From Video Games to Video Streaming

It was my late father who encouraged me to discover my drawing and lettering skills. I still remember the day he made a drafting table, complete with all the tools such as the T square and other art materials an architecture or a fine arts student needs.

Sadly, I did not pursue his dreams for me. In 2008, I started playing Lara Croft but enjoyed more the Bomberman game, both on PSP. Later on, I was competing with relatives building houses and expanding farms via Farm Ville.

Filipinos are indeed talented but not all were given the opportunity. We have world class singers waiting to be discovered. In the streets of Manila, you'd find a Pinoy who excel in sports like boxing or basketball. I've seen a lot of kids now enjoying mini art classes and computer games. Technology plays a big role in molding their skills. I'm so amazed to see those who have hidden talents in animation. Great to know that there are companies who specializes in this type of niche.

Synergy 88: The Biggest Filipino Game Studio in the Philippines

Synergy88 is a company that hardly makes any noise outside elite gaming circles. It originally started as an animation studio, subcontracting for other Asian and European studios then moved to creating art for video games, and eventually started creating mobile games.

Barangay 143

The unassuming studio has worked on assets for critically acclaimed games such as Microsoft Studio’s Gears of War 4 and CD Projekt Red’s The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, among others. That shiny new weapon you picked up in the game? There’s a huge chance that it was drawn by a Filipino artist in a quiet studio in Quezon city.

Catch the Guava App

In a span of three years, Synergy88 became the biggest Filipino game studio in the country. And they’re also the most advanced, being the first to dabble in VR, AR, and motion capture. At this point, Ms. Chua felt the need to answer a bigger calling.

“Looking back, we found ourselves drawing inspiration a lot from Filipino culture. That’s when we realized our mission - to use our talent to directly tell the story of the Filipino people.”

Synergy88 found success in animation and gaming, they felt the need to take their cultural advocacy one step further. A whole slew of Filipino-themed games followed suit, from pop culture icons such as Ang Panday and Vince & Kath, to originals such as Barangay 143.

Streaming the Filipino Story

Synergy 88 is now taking a leap from making video games now to video streaming. To do this, the group established Talent Acquisition & Management Division (TAMD), whose goal is to tell the Filipino story primarily via digital platforms such as Youtube and Facebook.

Initially, Jacq Monteverde and Opi Eusebio are signing up with the agency. The two have varied storytelling backgrounds; Jacq leans towards the conventional, often modeling for TV, print, and billboards for lifestyle brands, as well as appearing in a handful of ABS-CBN dramas. On the other hand, Opi takes a slightly different approach, taking interest in more socially charged projects such as the LGBT piece Ur_Tadhana. Together, they’re set to bring their fresh, funky takes on gaming and digital entertainment in their upcoming projects.

Alongside Jacq and Opi, girl group DigiSquad is also joining TAMD’s initial roster of talent. The group has already been making waves in local gaming events and conventions, most recently in ESGS 2017.

“In the digital world, Filipino storytellers have always been working in the background,” says Ms. Chua, who’s determined to turn streaming into a source of pride for Filipinos around the world. “It’s about time that we tell our stories with a familiar face in front of the camera.”

To learn more about Talent Acquisition & Management Division (TAMD), follow them on social media on IG @synergy88 and @Synergy88TAMD on Facebook.

Visit their creative digital studio for more illustrations, 3D/2D games and other projects by visiting synergy88digital.com.