A couple of weeks ago Level Up! transformed the Phoenix I-Café into its third Premium Internet Café and the first of its kind in Makati. The conversion of the shop not only raises the quality of café gaming, but also provides loyal gamers a venue where they can meet up and be the first to play the latest updates of their favorite LU! games.
Gametime had a chance to chat with Level Up! Sales Director Earl Noche to talk more about this new concept in Internet café gaming.
Gametime: What is the idea behind LU Premium Cafe?
Noche: LU Premium Café was created to bring joy and excitement to our gamers and café owners.
Gamers will get the opportunity to play their favorite LU game in a fully dressed Level Up Internet Café and expect to have weekly activities like game tournaments, free plays and raffles. This is a project of LU’s Trade Marketing group headed by Shella Oates who started this program with DQ Internet Café right beside University of Santo Tomas and Gateway Café in front of Far Eastern University in Manila.
Gametime: What are the advantages of playing in a premium Café?
Noche: LU Premium Cafés assure our gamers that all LU games are available and updated. It acts as a hub where you can get our cards, merchandise and even a copy of our game to bring home. They will also have the privilege to play our new game offerings before we even go commercial.
Gametime: How does a shop become an LU cafe? What role does LU and shop owner play?
Noche: Any internet Café shop can become an LU Premium café upon approval of their application. LU’s role is to make sure that the café will have full game support and merchandising. Also café owner should always maintain 100-percent game installation, card availability and merchandising. There are actually no franchise fees to be collected from the café and interested shop owners can choose from three café packages—Silver, Gold, and Premium. We are looking forward to partner with more Internet Café’s who are interested in converting into an LU Premium Café not only in Metro Manila but also in provincial areas.
Gametime: Do Premium Café’s also have premium hourly rates?
Noche: No. Standard Internet Café rates apply. And on certain days, gamers are even treated to some free plays and tutorials, which let them try out a new game variety for free.
Gametime: How do you think it will change the way people view Internet shops/gaming?
Noche: Level Up! Premium Cafes get the latest game patches, updates and testing before anyone else, so their players are updated in the latest changes ahead of the rest. They’re also given priority when it comes to tournaments, EBs and other on-ground events, ensuring that their players are first in line to the coolest events and happenings of Level Up!
Gametime: Any upcoming events at LU’s premium cafes?
Noche: All LU Premium Cafes have regularly scheduled events with LU and these events are coordinated with our trade-marketing officers on a monthly basis. It may be either a mini tourney, pick-a-prize promo or an EB. They just have to check with their café’s for the month’s schedule.
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Wii vs. Kinect vs. Move
Five or six years ago the console wars used to be a battle of specs, of hardware capabilities and eye candy graphics, now Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft is taking the war to the next level: motion control.
Remember, it was the Wii’s motion controller that attracted entire families to play games and propelled its sales for the past several years. At this year’s E3 Sony and Microsoft has showcased their own versions and promises to change the way we play again.
First off is Microsoft, which gave a detailed presentation of “Kinect” or what was formerly known as Project Natal. Kinect hopes to emulate the success of the Wii’s motion-capture wand albeit getting rid of the wand entirely.
