Category: Special Features

“Hey Jay, here’s what’s up on our end.” “Let me take a look… interesting. Game, let me share it to everyone.” Catch up on the latest – Feel free to read on the announcements and featured stories from our partners.

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Anime Idol Convention Returns January 2024

Anime Idol Convention, an event which fused anime and idol culture, is coming back this 2024! AiCon showcases the idol culture that catches the interests of the country’s anime audience. This event features activities which gather fans, such as cosplay, singing and dance contests plus an artist alley filled with fan-made merchandise from various mixed-media franchises.

As long as you are a fan of anime idols, you are welcome here! Bring your love and passion for your anime oshi to the AiCon stage. Scouts (judges) will be present to determine whose star shines brightest, giving that idol-like vibe, which you only see in the stories you love.

The first two AiCons were held at the Bayanihan Center in Pasig City in January 2019 and March 2020, gathering hundreds of cosplayers, fans and aspiring idol groups. Whether you’re a veteran of simulation arcade games or a budding mobile game fan, feel free to join the AiCon crowd for a one-day extravaganza.

Look forward to the next edition of Anime Idol Convention this 2024—follow Pygmalia and AiCon on Facebook, as well as AiCon on Twitter.

This event is organized by Pygmalia, home to concepts such as Primo Stella and ONLive Con.

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Japanight Cosplay & Anime Club Presents East Meets West on July 8

OtaCute’s Japanight Cosplay and Anime Club returns with its latest installment, East Meets West, happening this Saturday, July 8 at Brooklyn Warehouse in Recto, Manila. Here are the events happening there:

  • Last year’s DJ Lineup—DJ Bori, Zeroblade and NicDroid—returns with this year’s guest DJs Sigrid, Kaori Ramos and Siglus.

  • Hibana also returns to the fray, performing Wotagei for the club’s audience. Wiljanz, a two-time representative for the Philippines at the Cyalume Dance World Battle, leads the group.

  • Guests from Japan include Pinoy Big Brother Otso Housemate and influencer Fumiya, and debuting anikura DJ Misuru.

  • Also: The awards night for OtaCutE Events Dao x Cosplay Token (COT)’s SEXY KYARA Cosplay Contest.

Reach out to OtaCute DAO on Facebook to reserve your tickets. Walk-ins are now allowed to register, so you can get your tickets on site.

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TOYCON Philippines 2023 on July 7-9 at SMX Manila

The Philippine TOYCON is set to hold its 20th edition at SMX Manila on the weekend of July 7 to 9—and as part of the festivities, here are the highlights you should not miss, taking some paragraphs out of the official press release:

  • TOYCON this year will feature almost a hundred toy exclusives from partner exhibitors, with top toy brands like Funko, Lego, Bandai, Hot Toys, Pop Mart, JoyToy and many others.

  • World-renowned toy designers like Quiccs, Wetworks, Creon Chknhead, Arman Kendrick and more, add to the hype with their limited edition TOYCON releases.

  • MINDstyle partners with TOYCON to bring another FanXperience to Manila, as it brings the latest trends in art toys plus Pop Asia exclusives. Fans also get to interact with top creators and designers like Punk Drunkers and Reen Barrera. Secret Fresh merch will also be available there.

  • TOYCON’s mascot, TC-02, now has its event-exclusive Funko Pop! collectible toy. This adds to several Pop Asia exclusives catered to the Philippine market.

  • Globe is this year’s event co-presenter and they are bringing in the Globe Playboxx Booth where one can unleash their inner child. They also bring the Globe Premium and VIP Passes loaded with awesome toy exclusives, merch and vouchers.

  • The cast of Voltes V Legacy and its show-runner, Director Mark A. Reyes will have a fan interaction on the TOYCON stage. GMA will also bring in other stars to grace the event.

  • Tokusatsu fans are also in for a treat: Tetsuo Kurata, aka Robert Akizuki, as he was locally known when he played Masked Rider Black and Black RX; and Ryosuke Kaizu, who played Red Mask in Hikari Sentai Maskman, are gracing us for TokuSpirits at TOYCON.

  • Three Japanese groups are also set to perform at TOYCON courtesy of Ambox: Chicken Blow the Idol, Himegoto Zettaiichi and To Be Radical. This is aside from numerous local talents such as Pastel Mix, Ai’Dreamin, MiQx, STARLIGHT, Euphoria and ASFIRE.

  • TOYCON also has live band performances throughout the weekend from Colliana, Re:ANIMUS, Glottis V, Saving Radio, Souldrift, Luisa, JP Cuison and Co. and HAIRGUM.

  • The Cosplay KO heightens the excitement for individual cosplayers on Saturday with a P20,000 cash prize for the best anime, and the AnimeS Cosplay World Stars (ACWS) local qualifiers in the Duo Category and the Cosplay Pop Duo Contest liven up the TOYCON stage on Sunday. Celebrity Cosplay photographer Jay Tablante also conducts a Cosplay Photography workshop sponsored by Canon.

