The First Filipino-made Wii game
Posted on December 1st, 2008
Filipino IT expert has once again etched their name in the international IT scene, as the first ever Filipino-made Nintendo Wii game was launched.
Kuju Manila, a game development firm launched a new Wii game called Circus Games. The first Filipino-made Wii game can be played one or two players, with about 20 different circus themed mini-games. These require the use of Nintendo Wiimote and the nunchuck attachment. Some mini-games require players to shoot or throw objects while some requires them to catch objects.
The French company Ubisoft is the one publishing the game, it the same company which distributes popular titles such as Rainbow Six and Splinter Cell series. While locally, Datablitz is the official distributor, selling it for about P2,000.
Kuju Manila was formerly Matahari Studios before it was acquired last October by the Kuju Entertainment based in United Kingdom to become one of its subsidiary. Matahari Studios was the one who created the games for the arcade shop Timezone.
Kuju Manila is now the seventh development studio for Kuju Entertainment. They are credited for their work in such games as the EyeToy: Play 2 and EyeToy: Play 3 for the PlayStation 2, Call of Duty: Finest Hour, Geometry Wars, among others.
Eric Marlow, General Manager of Kuju Manila said that the acquisition will widen their scope towards console and handheld games. Currently employing 27 employees, all of whom are Filipinos, the company is looking to grow their employment roster to 50 or 60 by 2009 in anticipation of new projects because o f the acquisition.
Two new titles are now in the works, one of which is based on a popular title. This is according to Marlow who is also a member of the Game Development Association of the Philippines, an IT organization which is promoting the country as a hub for outsourced and original game development.
