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PAGCOR UNVEILS TWO HOUSING PROJECTS FOR TAAL VOLCANO VICTIMS

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RESIDENTS from two Batangas towns who were displaced by the eruption of Taal Volcano four years ago now have the opportunity to rebuild their lives with the inauguration of two housing projects funded by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).

The PAGCOR Village Housing projects in Balete and Taal were inaugurated on January 19 and 20, respectively, shortly after the fourth anniversary of the massive volcanic eruption on January 12, 2020.

The towns are among the six Batangas municipalities that each received Php30 million funding from the state gaming firm for the construction of permanent shelters for those who used to live in areas surrounding the volcano that have since been declared permanent danger zones by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS).

The other recipients of the PAGCOR Village Project are the towns of Agoncillo, Lemery, San Nicolas and Mataas na Kahoy.

The newly completed housing units in Barangay Iba in Taal and Barangay Solis in Balete will benefit 200 families, including those who chose to stay temporarily with relatives in distant towns after their communities were buried in tons of volcanic ash.

Among the severely affected was the family of 32-year-old fisherman Alvin Cacao, a resident of Barangay Calawit in Balete town whose house was destroyed by the volcanic debris that rained down on their village.

“Wala po kaming nagawa nung pumutok ang bulkan kundi ang lumikas dahil nasira po ng mga bumagsak na abo ang aming bahay. Napilitan po kaming tumakbo sa pinakamalapit na evacuation center bago nagpasyang makipanuluyan sa isang kamag-anak sa Balete,” he recalled.

 

 

More than four years later, Cacao could not believe he was holding the key to a new home they can call their own after the housing units were formally awarded to the selected recipients.

“Hindi po namin alam kung papaano kami magpapasalamat sa PAGCOR dahil hindi lang po nakatanggap ng bagong tahanan, nabigyan pa kami ng pagkakataong makapagsimulang muli ng panibagong buhay at magkaroon ng panibagong pag-asa,” said the father of two.

Balete Mayor Wilson Maralit said the PAGCOR Village in their town took a little longer to finish since they encountered roadblocks during its planning stage because Barangay Solis was initially included in the list of villages within the 14-kilometer danger zone.

“Napakarami po naming pinagdaanan bago naisakatuparan ang proyektong ito para sa mga mamamayang naapektuhan ng pagputok ng Bulkang Taal.

“At hindi po namin inaasahang ang PAGCOR pa ang makakatulong sa amin para magkaroon ng permanente at disenteng tahanan ang mga nasalanta ng nabanggit na kalamidad kaya’t taos-pusong pasasalamat po ang aming ipinapaabot sa pamunuan ng ahensya,” he said.

Meanwhile, during the inauguration of the PAGCOR housing project in Taal on January 20, Mayor Fulgencio Mercado recalled how the eruption forced almost 80 percent of the town’s residents to rely on generous organizations for help and temporary shelter.

“Napakarami po naming kababayan ang napilitang magpunta sa iba’t ibang lugar at nagpakupkop sa mga taong may mabubuting puso sapagkat nawasak ang kanilang mga bahay at ari-arian sa pagputok ng bulkan at sunud-sunod na paglindol.

“Nagkawatak-watak po ang aming mga kababayan at nalugmok po ang bayan ng Taal. Kaya’t ang pagkakabuo po ng PAGCOR Village dito sa aming bayan ay isang istorya ng pagkakalugmok, pananalig at pag-ahon,” he added.

Gaming

THE BATTLE OF POLYTOPIA RELEASES NEW AQUARION SPECIAL SKIN IN LATEST UPDATE

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Midjiwan, the award-winning independent studio behind The Battle of Polytopia has today released a new Aquarion Special Skin, additional language options and balance updates to the recently reworked Aquarion tribe. Players will dive deep into the Ritiki Marshlands encountering a lost Aquarion outpost with the new skin known as “The Forgotten”.

Long ago, when the Aquarion Empire vanished beneath the waves. One remote outpost in the swampy atolls lost all contact, leading its inhabitants to believe they were the last of their kind. This forgotten tribe evolved in isolation, adapting to the marshy landscapes with squid-like appendages and unique abilities to command the swamp and its creatures.

Using the unique abilities of “The Forgotten”, players can build on water, summon giant squids, create speed enhancing bubbles, ride crocodiles, tame toads, and traverse their marshy terrains with ease.

In addition, the latest update to the game now offers expanded language options: Hindi, Indonesian, Malay, Polish, Thai, Turkish & Vietnamese.

Christian Lövstedt, CEO of The Battle of Polytopia, commented: “I feel that this skin is one of the best we’ve created and has quickly become my personal favourite. Additionally, we have added Bubble Tech to the Aquarion Waterways, making that tribe even greater. With expanded language options and new gameplay mechanics, we’re inviting players to dive into the rich lore and strategy that make the Battle of Polytopia truly special.”

To celebrate the launch of the new update, Midjiwan hosted an exclusive livestream event, offering fans a unique look behind the scenes, live gameplay, and discussions with the development team – the livestream is available to watch now: The Forgotten livestrea m by Midjiwan.