  • Warner Brothers will feature Barbie the Movie and the DC superhero movie Blue Beetle. Paramount Pictures also joins the fray with a booth for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.

  • For the creators: The Comics Zone powered by Komiket, with top comic book artists and illustrators, and two Toy Designer Alleys with the best local and international toy designers including Hot Actor, Pucky, Chino Lam, Unbox Industries and more! Enjoy more than 80 toy exclusives to be released by more than 40 toy designers around the world!

  • TOYCON Collectors Gallery has around 80 toy collector groups which will display their collections, with exciting panel discussions and competitions for Custom Toys, Toy Photography, Best Display and Awards for the Best Toy Collectors Group sponsored by the Philippine Toy Groups Association.

  • This is on top of more than 250 booths you can sweep for rare finds!

  • ALSO: There is a TOYCON ANNEX at the Mall of Asia Music Hall on July 8-9, Saturday and Sunday. If you can’t get into SMX, go straight ahead at the Annex.

See you at TOYCON 20 this weekend, July 7 to 9! Tickets for TOYCON 20 are available at SMTickets.com or onsite during the event dates at the SMX Convention Center. The Globe Premium Passes and Globe MINDstyle VIP Passes are available on Tickelo.com. …and if you happen to see me there, just say hi!

(Photos from TOYCON 2019 and 2022 via press release)

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Ragnarok Origin Launched This Week

Gravity Game Hub announced that Ragnarok Origin reached 10 million pre-registrations Wednesday April 5. Special rewards are unlocked for all players.

  • Ragnarok Origin retains the lore while stepping forward in reinventing traditional massive multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs). This means that battles can now be affected by weather conditions, and outcome of quests may be influenced by plot choices.

  • In addition to the recreation of the Midgard continent, Ragnarok Origin offers six diverse major classes. Graphics, combat, and social features are upgraded.

  • Midgard offers unique enemies and instances which can be encountered both day and night. The much-loved guild system is still intact, giving parties the opportunity to beat challenging bosses.

  • Southeast Asia will first experience the new Ragnarok game—in person! See the cute and lovable characters BTS and CentralWorld in Thailand, SM Mall of Asia in The Philippines, IMBI Plaza in Malaysia, and Mall Taman Anggrek in Indonesia.

  • From April 6 to April 19, players can share their experiences with the game at the comments section of its new Ragnarok Origin Facebook page, and they can get the chance to win HyperX gaming keyboards and mouses, iQIYI monthly VIP and other prizes.

Ragnarok Origin, the official sequel to Ragnarok Online published by Gravity Game Hub, is now available on Apple Store, Google Play, Huawei AppGallery, OPPO App Market, and PC.

Stay updated with the latest info and events about Ragnarok Origin, follow the Discord community and Facebook page.

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Philippine GameDev Expo on August 18-20

CBZN Perspective in cooperation with the Game Developers Association of the Philippines (GDAP) presents the first Philippine GameDev Expo (PGDX), to be held on August 18 to August 20, 2023 at the function halls of SMX Convention Center Manila in Pasay City. Game development will be put on the spotlight in a platform that gathers local and global game developers.

PGDX is poised to be the biggest gathering of games of 2023, giving the opportunity for everyone to interact, discover, and experience every creation in one venue. Game developers overseas are set to introduce their works at this event as well. Visitors can also witness the latest innovations from select hardware companies alongside their latest promotions and offerings.

This event’s highlights include game demos, hardware showcase, cosplay competition, and community gatherings, as well as Business-to-Business (B2B) opportunities for professionals in the gaming and tech industry such as workshops, panel discussions and masterclasses.

Well-known guest speakers from the industry’s top corporations will share their works as well as business insights at the main stage. Some of the prominent speakers to be featured include:

  • Razer Gold Associate Director and Head of Account Management Michael Albert “Mooch” Mucci,

  • Unreal Engine Chief Evangelist Chris Murphy, and

  • Boomzap Entertainment Creative director & co-founder of Christopher Natsuume.

More speakers will be announced in the coming weeks.

To get the latest announcements about PGDX, visit https://pgdx.ph or follow their official social media channels:

CBZN Perspective is a full stack solutions company based in the Philippines where its founding members specialize in PC & Mobile App Management (Gaming & Social Apps). It has more than 12 years of experience in the Gaming Industry in Southeast Asia, handling over 40 apps locally & globally for Mobile and PC and engaging over 50 million core users.

Game Developers Association of the Philippines (GDAP) is a trade association established in 2007 to represent and promote the country’s game development industry. Its members create and publish interactive games and entertainment content for various platforms.