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SEA Game Awards 2018: a winning opportunity for Pinoy studio Keybol Games
Malaysia’s SEA Game Awards 2018 brought together some of the coolest games from around Southeast Asia, proving to be a winning opportunity for game developers in the competition.
The SEA Game Awards 2018 selected 40 finalists from a pool of over a hundred games submitted by developers from countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
To Filipino game developer Bari Silvestre, seeing two of his studio’s games – “Tower Fortress” and “Jack Axe” – make it to the competition’s final stage is a sign his team is on the right track.
Leveling up
Previously a one-man studio, Silvestre’s game development outfit Keybol Games now has a physical office in San Fernando, Pampanga and a team of coders and artists. This growth has allowed Keybol Games to tackle several projects simultaneously and develop more ambitious games like “Jack Axe.”
The SEA Game Awards 2018 was part of the massive Level UP KL gaming conference and expo that took place from October 30 to 31 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Silvestre and Keybol Games sales director Thea Marie Morrison attended the event to promote the studio and meet potential new business partners.
“We’re hoping to put it out there that there is a local company in the Philippines that meets global standards and is recognized worldwide,” said Morrison, who added that they’re looking for foreign funding that will allow them to hire more people to make their team grow.
Keybol games has experienced multiple small victories along the way. “Jack Axe” has already found itself a publisher in the form of Another Indie, a China/Taiwan-based company that is also the publisher of “Shots Fired” from fellow Filipino developer Chryse.
Silvestre and his team have also received a Nintendo development kit, which means “Jack Axe” will not only be released on Steam, but on the Nintendo Switch, as well. And then, there are the meetings with an American entertainment company, which could possibly lead to more great things to come.
Of course, Keybol Games couldn’t have gotten this far if not for Silvestre’s efforts to connect with Apple, Steam, publishers, and the media.
“I always wanted to level up Keybol Games from a ‘bedroom coder’ to an established developer,” said Silvestre.
From one to multiple games a year
"Jack Axe" is being co-developed by Keybol Games coders and artists Mike Renevo (responsible for the game's key concept), Natasha Ivanka Ting, and John Anthony Silva.
A 2D side-scrolling action platformer with strong puzzle and exploration elements, “Jack Axe” has you assuming the role of a warrior whose axe can be thrown and recalled.
The axe is key to your mobility, allowing you to dash up or forward and access hard-to-reach places. How you use the axe also triggers certain mechanisms in the environment; for example, holding the axe activates elevators and deactivates some traps. The world opens up the more you explore.
Another Indie co-founder Iain Garner is a huge fan of “Jack Axe.”
“(Everyone at Another Indie) played it, we started using the axe mechanic, whizzing around, bouncing off walls; the end result was like, ‘this game is up there,’ which you know is an absolute testament to Bari’s ingenuity,” said Garner. “We’re big fans of ‘Super Meat Boy’ and ‘Celeste,’ and we think ‘Jack Axe’ has the same level of quality.”
“Jack Axe” is extremely early in development. Keybol Games is currently working on adding desert and forest areas to the game, and a co-op mode, which lets players solve puzzles and defeat bosses together.
Both Bari and Garner want Filipino narrative elements incorporated into “Jack Axe.” Garner, who is an English Lit major, is psyched to help out with the game’s narrative flow.
Another upcoming title is an action platformer called “Ninja Catto,” whose development proved a significant learning experience for Keybol Games’ John Anthony Silva.
“It was supposed to be part of my three-month training, but after we finished working on the ‘Ninja Catto’ demo, (Silvestre) liked it so much he wanted to continue its development,” said Silva. “I didn’t know how to code at first, but within three months it became my passion.”
Keybol Games artist Natasha Ivanka Ting also worked on “Ninja Catto,” and is currently providing all the 3D models, animation, and textures for another game called “Rogue Planets.”
Work at Keybol Games is often collaborative. Artists like Ting are free to come up with new concepts or even gameplay mechanics, which can be added to a game should they prove viable.
“Seeing my assets in the actual game, playtesting a game you helped create, and seeing people’s reactions when they play the game is really rewarding,” said Ting, who had dreamed about making video games since she was a child. A recent graduate of College of Saint Benilde, this is Ting’s first job.
Filipino talent
Game Developers Association of the Philippines (GDAP) President Alvin Juban, who was part of the Level UP KL panel about game development in Southeast Asia, sees Silvestre as a role model for creative individuals in the Philippines.
“(Silvestre) has a proven track record of actually earning revenue from his games,” said Juban. “I’m really happy he finally incorporated; being incorporated means people can invest in you. So now he has put himself in a place where he can get even bigger… And that’s what I wish for the smaller companies, to become more formidable while creating their own IP.”
He added: “If you really trust your skills, if you think you really know what you’re doing, you can actually make a company earn revenue. More of our Filipinos should hear about people like him.”
Garner, who was also part of a Level UP KL panel, believes the Philippine game development community has “an amazing reservoir of talent.”
“Considering the economic situation that many of them are going through, I’m permanently amazed at the level of quality coming out of the Philippines,” Garner said, adding “Manila’s got a really amazing supportive development community at work.” — LA, GMA News
For more information about Jack Axe, visit Keybol Games’ official Facebook page. Visit Level UP KL’s SEA Game Awards 2018 page for the full list of finalists.
