’s constant regardless of where you work. What makes LU different is that I can speak Gamer with a lot of the folks here. (Though my team in finance and HR still need to learn how to game!) That was never true in any of the previous places that I worked.

Wauks: What games do you play?

Ric: I’m an omnivorous gamer. (A)D&D 2e is still the greatest game ever in my book. I was a Magic: the Gathering tourney player for several years. My current hobby is Eurogames, which are mainly German card and board games. I used to play console RPGs on the PS2 when I had the time. I still play fantasy sports (NBA, MLB, NHL, NFL) to this day. On the PC I prefer turn-based sims. For MMOs, my game is The Lord of the Rings Online. My favorite Level Up! game, I can’t talk about yet.

Wauks: As the HR Director, you get feedback from Level Up employees. Is there anything interesting about the comments you get that you can share with us?

Ric: Level Uppers are some of the most passionate and dedicated people I’ve had the pleasure of working with. Like all companies there are a lot of things that we can do better to make LU a great place to work. What makes me optimistic is that there a a lot of genuine friendships and shared interests here and that helps everyone through the inevitable difficult times at work.

Wauks: What’s your most memorable Level Up moment since you joined the company?

Ric: The day we looked at a bunch of games that seemed to be really great, but eventually turned them down because they didn’t fit some critical parameters that we’ve set for games that we license. That’s the I really learned to split my views between being a gamer and a game company exec. Sometimes the best-looking games have deal-breaking flaws that aren’t readily apparent to someone who doesn’t see what’s behind the magic curtain.

Wauks: What can you say to the readers of the blog who are interested in applying at Level Up?

Ric: LU is a very young company that needs good people. LU is the pioneer in a very lucrative industry that’s growing at a ridiculous pace both locally and worldwide. It’s got a unique culture that encourages individuality while still keeping everyone focused on achieving team goals. We work hard, but we damn well play hard. (A lot of companies say that, but few actually play as hard as they work. We do.) Waukster.com readers are by definition gamers, so if you have a skill set that you think would be valuable to LU, and you’re looking for a place that’s different from your usual Fortune 500 company or your everyday BPO/call center, drop us a line. I for one could really use people with strong finance and/or accounting backgrounds on my team. Stat.

Wauks: Do you have a message for the Level Up employees who are readers of this blog?

Ric:

Have faith folks. Think of each project at work as a 230-man instance. We can make it to the edge of night and back. We will not wipe. At the end of the day, we all turn off the computer and go home to our families and our beds and that makes the world alright.

-END INTERVIEW-

Thanks for accepting this interview offer Ric. We’re really glad to have you on board and we can’t wait to see what projects you have lined up for Level Up! Cheers!

For more interviews of Level Up employees, please CLICK HERE.

Wauks: Hi Ms. Jane! Thanks for accomodating this interview. To start off, how did you end up working for Level up Games?

Jane: Through ePLDT. it’s an industry that was alien to me and I was up for the challenge. My background is fast moving consumer goods or what we all call FMCG, from Dairy products to personal care. I’ve never been in entertainment so I thought how much fun it would be working for a gaming company. Another thing that attracted me back then was seeing the global landscape and how the likes of the U.S. and Korea have evolved, and how the Philippines could one day be a significant player.

Wauks: Are you a gamer? If so, what games do you play?

Jane: i’m a casual gamer and i have preference for simple or what we call mini games. i guess my lifestyle doesn’t allow for too much involvement so i go for games i can play and finish in 15-20 minutes. i like strategy games that are challenging yet entertaining. I didn’t have any preference for any platform but since my exposure to online games, it opened my eyes to another aspect of gaming — interaction. the same feeling i get when playing boardgames at home with friends and family. So I’m really looking forward to BE THERE.

Wauks: What’s your main motivation for working in an online gaming company?

Jane: What facinates me the most is innovation amidst endless possibilities of the online space. One can easily get lost but what arms Level Up is that intimate knowledge of the gamers.

Wauks: Can you give a clue on what are the new games that Level up will bring to the Philippines for 2008?

Jane: There are many games on our radar but we are very careful with our content selection so you can expect only the best. We are looking at acquiring at least 2. Nothing official as of yet. Suspense…

Wauks: Any update on Ragnarok 2?

