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Video Games and School Shootings in the Philippines

Here in the Philippines, video game discourse has once again crossed paths with that of juvenile gun violence. This is due to recent school shootings that have been happening nationwide, from the Tacloban school shooting in June to — just recently — the shooting in Ateneo de Zamboanga in August. Police investigations and the media have made it clear that many of the suspects play video games prominently featuring gun violence. The inevitable question engendered by this media highlight is one I attempt to give my answers to in this blog. Namely, did video games cause the shootings that have been terrifying the nation? Answering this question will require an understanding of the many factors that may lead to juvenile gun violence. To get this out of the way, yes: violent media has been shown to cause increased aggressive behavior in adolescents, as studies have shown [1][2]. Certainly, violent gaming contributes to this aggression in behavior. We must note that similar results has also b...
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My Reactions to the 2026 SEA Games Showcase

Hello! These are my (semi-)live reactions to the 2026 South East Asian Games Showcase (SEAGS) which premiered just yesterday, June 6, 2026, 11:00 P.M. GMT+8. I say "semi" live because I couldn't actually watch the premiere live; I was asleep. Still, as a Filipino, I've been pretty excited to catch one of these, so check these games out with me! Note that these are hastily written first impressions, so these thoughts are fairly less organized than what you may usually find in my blogs. Also, I might not be able to write about  every  game in this hour-long showcase. I'll probably only include announcements that interest me, personally. That's all the more reason for you to watch the showcase yourself!     Watch the SEA Games Showcase here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68FDpVkWoTo     Full Release: "TCG Card Shop Simulator" (by OPNeon Games)       I've tried TCG Card Shop Simulator  before. I did not know it was in Early Access, or that...
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Four Short Filipino Indie Games!

The Philippines is a country that's almost impossible to love. It is perhaps the embodiment of wasted potential; worms ate the country inside-out, and now it's exiting the global sphincter as a massive piece of shit.   This can be seen in the country's gaming ""industry"". Despite brimming with talent, the nation as of yet still sees 'gaming' as equivalent to 'gambling sites' and 'offshore' or 'outsourced work'. As the country's potential economic growth gets continuously squandered by political powers, the potential of the country as an artistic forefront is squandered by the overwhelming cultural powers brought by the globalized world. The path that a creative must walk in this nation hangs in the balance. It is our imperative to pull ourselves forward by the bootstraps. Therefore, as a Filipino game developer myself, it is my prime mission to seek out, participate with, and contribute to the local gaming scene, one ...
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Planescape: Torment - Review and Analysis

NOTE: This review   contains minor spoilers, but torment is best experienced blind.   The college semester is over, and I can finally start writing again. Let me tell you all of a game I'd been playing over the past two weeks.   1. The game logo on Steam.   Black Isle Studio's, Interplay's, and later Beamdog's[1]  Planescape: Torment  is a 1999 CRPG "cult classic." It was published during the so-called 'golden age' of CRPGs, primarily isometric CRPGs. It runs on the same  Infinity Engine  that powered Larian's  Baldur's Gate , and it, too, is a DND-based game, set in the obscure campaign setting of Planescape . However, unlike BG1,  Torment  is far more story-driven. In it I played as an immortal man, The Nameless One (TNO), who woke up alive in a mortuary for the dead. Throughout the game, I spent my time figuring out everything I could about TNO's nature. Why is TNO immortal? What was his life before his first death? How could he ...
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A Thief of Joy

"My game is like Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley!" Like. "This new release is Balatro but with guns!" But with. "It's like Fortnite meets Tetris!" Meets.   "If you enjoy Deus Ex and System Shock, this game is for you!" For you. The digital commerce constantly twists its heads, the flesh of markets pulsate, and with these escapades come rapid change. New trends emerge, new tactics constantly schemed. Today, indie marketing strategists have seemingly latched onto a new, widespread  modus operandi:  to take their game and explicitly compare it to more popular titles, often from which inspirations are borrowed. This nascent comparative strategy in indie game marketing serves an effort to reach larger audiences by invoking experiences familiar, and by attracting players who enjoy a similar formula. In its essence, the comparative strategy of marketing is a symbiotic handshake of convenience between players and developers. The latter even someti...
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