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Conferences in Europe

Gamecity Hamburg connects Decision Makers from International Studios with new “Portside Game Assembly” Conference Format

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Gamecity Hamburg announces the premiere of the “Portside Game Assembly” (PSGA) for June 27, 2025. The new B2B conference format focuses on networking and the exchange of learnings between leading international indie game studios. Portside Game Assembly enables studio heads and decision-makers to exchange knowledge in a confidential setting in extraordinary locations of Hamburg, around the harbor – and on the water.

“The idea for Portside Game Assembly was born out of conversations with studio heads and managers from Hamburg and around Europe. Anyone navigating an indie studio through the games market benefits greatly from exchanging learnings with other decision-makers facing similar challenges. With a curated guest list and a focus on impulse talks and roundtables, PSGA will offer studio leads contacts and discussions which are highly relevant to their work and current developments in the industry,” explains Margarete Schneider, Project Manager at Gamecity Hamburg.

“The heart of PSGA is the conference, which will be held on a ship sailing through the Hamburg harbor and to which we welcome attendees from all over Europe and beyond. The conference will be complemented by a networking brunch and two evening events, which invite PSGA participants to meet the vibrant and diverse Hamburg games scene,” adds Dennis Schoubye, Head of Gamecity Hamburg.

The conference program for decision-makers at game studios

On June 27, 2025, the first Portside Game Assembly will kick off with a networking brunch.

Afterwards, the studio managers and decision makers will enter the conference ship, which offers three decks for keynote speeches, roundtables and networking, including a cruise through the famous Hamburg harbor.

Studio managers and decision-makers from the following studios are already attending:

  • bippinbits (Dome Keeper, PVKK: Planetenverteidigungskanonenkommandant) / Germany
  • Ghost Ship Publishing (Deep Rock Galactic) / Denmark
  • Indoor Astronaut (Unrailed 1 & 2) / Switzerland
  • Landfall Games (Content Warning, Totally Accurate Battle Simulator) / Sweden
  • mooneye studios (Lost Ember) / Germany
  • Maschinen-Mensch (Curious Expedition 1 & 2, Mother Machine, Codecks) / Germany
  • Overhype Studios (Battle Brothers, Menace) / Germany
  • Rockfish Games (Everspace 1 & 2) / Germany
  • Torpor Games (Suzerain) / Germany

Leads and executives from established indie game studios can register to take part in the Portside Game Assembly via our registration form.

Networking events as part of the Portside Game Assembly

The evening closing event “Games Industry Party” brings conference guests and other members of the games industry together for networking with cool drinks and snacks. Tickets for the Indie Networking Brunch and the Games Industry Party are available separately for non-conference attendees and will go on sale at a later time.

On the evening before, June 26, 2025, there will be an “Opening Mixer” with a panoramic view over Hamburg’s famous St. Pauli district in the Astra Tower, at Bytro Labs office. Portside Game Assembly participants and contacts from the games industry in Hamburg will be invited.

Registration for studios and participants

The conference itself is aimed exclusively at studio managers and decision-makers from internationally successful indie game studios. To enable a curated selection of participants, there will be no direct ticket sales, but studios can register for participation here: registration form.

The conference ticket includes the Opening Mixer event the evening before, access to the Networking Brunch, the main Conference and the Games Industry Party for a total of 189 euros.

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Asia

Nazara integrates with ONDC Network to Launch “gCommerce” in India, Unlocking a new era of In-Game Monetization

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Nazara Technologies Limited, a leading diversified gaming and sports media platform, and Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) are proud to announce their integration to launch “gCommerce” – an innovative in-game monetization platform that seamlessly integrates e-commerce within games.

The integration aims to address a persistent challenge for Indian game developers: low in-app purchase (IAP) conversion rates and poor yields from advertising. Through gCommerce, Nazara and ONDC Network are reimagining game monetization by leveraging India’s thriving e-commerce landscape and providing developers with new, scalable revenue streams.

This strategic integration will allow game developers to monetize through an affiliate revenue-sharing model, earning a commission on every successful transaction initiated by players through the gCommerce platform.

Creating Value for Developers and Gamers

ONDC Network’s expertise in creating an open, interoperable network for digital commerce will enable Nazara’s gCommerce platform to connect with a wide range of sellers across more than 10 categories, ensuring a rich diversity of product offering for gamers. This integration enhances the user experience by allowing them to make informed purchases while they continue their gaming journey.

“We are excited to announce the upcoming launch of gCommerce by Nazara via integration with the ONDC Network, as it represents a significant step forward in our mission to empower game developers with effective and innovative monetization solutions,” said Nitish Mittersain, CEO of Nazara Technologies. “We are not only creating new revenue opportunities for developers but also enriching the overall experience for our gamers.”

T Koshy, CEO of ONDC, added, “Nazara coming on ONDC Network to launch gCommerce is a testament to the versatility of the Network in supporting various industries and use cases. By bringing e-commerce into the gaming ecosystem, we are paving the way for a seamless blend of entertainment and shopping that adds value for players, developers, and the broader digital commerce network.”

The gCommerce platform is currently in soft launch and will be rolled out to game developers starting Q1, FY26.

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