Filipino Game Developers Go International for Kids and Parents Website

A Filipino entrepreneur has cracked the international world of online gaming with the development of the first Philippine-developed virtual world for kids - ActionJetz. Developed by Makati-based design studio ModelWorks Philippines Inc., ActionJetz will be welcomed in the toy industry with a joint project with RBI Toys Inc. The latter is a subsidiary of RBI Holdings Limited, a leading toy manufacturer listed in the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Maurice Chan, Executive Vice President of RBI Toys Inc. announced the new venture ahead of the Fall Toy Preview event to be held in Dallas in October 6 to 9 this year. It is the annual venue where toy and game businesses all over the globe will be on display for the world to see.

In a statement by Mr. Chan, he noted that, “this initiative will position our line of small scale children’s die cast collectibles in the emerging space of online play and provide us with a pipeline of new development going forward. Increasingly this is the future of children’s toys and we are excited to develop the online opportunities with the ModelWorks studio.”

A Site for Kids where they can Play with Real Toys

ActionJetz is a virtual world for children as it enables kids to collect not only physical die cast collectibles such as the F-16 and F-14 fighter jets, but to play with their jets online. The ActionJetz carries a suggested retail of $4.99 through leading toy retailers and specialty outlets around the world.

The site www.actionjetz.com encompasses a vast virtual world and features numerous mini games, each themed to kids’ aircraft toys. It offers the young gamers the ability to move around the virtual world, chat and play with other pilots, take quizzes, and earn points as they fly missions and complete tasks. To enhance creativity and independence in children, Actionjetz allows users to customize their hangar and ready room, the place where pilots relax before they fly missions.

Parental Control Panel: A Kid and Parent-Friendly Feature

The creators have developed the virtual world and gaming engines over the past two years and have focused heavily on online safety. This was achieved by creating powerful filters to monitor chat but most importantly bringing parents into the online experience with the unique parental control panel.

This feature enables parents to associate their account with that of their children, to set levels of game play, enable or disable site features, monitor chat activity, game play activity and keep an eye on the well being of their children.

“Many of the kids who play in the ActionJetz World are the children of active servicemen and women. Our virtual world will provide an environment for kids to play and engage with their parents while they are posted away from the family.” Darwin Tardio added, the head designer and co-founder of ActionJetz. “This helps kids stay in touch with their parents, and for our military moms and dads to have some fun with the kids back at home,” Tardio said.

Additionally, Tardio mentioned that, “the power of the Parental Control Panel is in the positive affirmations contained in the award section, where parents can select various challenges such as the Mom’s Helper award.”

A dad assigned in Iraq could customize a challenge for their young pilot; say “clean your room and take the garbage out”, then set a date range such as October 1 – 31. He can then issue the challenge.

If after the prescribed time period the “commanding officer” (mom or dad) chooses to award the medal, a virtual medal will appear in the inbox of the pilot. Parents can also choose to award a real medal and certificate for a nominal additional cost. These medals are manufactured by a leading military insignia manufacturer Vanguard of California. This is made available online at Actionjetz.com.

Wide Range of Diecast Airplane Toys for local and International Retailers

The ActionJetz product line will ultimately feature over 60 different aircraft and the diecast airplane toys will be available through leading retailers.

Tardio is not stopping with ActionJetz. The studio has recently entered into a joint venture with Tree-House Kids, a leading toy line sold through WalMart and Bass Pro Shops throughout the United States. Tardio’s team of Filipino game developers are set to develop a virtual world for Tree House’s line of merchandise.

The Talent of the Filipino Web Professional Shines Out

Tardio said that, “It is fantastic that the talent and skills of the Filipino designers are finding an international stage – a proof that Filipino IT professionals are truly globally competitive. Who knows this could be the start of something big.”

Trade inquiries can be made directly to ModelWorks Philippines Inc. at 403-18-58