Everything Happens for a Reason: Julius "Banoobs" Mariano's Contributions to Esports and Game Streaming

You probably know Banoobs from our previous articles as the guy who spent an enormous amount of money on a digital in-game item and for being a highly competitive MMORPG player. But did you know that there is more to him than just being a "malakas" in game?

Julius "Banoobs" Mariano is one of the pioneer gaming personalities that helped shape video game streaming and Esports in the Philippines. His positive contributions to the industry is already set in stone and widely recognized by the gaming community.

"Back then, Esports was not even a term yet. I just met a bunch of ordinary gamers with an extraordinary vision. We were just a bunch of kids in search of our passion. We were trying to discover what we wanted to do with our lives." Julius recalled.

Julius describes himself as a typical gamer who likes to trash talk opponents whenever he is in the game. But for him, it was all just part of the fun and never meant to be personal. In fact, he met a lot of people who were initially co-players that eventually became his friends. "You meet what you call 'seasonal friendship' that would contribute something to your life." he shared.

Julius admitted that he did not mind his studies when he was in college. He would rather spend more time on online gaming. His parents were OFWs working in the United States of America. They would regularly send him money for his tuition fees and other school-related expenses but he only spent it on online games.

"I just followed my heart. I was stubborn and did not study well. We were all just playing in LAN cafés. I considered myself a 'competitive player' and we enjoyed playing LAN games, specifically DoTA. My gamer friends always visited me in my apartment to remind me of game battles. My apartment that time was near a computer shop." Julius said.

A lot of friendships were formed during those times spent in LAN cafés. One of those is Ronald Robins, the founder and CEO of Mineski Global, whom he met in a computer shop in Taft, Manila. "My first encounter and conversation with Ronald happened when we were in the smoking area of this computer shop. I was just having my smoke break when I eavesdropped on Ronald and another friend as they talked about me. I approached them and the rest was history." Julius said.

Esports back then had a bad reputation. Most Filipinos, especially parents, have a negative impression and were plainly uninformed about it. Esports was a relatively new concept and tournaments were limited to weekend LAN (Local Area Network) parties. There were no regional and global championships and most especially, no support from sports organizations. Simply put, it was not regarded as a "sport."

"I trusted the vision of Ronald. He acted as a leader and welcomed me to be part of Mineski. I'm always in the background. I'm like the storyteller of the group. I remember moments when we were in the same house just to play DoTA. We occupied their mini-office at night and unofficially made it our turf. We were like a family and our friendship was priceless."

There was a time when gaming tournaments almost ceased to exist. It was very difficult to build credibility because of a few issues of anomalies, as well as the shady actions of some scrupulous organizers who were out to take advantage of legitimate brand sponsors. As a result, the esports industry's reputation as a whole was taking the hit. But Ronald did not falter and just kept on looking for ways to continue organizing tournaments to help uplift the credibility of the industry.

Julius remembered how Ronald was always busy working on something on his laptop. Ronald was planning to launch Mineski 101. It would be the first tournament without the Mineski team competing so it can give way to new teams. "I believe that there should be someone leading a team. That time it was Ronald and we created Mineski Events together with Marlon Marcelo," Julius said.

Hiatus in the Gaming World

"For some time I had my hiatus in the gaming world because I got sick. I had Dengue Fever and was already sleep-deprived due to my gaming habit. To make matters worse, I was diagnosed with depression and Bipolar disorder," Julius said.

He was admitted to a reputable hospital. He spent two months in a facility to treat his condition. "I don't know what really happened to me. It was quick and I experienced a nervous breakdown. The facility was like a PBB house. Fortunately, I met new friends there that helped with my fast recovery," Julius said.

Many people did not understand his situation at that time; some even thought that he was mentally unstable and won't be able to go back to his usual activities. However, that tumultuous stage in his life became an eye-opener for him and made him reflect on a lot of issues he had within himself.

"It takes a lot of action, courage and realization to bounce back from that circumstance. I suffered from a huge downfall, ending up to stop the pain by killing myself. The good thing was that I prayed before I planned to do it. Somehow, God showed a vision, a sort of a preview of what would happen if I die. I saw my own burial. I saw my family and friends mourning for me, then realized that if I died that night, my pain would just be transferred to the one who loves me which is more painful than any kind of pain" Julius recalled.

"I believe that everything happens for a reason. The trials that I had encountered made me reflect on my life. It made me stronger. God really works in mysterious ways."

