Level Up! prepares for Ragnarok 2
By Erwin Oliva
INQ7.net
Last updated 10:02pm (Mla time) 10/20/2006
LEVEL Up! Inc. is preparing to introduce Ragnarok Online 2 soon as the makers finish conducting an open beta in South Korea, an official told INQ7.net on Friday.
Ragnarok Online 2 is a sequel to the popular massively multiple online game developed by South Korean firm Gravity.
"Ragnarok 2 is in the pipeline," said Sheila Paul, chief operating officer of Level Up! Philippines, noting that the game developer is scheduled to conduct an open beta test sometime December.
Talks about the Ragnarok Online sequel have been going around the Internet. This website has, for instance, linked to a video preview of the game. Apparently, the sequel is now 3D.
"We still have a positive outlook for Ragnarok. In our events, we saw that old and new players are still loyal and excited about Ragnarok," Paul added.
The local game publisher is also set to bring new content to the Philippines.
But at the same time, the company plans to "maximize the revenue potential of our games," Paul said.
She reiterated that the company is now working toward combining the subscription and free-to-play and item-based models next year.
"We will try to mix both since we see a high demand for item purchases and subscription," she said.
Meanwhile, Paul said the consolidation of netGames and Level Up! Inc. has been accelerated.
More than 70 management and rank and file employees from netGames have moved to Level Up! Philippines' office in Pacific Star Building from the former netGames headquarters in Centerpoint Building in Ortigas Center, Pasig City.
During the consolidation process, however, some employees with redundant positions were terminated, she added.
The consolidation of operations of both online game publishers was supposed to happen January, Paul said.
Earlier reports said Level Up! Inc.'s name will be retained following the merger with netGames, a company owned by ePLDT.
ePLDT is the Internet services arm of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT), which acquired the country's leading online game publisher for an undisclosed amount in February of this year.
NetGames operates online games such as Khan, PangYa and FLYFF in the Philippines, while Level Up! publishes Philippine Ragnarok Online, ROSE Online, FreeStyle and RF Online.
"Right now, [the situation] is stable. Both are startup companies, so we're meshing well. It is a complimentary consolidation," Paul said.
Several senior executives have left Level Up! since the merger was announced.
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