Davao and Partnership

It's the aftermath of Level Up Elevation: Davao. Level Up's "big waves" launch for the updates to the existing pack of seven plus the three incoming games.

The theme of the night was partnership. Level Up and the internet cafe business. The company really heavily relies on the internet cafes out there. Most of the metrics on which the company makes its decisions, such as screen-share, penetration and installed base is taken from internet cafes.

You can really tell that Level Up focuses a lot on the internet cafe gamer. The home gamer is, from my view kinda seen as a secondary market... I don't see any events targeting home gamers specifically... it's all internet cafe players or all players.

But then I'm not in marketing so I wouldn't know what the strategy really is.

So in line with this focus it comes as no surprise that Level Up would throw such a huge party for it's "frontline" partners... the internet cafe owners.

Sometime this year I'm going to go see what kind of gaming culture the internet cafe people have... because it seems to be the predominant kind of culture and shapes ALL of the Philippines online games.

And off topic: If you're going to Davao and want reliable wifi internet service for your DO NOT use the wifi at the Crown Regency Residences, where I am. For 75 pesos an hour they give you a proxy server connection to the internet which only allows you to browse the web... and NO online games! Plus you can't access the internet from your room. You have to go to a mosquito ridden airconless cafe with really loud karaoke singers blaring behind you. If you need a quick and CHEAP internet from the hotel, book yourselves in the Regency Inn Davao... you can use the wireless in their lobby for FREE... and can even play games on it.