Keep in mind though that I would be writing down something I had experienced while I was there. That would mean that, at present time, the things I put here might not be true anymore. This is also a personal opinion. So technically, I would not be objective, given the experience that I had. this is just my point of view from my experience. The experience of other people who are still working or had worked in the said companies might have a different opinion than my own as well.
Anyway, Here it goes
Name of Topic Being Reviewed: Level Up! Games
Category: Gaming Company
Rating:
I started working for Level Up when they got Ragnarok Online. I was one of the first 3 Game Masters they hired.
One of the things that we were made to do aside from the usual job of monitoring the world and public appearance was the ongoing revisions of policies and regulations regarding the game. Level Up, being the pioneer in online games here in the Philippines established the rules that other gaming companies now copy. You can clearly say that the policies we had created has become the standard in which all the other gaming companies follow, with of course minor revisions to cater to the particular needs of the game they are publishing.
Level Up started as an okay company. Being new and everything, the pioneers of each department were the ones who more or less have the authority in their given fields. Juniors just follow suit. Back then, there were factions. The different departments weren't interacting with each other and the bosses were trying to outdo each other. Finger pointing was rampant during that time.
But with success comes expansion. The expansion of the company had made it veer off from what we had known and now the company's focus has become profits instead of quality of service. But then again, what company isn't thinking of profits. It has to be there otherwise what will become of the company?
During that time, I was an idealist. So I still thought that it was wrong for the company to think the way they do. But since it was a management decision we had no choice but to follow. Being the pioneer in the business, they did a lot of trial and error.
I left after 11 months of service. Level Up right now is still up there, handling Ragnarok, Silk Road, Flyff, RF Online, Perfect World, Free Style, Crazy Kart and a soon to be up Grand Chase. Games that are both from Level Up and Net Games since their merger of 2005. They're still up there, I guess they are still considered one of the leading online gaming company in existence. All I can say is good luck to them and keep being afloat even if it's just for the sake of your employees.
Name of Topic Being Reviewed: Digital Media Exchange (Most commonly known as MOBIUS)
Category: Gaming Company
Rating:
Mobius, much like Level Up started with only a handful of employees getting ready to release MU Online. The main reason for the companies existence was getting World of Warcraft. Again, we were hired to be game masters and again, I was one of the pioneers.
When we started, Mobius' theme was "the gaming company by gamers for gamers". And admitedly, all the employees save for the big boss were indeed gamers. From Table Top pen and paper RPG to console games and of course online games, the people working for Mobius know a thing or two about games.
It started out fine. We thought that it was a better experience than LU. Then, as the company started to grow, we realised that it was far worse than what we had experienced in LU.
While Level Up still gave us this small amount of freedom to voice our concern and opinion, Mobius Gave us false hope that they were listening. Ideas to make the games better or the service have always fell on deaf ears. Opinions on what games to get don't get listened to and we ended up getting crappy games that no one plays unless you do something about it. GMs who were suppose to be the group who keeps the players playing were being asked to do acquisition from the inside of the game itself...which makes us wonder how in blazes will we do just that?
The company does not have a marketing strategy and they just rely on the sales team to make the people aware that there is a game out there that Mobius is publishing. And the game that was giving them recognition, the company never paid attention to. giving the said game back to Korea after they milked it for all it's worth.
Now still with no Marketing, and a new game to be released, I keep wondering how a company like Mobius could stay afloat...hmm...probably their BPO, I guess...
Name of Topic Being Reviewed: Asian Media Development Group (Or commonly known as AMDG)
Category: Gaming Company
Rating:
From my experience with AMDG, the only thing really functioning properly in the company was their accounting department. But even that department can be slow since there is only one person doing all the work.
That company lives for meetings. There isn't a day when you wouldn't be called on to have have a meeting. Even during cigarette breaks, you would forever be talking about work. It's like their lives revolve around the meetings and the work that frankly, I was really not amused.
The worst part of those meetings is the fact that they usually end up not finalizing anything. Meetings would take up the whole afternoon until late at night without actually getting anything done. Then they would decide to continue the meeting the next day...the cycle just go on and on with nothing being finalized by the group that the person who would eventually make the final decision wouldn't even be in those meetings in the first place.
With all the meetings going on in a day and nothing being finalized until the last minute, it's a miracle in itself that they still get to join in events and there is still a following for their games.
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That's it then.
But then again, being in the online gaming industry and working there this long had made me realise that I would rather play the games they put out there than manage it. You can't manage a game and still enjoy it. Playing their games while working there would be a chore rather than a source of entertainment and relaxation for you.
And like I said, this is my personal opinion. I know that I didn't release any information concerning the company that's confidential...so please don't sue me.
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