Jane: We have no exact dates yet but all efforts and resources are being invested behind this game. it will be worth the wait I assure you.

Wauks: What will happen to Ragnarok 1 when Ragnarok 2 is released?

Jane: As mentioned before, Gravity and Level Up will continue to support RO1 and will be treated as an independent game with its own community. So much resources still awaits RO1. the players can expect more contents.

Wauks: What’s your reaction to the claims of your competitors about them being the number 1 online gaming company in the Philippines?

Jane: The adboard has spoken. The Adboard allows you to prove your case but as we all know, the claims could not be substantiated by our competitor. LU is very responsible in making claims. We have the most extensive monthly survey covering 9,000 cafes and more than 120,000 seats which is the closest you can get to a full blown audit. However, we know our limits so we use it for internal purposes.

Wauks: What’s your opinon about the sudden resurgence of Ragnarok Online? It’s 5 years old already but it’s still kicking!

Jane: Of course it was not a surprise given its loyal and huge fanbase. it’s phenomenal and no game has ever replicated what Ragnarok has achieved. It remains to be strong as it has the perfect combination of strong content, solid community and a very driven team behind the game!

Wauks: Do you have any message to all Level up gamers reading this interview?

Jane: Thank you for always being a part of the Level up! Community. You rock!

Wauks: Do you have any message to all Level up employees reading this interview?

Jane: To the Level Up! Family, you’re the best!

Again, I’d like to thank Ms. Jane for taking the time to answer my questions for this special interview. On a side note, let me just say that Jane is one of the best things that happened to not just Level Up, but to the industry. I look forward going to work everyday because of good bosses like her.

That’s a wrap! More updates, especially on Perfect World, later. :no1:

“It’s not like working. It’s fun… but sometimes stressful due to the pace. Nonetheless, where can you find work with games?!” – Mon Macutay (GM Tristan), Marketing Manager

“It’s like any job you feel passionate about. It’s harrowing, time consuming, and aggravating sometimes but you don’t mind it because it’s what you love.” -Marc Reyes (GM Garamond), Game Support Manager

“It’s just like heaven. Play all day to test the game for bugs. After which its time for handheld gaming… hahaha! Lovely.” -Chino, RF Online Game Manager

“Masarap, parang laging sabog. Aaahhhhh…” -RD, Freestyle Game Manager

“Stressful and challenging but a lot of fun! The workplace is so dynamic with lots of young people sharing the same passion – gaming. You can never find another company like this. It’s a gamer’s paradise.” -Dodge Ronquillo, Management Trainee

That’s a wrap for the second part of this series. FYI, we will be releasing an official statement regarding Baldur’s technical problems tomorrow (Monday). I know that we haven’t been making any clear statements about it but the team has been trying to fix it since the problem surfaced. Rest assured most, if not all of LU’s resources are dedicated to solving the bugs hounding Baldur and Valkyrie.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW PART 1

LU Management Team

LU CEO Jane Walker & Marketing Director Jake San Diego

LU CFO Ric Laig, New Media Director JC Medina, & CEO Jane Walker

GM Tristan

LU IT Head Paolo Pao

I loved the Tagaytay fresh air. It really takes out all the stress from you – both body and spirit. Now it’s back to the daily grind of the real world, hehe.

FYI – I’m launching a new series of posts that will talk about the gadgets that I personally own. This will be mostly composed on product reviews based on experience. You can find these posts on the Gadgets Section (lower part of the main page). Right now my review on the iPod Nano 3rd Gen is already up.

PS – No OT comments please. Thanks!

After the Baptism and the reception, Papaspy007 brought us to the Memorial Cross which was situated on top of Mt. Samat. The view was breathtaking, and it was really good therapy for me. I literally felt all the stress get drained from my body.

Here’s a picture of my former Shadow Circle guildmates horsing around:

You can actually go up the cross through an elevator! There’s an observation deck where you can fully see the view on top of the cross which was on top of the mountain. It was really an amazing feeling as you can really say that you were on top of the world. This is where the fun part begins. Behold, the RF BROKEBACKERS!

