Dutch firm, Next BPO Solutions set to launch new online game

By Cheneen R. Capon
Dutch company Maata Games and Davao City-based Next BPO Solutions, Inc., will launch the ERECTUS, a massively multiplayer online real time strategy game (MMORSG) on March 31 at the University of Mindanao (UM).
Speaking in yesterday’s Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM City Annex, Paul Ludwig, managing partner and head of marketing and sales of Maata Games, said the development of the online 3-dimensional game is almost complete and ready for launching this month.
Called ERECTUS, the online 3-Dl game is about the clash of civilizations of homo sapiens and homo erectus 130,000 years ago. 
“Compared with other online games, ERECTUS has a story. Its goal is to bridge historical gaps and eventually provide players with a clearer picture of ancient civilization and history,” Ludwig said.
Ludwig, who said he is also an avid online gamer, said ERECTUS was benchmarked from Travian Game, a German-developed MMOG that has 125 million gamers from all over the globe and is available in over 50 languages.
Maata Games managing partner Alet Ludwig said Erectus will be played for free online by players ages 15 and above. It will be launched in different languages including Filipino, English, Dutch, and Japanese.
Alet said Erectus will be also launched in other cities in Hongkong, Bangkok, Cape Town, Dubai, Amsterdam, Germany, Brussels, San Francisco, California, Los Angeles, Canada and Australia.
During the launching, Paul Ludwig said that there will be series of event which will be themed “Bridging the world” aside from the launching
“There will be a signing of memorandum of agreement (MOA) between UM and Han University from The Netherlands,” Ludwig said.
He said that there will be first an exchange of students, then faculties between the two universities.
Ludwig also said that the MOA signing will be a starting point for the two schools to work together on research studies in the future.
There will be also an event during the launching that will create strong linkage between the Dabawenyo gamers and Dutch gamers.
“We will have skype calls between the two,” he said.
Ludwig also said that Maata Games will also enter into an agreement with UM for crafting of a curriculum for the university that will offer course on game development.
Maata Games and Next BPO Solutions is planning to develop the second version of to be launched ERECTUS that will still be developed by local talents and software developers.
Aside from Next BPO Solutions, Maata Games has also partnered with Tinotech, a Dutch company that provides sales, consultancy, and engineering services for Erectus.
While developing their ERECTUS version 2.0, he said that he is also planning to put an office here in Davao City.