One thing Level Up is really known for is how we use music in our marketing for the games that we publish here in the Philippines. For Ragnarok, we’ve had a bunch of bands and artists already – most notable was Kamikazee with their hit single “Chixilog”. For our sci-fi MMORPG, RF Online, we’ve had several rock stars compose songs like Grey Hounds, Loqui, and Razorback. It’s because of this that we’ve made a new website called “Level Up Music“. The Level Up Music website aims to serve as the primary portal of all of our music marketing efforts. You can watch MTVs, listen to MP3s, and read about the artists that compose music for our online games. It would be boring though to just launch the site with old songs so our Marketing Director, Jake San Diego, came up with a good idea to have a song that really speaks the local gamer language. We tapped Kevin Roy and he came up with the song we now know as “Ampfufu”.

Here’s the exclusive article that talks about how the song came about:

Who would have thought this hodgepodge of the worst day in the life of a gamer could lead to an MMO anthem?

Kevin Roy pens yet again another Level Up!-inspired song. And this time, the words ring true to the life that all average gamers lead. With scenarios worthy of a primetime sitcom, Kevin’s unfortunate hero starts his day with the excitement of an all-day leveling session. But as his day, or rather the song, progresses, his stay at the café turns out to be a gamer’s nightmare.

The song starts out sleepily, propelled by Kevin’s casual yawn. The narrative then takes place, as it paints a picture of your typical hardcore gamer. His day starts way after high noon, his idea of a nutritious meal being noodles in a styrofoam cup, his sole purpose for the day to own the virtual arena.

But Murphy’s Law suddenly kicks in, as he encounters his first stumbling block upon entering his favorite Internet café. He gets the worst PC in the shop, the worst possible seatmate, and of course, the worst possible lag.

This is the part where all gamers, MMO and casual players alike, can sing along in one massive shout out of “AMPFUFU!”

Kevin attests that the song was inspired by his own experiences as a gamer. He has allotted free days where his sole goal is to rule in PvP and farm to his heart’s content. Little glitches like enduring an unreliable connection and losing precious top-up credits are enough to cause his gamer temper to flare up, as he exclaims, “Amp!”.

AMPFUFU! is filled with gamespeak. The narrative is perfectly blended with terminology that all hardcore levelers have typed at one point in their virtual life. Scolding guildies with “Pasaway!” and self-proclamations of “Wafu!,” players can revel in this song that speaks in their own language.

So far, no other song can perfectly capture the grueling life of a gamer other than “AMPFUFU!” And for Kevin, this flagship song is his one big thank you to the virtual community that he has embraced and that has embraced him wholeheartedly.

I’d like to invite all of you to visit the Level Up Music Website! You can listen and watch the MTV of the newest gamer song that will take this country by storm – AMPFUFU! After you watch the video at the site, feel free to come back here to leave a comment and share what you think about the song.

By the way, I have an unplugged version of the song when Kevin Roy sang it at Mag:Net cafe when it was first being composed. I’ll post the video on my Youtube account and embed it here sometime today or tomorrow.

Cheers everyone! Ampf!