Bounced back

After his full recovery, he went back to school. He studied computer programming and met a new set of friends. Everything was going well but after some time, he decided to stop because of financial reasons. However, his motivation to pursue what he really wanted in life was what pushed him to keep going. 

"I always look for positive things in a negative situation. For example, I look for ways to lessen the impact of my condition. I search the internet for the things I do not know."

Eventually, he went back to the gaming scene and reconnected with his gamer friends.

While he was on a one-year hiatus from the gaming world, Mineski Team had improved significantly. The gaming industry evolved and became Esports. Many gamers were put into the limelight and have benefitted from the deluge of  opportunities that opened up for the industry.  Big brands finally supported the industry and sponsorship started to come in. Julius saw the true essence of Esports.

Not one to quit, Julius was patient enough to start all over again. He was at the bottom part of the organizational chart but slowly climbed to the top.  "I wanted to contribute again, that's why I returned to Mineski events.  It was an opportunity to continue my passion," Julius said.

Julius and his friends founded Mineski Events in 2009. As years passed, it continued to grow. The team's dedication and passion to help the Esports industry was their driving force. While there were bumpy roads and hurdles along the way, they exerted all their efforts for the industry to thrive.

While working at Mineski events, Julius met with many gamers, gaming executives, and other well-known gaming professionals in the industry. One of those was Matthias Beyer, whom he met in a smoking area in PGF 2012. It seems that smoking areas are proving to be a great spot to build connections for Julius. 

But in 2012, Julius' active participation at the Mineski events took a toll on his health. He decided to resign and move forward to other things.

The Marketing Guy

Aside from health concerns, Julius resigned from Mineski to seek for other career opportunities. He cannot overemphasize how very grateful he was for his experience in Mineski. It has led him to work at MSI Philippines.

Julius considers Tryke Gutierrez as his inspiration in terms of career growth. He is also thankful to Marian Grace Gomez for hiring him as Marketing Assistant in the company.

"I realized that I need to level up, that's why I resigned to look for another opportunity. Fortunately, I learned that there was an opening at MSI so I went through the typical hiring process. I can't believe that someone trusted me despite the fact that I'm an undergraduate and quite unqualified, " he said.

"I just continued the legacy of Tryke. I have a wide knowledge of the gaming industry that helped me conceptualize various marketing strategies for the brand. Marian, Tyrke and I would often brainstorm while working on various marketing projects for the company."

Just like most starters, the work was overwhelming for Julius. On his first day of work, he was tasked to come up with a marketing concept. He did not have an idea how to do it. Instead of wasting time worrying about it, he Googled the key phrase and looked for a template. Luckily, he was able to complete the task and submit it to his boss on time.

"It's my first time to receive a salary and I'm proud of it. Before I just worked for free since I love helping other people. I don't like to take any recognition for what I do. I just want to help other people because it's part of my mission."

Julius worked in the marketing department for SteelSeries, MSI Notebook/Components, Xigmatech, Aerocool, Plextor, and Thecus (2012-2015). He established the Team of MSI Gaming Notebook in the country as the Marketing Manager for four years.

The Twitch Gig

"I believe that you will meet good people in the smoking area," Julius said. "I did not expect that I would meet Matthias Beyer again at the Electronic Sports and Gaming Summit (ESGS) 2015. That time we had a booth in the event and I was busy doing my thing as a marketing person in charge. During my smoke break, he approached me and asked for a lighter. We had a brief conversation, mostly catching up, and then I showed him our booth."

What he didn't know was that Matthias works at Twitch as the Director of Content (Southeast Asia). He only discovered it when he checked Matthias' Facebook profile. That's where he also saw the posted job opening at Twitch for Country Manager in the Philippines.

"I feel that I can contribute more to the company. That time there were thousands of  applicants applying for the job. I applied for it and went through the tedious selection process. I thought I would not get accepted," Julius recalled.

Julius started working at Twitch in February 2016. As the Country Manager, he started to advocate for the streaming community in the Philippines, with the guidance of Matthias. Julius first pitched it to his inner circle of friends who happened to be content creators. It was a success and his friends became the first set of Twitch celebrities in the country. Julius helped many content creators become successful in the streaming platform. Twitch Philippines expanded their operations and it became a profitable endeavor  for the company.

"Matthias saw something in me. He mentored me and shared his vision for the company. I improved a lot under his leadership. He's like a brother to me and I enjoyed working with him. We shared the same passion; we played together; he gave me tasks to work with. He's not the usual boss. I learned a lot from him," Julius shared.

Matthias trusted Julius on many occasions when they were working together. Julius helped Matthias on executing his start-up ideas as they shared a common vision for the gaming industry. 

