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Level Up! Games

{{Short description|Philippine video game company}}

{{Infobox company

| name = Level Up! Inc.

| image = Level Up logo.png

| traded_as = Level Up! Interactive S.A.U {{Citation needed|date=August 2020}}

| foundation = {{Start date and age|2002}}

| location_city = Makati

| location_country = Philippines

| type = Subsidiary company

| industry = Software, video games

| products = See complete list of products

| parent = Asiasoft

| website = {{URL|www.levelupgames.com.br}}

}}

Level Up! Inc., more commonly known by the trademark Level Up! Games, is a Philippine game publishing studio owned by Asiasoft since 2014.{{Cite web |url=https://www.pcinvasion.com/12483-2/ |title=Philippine Online Game Publisher Level Up! Games To Be Acquired By Asiasoft |website=PCInvasion |date=22 February 2014 |access-date=25 August 2020}} According to their website, they currently have operations in the Philippines, and Latin America.

History

Level Up! Games was one of the first online game publishing companies in the Philippines.{{cite news |url=http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=793400&publicationSubCategoryId=66 |title=E-Games merges with Level Up! to create online gaming giant |last=Zinnia B. |first=Dela Pena |date=2 April 2012 |newspaper=The Philippine Star |accessdate=24 October 2012}} In 2002, Level Up! introduced Oz World, the very first massively multiplayer online game in the Philippines.{{cite news |url=http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=199778 |title=Level Up! mad about 'Oz World' |date=21 March 2003 |newspaper=The Philippine Star |accessdate=24 October 2012}} The following year, Level Up! launched the first Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG), Ragnarok Online. They followed up by introducing ROSE Online and RF Online in the country.

In 2004, Level Up! partnered with Tectoy to expand into Brazil. In February 2005, Level Up! Games Brazil launched its first MMORPG in the country: a free version of the company's franchise Ragnarok Online, translated into Portuguese.{{cite web |url=http://levelupgames.uol.com.br/levelup/line-of-tempo.lhtml |title=Timeline Telligent |accessdate=23 July 2012 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20121231233632/http://levelupgames.uol.com.br/levelup/line-of-tempo.lhtml |archivedate=31 December 2012}} This game was followed by numerous releases in Brazil over the next few years.

ePLDT, the digital entertainment division of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT), acquired Level Up! Philippines in 2006, and merged their portfolios of online games.{{cite news |url=http://www.philstar.com/business/238322/pldt-online-games-publisher-tie |title=PLDT, Online Games Publisher Team Up |newspaper=The Philippine Star}} That same year, the first Level Up! Live event took place, with championship competitions held for four games: Ragnarok Online, Rose Online, RF Online, and Freestyle. Level Up! continued to publish new games, including Perfect World and Silkroad Online. They also had their first Level Up! School Tour, going as far north as Baguio and south to Davao City.{{Citation needed|date=August 2020}} The company expanded into India in the same year, partnering with Indiatimes to publish Ragnarok Online in the country.{{cite web |url=http://www.techshout.com/gaming/2006/09/level-up-india-partners-with-indiatimes-to-launch-ragnarok-a-massively-multiplayer-online-role-playing-game/ |title=Level Up India Partners with Indiatimes to Launch Ragnarok, a Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game |date=9 June 2006 |website=TechShout |accessdate=24 October 2012}}

In 2008, the Philippines was selected to be the host for the annual Ragnarok World Championship.

In 2010, the Level Up! Games Brazil expanded its partnership with Korean developer Nexon and brought to Brazil the first-person shooter Combat Arms. At the end of the year, the company launched the title Allods Online.

In October 2012, Level Up! Games merged with E-Games, creating the largest online game publishing operation in the Philippines.{{cite news |last=Dumlao |first=Doris |title=IP E-Games-Level UP! merger creates largest gaming publishing business in PH |url=http://business.inquirer.net/52147/ip-e-games-level-up-merger-creates-largest-gaming-publishing-business-in-ph |date=2 April 2012 |newspaper=Inquirer.net |accessdate=24 October 2012}} In the same year, Level Up! had 49% of its international shares bought by Tencent, China's leading internet service provider, for nearly 27 million dollars.{{Cite web |url=https://www.marketwatch.com/story/tencent-to-buy-49-of-game-firm-level-up-2012-01-19 |title=Tencent to buy 49% of game firm Level Up |date=19 January 2012 |publisher=MarketWatch |access-date=25 August 2020}} Also in 2012, Level Up! Brazil released Turma do Chico Bento, their first game developed for social networking site, Facebook, at Level Up! Live 2012. Level Up! Games expanded into Latin America the same year.

Level Up! Games was acquired by Asiasoft for 2.9 million dollars in 2014.{{Cite web |url=https://www.techinasia.com/philippines-asiasoft-practically-owns-level-up-now |title=Asiasoft practically owns Level Up! now |date=19 February 2014 |publisher=Tech In Asia|access-date=2020-08-24}} Since then, Level Up!'s portfolio has been published in Asia under PlayPark.

Games distributed by the company

=Brazil=

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=India (Closed as of 2009)=

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{{div col end}}

=Philippines=

{{div col|colwidth=20em}}

  • Assault Fire
  • Ragnarok
  • Cabal
  • K.O.S. Secret Operations
  • RAN Online
  • Perfect World

{{div col end}}

==Current==

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{{div col end}}

==Former==

{{div col|colwidth=20em}}

  • Ragnarok Online local service was shut down on March 31, 2015. Players were then transferred to WarpPortal's international server in April 2015.
  • Grand Chase (local server was shut down in November 2014)
  • Eligium
  • Rohan (Closed as of October 2014)
  • Flyff (Closed as of September 2014)
  • Bounty Hounds Online
  • Silkroad Online
  • Oz World
  • Crazy Kart
  • Crazy Kart 2: Race Battle Online{{cite news|last=Sallan|first=Edwin P.|title=Level Up! launches new online racing game and tournament|url=http://www.mb.com.ph/node/242232/level-up-launche#.UIdZHWeBUx4|accessdate=24 October 2012|newspaper=Manila Bulletin|date=6 February 2010}}
  • Allods Online
  • Band Master
  • Point Blank (transferred to Garena (2014))
  • Pangya
  • K.O.S. Secret Operations (Sting: The Secret Operations)
  • Freestyle Online{{cite news |last1=Oliva |first1=Erwin |title=Level Up! hopes to score slam dunk with Freestyle |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Elc1AAAAIBAJ&pg=PA48 |access-date=14 March 2024 |publisher=Philippine Daily Inquirer |date=13 February 2006 |language=en}} (global servers were closed in 2010)
  • RF Online
  • ROSE Online
  • RAN Online

{{div col end}}

=South East Asia (Through Asiasoft / Playpark)=

{{div col|colwidth=20em}}

{{div col end}}

See also

  • {{portal-inline|Video games}}

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • [http://www.levelupgames.com.br Site of Brazil]
  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20040528104450/http://levelupgames.ph/ Site of the Philippines]
  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20121005112128/http://www.level-up-games.co.in/ Site of India]
  • [http://www.juegoslevelup.com/ Site of Latin America]
  • {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20121102030402/http://level-up-games.com/ Site Global]}}
  • [http://www.levelupstore.com.br/v2/manutencao.asp Warning about the closing of Level Up! Store]

Category:Companies based in Makati

Category:Video game companies established in 2002

Category:Video game companies of the Philippines

Category:Video game publishers

Category:2002 establishments in the Philippines