The game development industry in the Philippines is slowly, but surely, making strides. Over the past decade or so, we have gone from simply consuming games to now creating titles that resonate with a global audience. The country is brimming with untapped potential, creativness, and a hunger to break into the global market, and who better to confirm this trend than Jun Shen Chia, the Xbox Strategic Markets Lead for Southeast Asia, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Emerging Talent in the Philippines

Many may think that the Philippine Game Development scene lags far behind its Southeast Asian neighbors, but Jun Shen emphasizes that this is not the case. From the outside looking in, Indonesia may appear more prominent due to its early pivot to creating original IPs, but Filipino game developers are slowly carving their own identity.

“The Philippines is not as far off as most people think. The Philippines is home to some of the most awesome and creative talents I’ve seen,” shares Jun Shen.

Both Philippines and Indonesia mostly started out as hubs for outsourcing work, with local studios like Pixel Mafia and Secret 6 leading the way, working on titles like Halo Infinite, The Last of Us Part 2, and Cyberpunk 2077. The country has slowly been developing original IP, with breakout hits like Until Then by Polychroma Studios and what could be a sleeper hit in Fallen Tear. The talent available in the country is vast, with a steady stream of compelling projects coming from passionate developers.

Yangyang Mobile, for example, is a storied developer from the Philippines that specializes in visual novel titles, but recently had a successful kickstarter for their latest project, High Times.

“The Philippines is home to games that people around the world want to play, and Filipino devs understand exactly what the global audience likes but also made in such a way that only those developers can,” Jun Shen adds.

While he cannot divulge too much about some of the other projects to look out for, the excitement and passion in Jun Shen’s face while describing them is infectious, giving us hope in a bright future for the development scene in the Philippines.

Challenges Hindering Growth and Potential for More

Despite the creativity and drive of Filipino developers, there seems to be more challenges than opportunities. Funding and marketing support are crucial factors that often determine a game’s success, both of which are a tall task without the proper support structures.

“The Philippines is filled with amazing talent and creativity,” Shen notes. “But where the country needs help and growth is from funding and marketing support.”

Programs like the Developer Acceleration Program aim to alleviate some of these hurdles, providing financial support to game developers from underrepresented regions like Southeast Asia. ID@Xbox has also facilitated opportunities for Filipino developers to showcase their work globally, offering visibility to projects that might otherwise go unnoticed.

“We need to constantly be on top of providing support every single day to the developer base, working with local trade groups and government bodies that are interested in propping up the Filipino game development community so that they are constantly supported to make games.”

Looking ahead, Jun Shen and Xbox remains committed to supporting the local scene through mentorship programs, industry networking, and knowledge-sharing sessions by collaborating with educational institutions and, more importantly, government support. The goal is to empower Filipino developers with the tools they need to thrive, and Jun Shen is spearheading this program not just for the local devs but Southeast Asia as a whole.

Xbox Play Anywhere is Key for Play Hours

Another innovation shaping the industry is Xbox’s Play Anywhere strategy, which enables seamless gaming across multiple devices. Shen revealed that while this feature is not mandated for developers, titles that embrace it have experienced 20% more hours played than those that do not. This number is massive, and with so many games to choose from, the battle for hours and attention is growing faster than ever, highlighting the importance of the Xbox Play Anywhere strategy.

This trend shows the evolving nature of gaming, where players expect to switch from consoles to handhelds, PCs, and mobile devices seamlessly. Xbox aims to further support this trend by offering tools and services that developers can use to help them further improve discoverability and playability, something that regions like ours greatly need.

Thank you to Jun Shen and Xbox for this opportunity!