Julius left Twitch Philippines in 2018 to pursue a career in streaming. "I felt that I was meant to be on this platform. That I was born for this thing," Julius said.

Professionalizing Esports

Julius dreamed that one day, Esports would be recognized as a sport in the Philippines just like basketball. This dream would eventually become a reality when someone from TnC Pro Team and Execration contacted him back in 2016. They asked for his help with regard to securing P1 US Visa for their players. He was thankful that he has Jobe Nkemakolam and Sebastian Duterte who referred him to the Gaming and Amusements Board (GAB).

This meeting with the officials of GAB gave him the opportunity to discuss the booming online gaming industry. During their meeting, he talked about professionalizing Esports and the importance of professional license IDs for the country's players/gamers. It turned out to be a successful meeting because GAB issued the necessary documents to help fast track the players' VISA application. They were also grateful for the support of then Senator Bam Aquino, who is an avid supporter of Esports. Julius vouched for the players and made sure that everything about their travel went on smoothly.

"I knew they would win. Nobody saw it coming," he said. TnC won against the powerhouse European team in DoTA 2, the International 6 tournament. After the game, Julius along with three officials from GAB visited a tournament in Seattle to show them how big Esports actually is. 

"When we came back to the Philippines, there was a 'heroes' welcome' for us. It was also my first time to receive appreciation for the things I've done for the industry."

The Philippines now considers Esports as legitimate sports. In 2017, GAB signed a resolution allowing the professionalization of Esports in the Philippines. The agency believes that Esports tournaments boost tourism promotion (with foreign Esports participants coming into the country). It also increases the revenue shares of the government through issued licenses and permits, as well as GAB shares from the tournament tickets. GAB also imposed regulatory guidelines that protect the players and the industry from illegal activities.

But it remains to be a long road ahead for the majority to accept online gaming as a legitimate career. It may take some time but hopefully, it will be regarded as a legit career choice just as others are.

On Game Streaming

The gaming community in the Philippines is enormous and lucrative. The gamers and streamers have become the new celebrities in platforms like Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook Gaming. In these platforms, content is king. Professional streamers often combine high-level play and entertaining commentary to get the attention and earn income from sponsors, subscriptions, and donations.

In the study, The State of Online Gaming – 2019, conducted by Limelight Network, research revealed that video game streaming sites such as Twitch and YouTube Gaming are becoming increasingly popular especially among young gamers aged 18-25.  They spend 77 percent more time watching online gaming than traditional sports on television, and gamers 26-35 spending nearly the same amount of time watching online gaming as broadcast sports.

Julius saw its massive potential and he took the opportunity to try streaming to test out his ideas.

"I decided to try streaming because I want to know if I can survive on that kind of platform. I'm good at mentoring other people and I would like to see if my advice would be applicable to myself."

"Before, streamers were mostly doing it for their passion to the craft. I witnessed how the streaming industry started and grew. Most of them are engaged in streaming not solely for the money. The community was very supportive and helping one another," Julius said.

"When I left Twitch in November 2018, I missed the 'Banoobs personality' as a gamer. I missed the trash talking in the computer shop, the fun side of it and being a competitive gamer."

"I just missed the memories of playing online games. Where no one is judging you because you are only expressing your gamer self.  That time I did not mind if I would have viewers. I just want to relish the moment and create memories worth remembering."

Julius just wanted to be true to his roots so he played various games, notably League of Legends (LoL) , DOTA2 and Ragnarok M Eternal Love.

"One of my motivations why I started streaming was for entertainment and to show off my abilities. It's your own show. I believe it gets hard if you are used to reading scripts. The gamers are smart enough to smell if you're faking it or into hard selling. That's why some content creators had short careers. Just believe in your abilities and be true to yourself."

Julius' content creator friends inspired him in so many ways. He started live streaming on his Facebook profile. He was just boss hunting in Ragnarok M Eternal Love because of his boredom and wants to flex his game. "Surprisingly, a lot of my friends saw my stream and encouraged me to create a Facebook page. I created it on November 28, 2018, and that's it. I met new friends that became part of my gaming life."

Julius always rewatched his streamed videos to see whether his content is performing well. He would try to cross post it to other platforms. He also wanted to know the areas that he can improve on for his content. 

Julius shared great nuggets of advice for people who want to venture into streaming. He emphasized the need to know the market first and to understand how viewership works. As he said, online streaming is a competition – a survival-of-the-fittest type of environment. He also reiterated the importance of building a supportive community and knowing how to engage them properly. Most importantly, an aspiring streamer should know how to sell his/herself to that community.

