We’ve featured casual game developers from all over the globe, and it’s about time we turned our eyes to Asia. Flipside is a small but busy studio in the Philippines; they’ve worked with established foreign studios on such titles as Hoyle Enchanted Puzzles. We cornered their CEO, Gabby Dizon, to share with us what game development life is like in the Philippines. Read on to find out!

CR: Could you tell us a little bit about your background? Who are you, and how did you get started making casual games?

I’m Gabby Dizon, and I’ve been making games for a living for the past 5 years. I started out as part of the team that created the first ever computer game in the Philippines, and put up my own company, Flipside Games to do game development and outsourcing in 2005. Our contacts led us to casual game projects at Retro64 and Boomzap, and we found out that we like the casual space much more than the traditional, hardcore space.

CR: You mentioned working with Boomzap and Retro 64. How did those partnerships come about? What was the experience like?

With Retro64, I was introduced to Mike Boeh online by a mutual friend. We got one project going together, and also met up at GDC a couple of years ago. Retro64 has been acquired by PopCap since, and we wish him the best of luck!

As for Boomzap - we met when Chris Natsuume shot down one of my statements when I was a speaker at the Asian Game Developers Summit 2005 in Malaysia. That led to a contract to do the art for Hoyle Enchanted Puzzles, and a few rounds of beer whenever we’d meet up in Singapore afterewards. We’ve been collaborators on several Boomzap projects since.

CR: Could you tell us about the process in making your latest game, Hoyle Enchanted Puzzles?

We learned a lot about how to do - and not to do art for games during that project. It was a huge game by casual standards, with 9 different subgames sharing very little artwork between them, and art for the metagame to tie them all together. We threw away a lot of art we drew in that game as the game changed direction during development. The game was better as a result though, and we were very happy with the end result of that game.

Our biggest lesson was to get the gameplay nailed first, and then put in the final art assets later. It’s a huge waste of resources making really beautiful art that you’ll end up discarding. That, and constant iteration until you get something that is just right.

CR: Flipside is based in the Philippines, and a founding member of the country’s game development association. What is it like being a game studio in Manila?

Being in a country where you helped build the industry from the ground up, you still can’t find a lot of experienced game developers, making it a bit difficult for studios to grow. However, we invest in young and talented people and give them the room to grow. That said, we have to actively take on issues that affect the growth of the game industry, which is why we put up the Game Developers Association of the Philippines, a non-stock, non-profit corporation composed of most of the game studios in the Philippines. Its purpose is to take on macro-level issues that can help grow the game industry in the country.

CR: I’ve heard Flipside is a virtual office, and you’re a big fan of the 7-day weekend framework. How does that work? How do you make games with that kind of mindset?

We operate as a results-oriented work environment - we hire people who are passionate about making great games, and keep our focus on the results of their work, not on face time or how many hours they have worked. It’s a very liberating environment, and our team is happy knowing that they are free to live their lives in the manner that makes them happy and productive. We provide them the tools for collaboration to make sure that they can work well together, and trust that their passion for their work will guide them in the games that we make.

CR: What can we expect next from Flipside?

Very big things - we love our clients and will continue working with them, but we’re also looking at coming out with our own games. Social gaming is a particularly interesting field which I feel has not been explored to its full potential.

CR: Thanks for the time, Gabby!

You can read more about Flipside at their website www.flipsidegames.net, or check out Hoyle Enchanted Puzzles. Keep visiting Casual Review for more interviews with great casual game developers!