I’m not sure about this but according to Papaspy007, some of them are members of the Bellato Council in the Praxis Server. They’re all from the guild called “Immortals”. Why brokeback? Check this picture out.

:wah:

Anyway, enough of that, hehe. One of the cool things about the observation deck are the windows. When you open them, you really get pounded by the wind. Imagine a giant industrial fan in front of your face. Here’s a video of one of my former Shadow Circle guildmates getting blown away:

That’s it for now. I’ll post again later tonight when I have extra time. I’d like to thank papaspy007 for inviting me to be the godfather of his kid! Maraming salamat din sa mga tiga-RF na pinasaya ang buong Bataan, hahaha!

My personal top 10 favorites after the click!

10. ABS-CBN Wowowee Scandal
Arguably one of the hottest issues for 2007 in the entertainment industry! I can’t believe how many people fought it out in the comments section. This post goes to show that there are really die-hard Kapuso and Kapamilya loyalists out there.

9. Job Opportunity: Condom Testers
Now this one is definitely the most CONTROVERSIAL JOB OPENING for the year 2007! I know that a lot of the readers of this blog wanted to apply. Be careful though as this is a job opportunity in Thailand, wherein some “girls” are actually guys.

8. Ragnarok 2 Server Name Poll
I left Ragnarok Online after I was assigned to handle the initial stages of Ragnarok Online 2: Gate of the World. One of the very first things we did was to name the very first server that we’d launch here in the Philippines. Since there wasn’t a formal forum for that yet, we decided to do the contest here at Waukster dot Com. It’s sad that RO2 was delayed to mid 2008 but I’m sure it will ROK everyone’s world when it finally launches this year without the bugs and with more compelling content.

7. Maria Ozawa in Perfect World
Level-up! Games launched Perfect World this year and the game featured really cool customization for character creation. One of the promotions for PW was the Perfect Match event, wherein players submit their character screeshots modeled from celebrities. One of the winning entries was of Maria Ozawa! To those who don’t know who Maria Ozawa is, type her name on Google Search (Pictures). Lol. Good luck and enjoy.

6. Level-up! Employee Interviews
I did around 5-6 employee interviews and I plan on doing this more often in 2008. I’d like to thank all the managers who were game enough for the interviews! C.O.O. Sheila Paul, FlyFF Brand Manager Wudie Morales (GM Atma), Marc “GM Garamond” Reyes, ROSE/RO2 Community Manager Lilith, Mon “GM TRISTAN” Macutay, and our new C.O.O. Pet Syling. Thank you all!

5. Gravity Festival Girls (Ragnarok World Championships)

These series of posts were actually just pictures of booth models who cosplayed in the Gravity Festival during the Ragnarok World Championships 2007 in Seoul, Korea. To those who haven’t checked them out yet, this is a good time to click the link.

4. Ragnarok Valkyrie Announcement
The server that literally revitalized the community and made it possible for Ragnarok Online to become the number 1 game in the Philippines once again! I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who supported the Valkyrie project. At the same time, I’d like to apologize for the connectivity and guild chat issues.

3. Failed Robbery (Shoot Out) at Level-up! Games Building
This year, a lot of issues happened near the LU building which should merit hazard pay, hehe. There was the Manila Peninsula Siege, Pacific Star Building Belen Fire, and this shoot-out.

2. Who’s the Real Number 1 Online Gaming Company?
A few weeks ago, one of our competitors came out with ads claiming they were number 1. I posted something about this here at literally debunked all of their bogus “facts”. People should really do their research before paying broadsheets hundreds of thousands of pesos.

1. THE GAMING INDUSTRY NEEDS NEW BLOOD. A CHALLENGE TO ALL LU GAMERS.
Click the link, read, and be inspired.

‘Till then, this is Wauks signing off for 2007! HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE AND PLEASE DON’T BLOW YOURSELVES UP!

CHEERS!

FlyFF Brand Manager Atma & New Media Brand Manager Meng
Cute nila noh? Lol.

Coke Light Tower by RF Community Manager Gaea
One day mahuhulog yan and magkakagulo ang mundo ni Gaea!

Lilith & Kumiko
FlyFF and ROSE Community Managers at work

RO GM Team
Hard at work!

More pics in the future! Cheers everyone!