"Don't just judge a streamer based on how he/she expresses his/herself. I've seen streamers working really hard to reach their status now. Instead, learn to appreciate and respect them. Just learn from their experience," he said.

"Always believe in yourself first. People would know if you don't have confidence in yourself. Don't be discouraged if you have a small number of views. Everything starts within yourself. You can't please everybody. But if you focus on your vision and goal, no one can stop you."

References

Moonton Present's Sweet Crossing, Moonton's First Snake.io Casual Game

Tired of having a lose streak in ML's ranked mode? Then try Sweet Crossing now. Moonton's Mobile Legends: Bang Bang was a huge success of being the best MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) on both Android and Ios, making it one of the most competitive Esports in the Philippines. During this quarantine, Moonton unexpectedly released a casual yet relaxing game for android, the Sweet Crossing: Snake io. This game is already released on Play Store.

Sweet Crossing has over a million downloads, the game just released weeks ago (September 4, 2020) and surprisingly it mage a huge hit. If you open Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, you can see the game, and after clicking you will be redirected to Play Store.

Features

Sweet Crossing is only 44mb of size, it only requires android 4.1 and up, and it is totally free of charge. The game will let you play with simple joystick controls and a smooth gaming experience. You can choose from adorable animal characters and a bunch of cute skins.

The game currently has no lag issues, so you can play it smoothly in your phone, you grow by eating sweets that are not hard to find, you might find the game competitive since it is an io game. While playing Sweet Crossing , you should go look for sweet, to buff up and get a higher score. Just like Slither io, you need to get enemies to crash them into you, and then swallowing their remains. The bigger the animal crashing to you, the higher score you get.

Just like Mobile Legends: Bang Bang you can unlock adorable skins that you can use in the game. A game to remove your boredom and tiredness. If you are having troubles with your connections, you can play Sweet Crossing even without network. The game is very friendly to players and has a fair game pace. The graphics is really cool and If find it very friendly for players who have poor eyesight. The game features battery saving and HFR mode, so it won't take much of your battery.

It is now available on Google Play and iOS.

Digital Esports Platform "KALARO" launches in October

Gets a boosts from top corporate partners, Kalaro a digital esports platform, will be launching on October 12, 2020. It will be Asia's fist fully-integrated end-to-end Esports online platform that was created by an internationally-experienced team of Filipino tech experts.

(L-R) Top: Jun D. Lasco, Founder & CEO; David Nithyananthan, Co-Founder, Renalyn David, Director
Bottom: Coleen G. Lasco, Director; Marvin A. Alberto, President of Pnex Int'l Corporation; Arlene S. Jimenez, Director

The-AsiaGroup.com Inc. officially announced also its alliances from top corporate brands  namely National Computer Systems (NCS) of Singapore, ERNI from Switzerland, and local companies Union Bank of the Philippines, DragonPay, GCash and Globe Labs.

On its launch in October, the nationwide online sign-up will be made available to Esports fans and players. Interested gamers can join Kalaro using their mobile number, Facebook, Twitch, Razer, or Google accounts.

"We are thrilled to finally unveil Kalaro to be the catalyst in rapidly developing world-class Filipino Esports talents. With the incredible support we are getting from our partners and the gaming community, we're excited to realize the synergy Kalaro will create among corporate brands and more than 30+ million Esports enthusiasts in the Philippines," said Renalyn B. David, Board of Directors Member of The-AsiaGroup.com Inc./ Pnex Int'l Corporation.

NCS handles the technology cloud infrastructure to ensure that Kalaro is globally available to all Filipinos 24/7. They also handle the various integration requirements of Kalaro so that it can connect online to all other apps like Facebook, GCash, DragonPay, Twitch, and other 3rd-party systems.

On the other hand, ERNI is responsible for the design of the User Interface (UI) and overall User Experience (UX); translating these designs into actual working systems for Kalaro users to enjoy. Together with the in-house tech experts of The-AsiaGroup.com, Kalaro has achieved the global standards in software (app) design and development.

"Kalaro was able to capture the aspirations of all the eSports stakeholders and present it in a creatively designed User Interface (UI) which results in a fun, easy to use and with a comprehensive set of features fitting to the demands of tech-savvy millennials and Gen Zs," said David Nithyananthan, Co-Founder of The-AsiaGroup.com Inc./Pnex Int'l Corporation.

The digital platform also paves the way for corporate brands to collaborate with Kalaro's stakeholders. They can have storefronts inside Kalaro to enable them to promote and sell their products online to Kalaro users. Brands can also sponsor gamers, streamers, teams and leagues. Kalaro members can electronically transact 24/7 anywhere around the globe. This e-wallet feature of Kalaro is powered by Union Bank of the Philippines, DragonPay, GCash, and Globe Labs.

On its launch in October, the nationwide online sign-up will be made available to Esports fans and players. Interested gamers can join Kalaro using their mobile number, Facebook, Twitch, Razer, or Google accounts.

"We at Pnex Int'l Corporation are both proud and excited to launch our Esports platform, initially, to the Filipino gaming community. The more than 30 million Filipino gamers are a huge market and Kalaro will surely be their gaming companion. Our team has done an incredible job in creating a world-class product we Filipinos can all be very proud of," said Marvin Alberto, President of Pnex Int'l Corporation.

The timeliness of Kalaro seems to be in perfect alignment with the need to boost the Philippine economy. Kalaro can mobilize the 30+ million Filipinos gamers market for some economic activities which would give jobs to corporate brands who will focus on this market segment, create work-from-home opportunities for streamers & gamers, spark some consumer spending and at the same time hone future Esports world champions!

How to Not Get Caught in Among Us, an Impostor Guide

Among us has been one of the most trending games today, yet Among Us isn't actually a new game, it was released on 2018 by Innersloth (the developers of Henry Stickmin). Among Us is like a Space Version of Mafia, where you can be a secretive killer or a useful crew . You can play Among Us with your friends or a random group online. Among Us is a game where you might lose your friends, because you will learn how to be a compelling liar, and lying might be necessary if you are the Impostor. Being an Impostor is being the most essential person on the game.

Best Time to Sabotage

This might be one of the problems that Impostors encounter. The Impostor should go first to their designated fake tasks, while standing near fake tasks, sabotage the Comms or the O2, then secretly blend with the crew and fake that you are helping them fix the sabotaged area. Also make sure that when you vent, there are no one near.

Make a Clean Kill

Making a Clean Kill might be hard to players that are new to Among Us. If you ever feel free from everyone and when the coast is clear, then it's time to eliminate them, go near an innocent crew and click kill to eliminate them, the next step is to vent and always make sure that the coast is clear before you unvent.

The crew you eliminated will become a ghost that can spectate everyone, but don't worry, other crews will not hear their screaming voices on the in game chat. It's either the crew will be reported or an emergency meeting will be started, at this time, it will be announced to everyone, that the traitor is active. Join their in game chat, the simplest way to cleanse your suspicious activity is by asking the where and who. Don't start blaming until innocent crew starts to blame each other. Keep in mind that you cannot eliminate them fast, as their is a long cooldown of the kill button, hosts decides the kill time, voting time, etc.

Venting Guide

After you make a kill it will be suspicious if someone sees you leave a room and then find a body, you will be the suspect if this happens. However, you can jump on vents and stay their until they find the body, crews won't be able to know you are there and then you can blend in back with the crew.

Watch out before you unvent, impostor's are usually caught unventing, so make sure you unvent on a place where crew's don't usually go.

Act Innocent while Voting

A body is found or the emergency button is pressed, at this time you will need to vote someone so you can eliminate them. While voting you can open the chat button. Just act innocent and blend with their accusations to other innocent crews. Never vote first, that will make you even more suspicious, wait for the perfect timing and then vote.

How to Redeem FREE Watch Dogs Legion from NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series Card

The new graphics card from NVIDIA finally landed globally, and NVIDIA lined up an bundled AAA title together with these graphics card. If you purchase any of the GeForce RTX 30 Series, you'll get a free PC Digital Download of Watch Dogs Legion and in-game items.

Note: This guide will only work for graphics card that are purchased from the Philippines. Game code is only offered when you purchase the qualifying graphics card from September 17, 2020 until October 29, 2020 or while supplies last.

Qualified NVIDIA Graphics Card

Here are the complete list of qualified graphics card that can redeem the FREE games with any brand.

  • GeForce RTX 3090 / GeForce RTX 3090 Desktop
  • GeForce RTX 3080 / GeForce RTX 3080 Desktop
  • GeForce RTX 3070 / GeForce RTX 3070 Desktop

How to Get the FREE Watch Dogs Legion Code

First, you need to register your graphics card with the participating brands. You need a photo of the Serial Number and its invoice to get a redeem code. Below are the list of brand redeem page where you can register your RTX 30 series graphics card.

Brand Registration Page
AORUS https://ph.aorus.com/event-detail.php?i=1678
GALAX http://www.galax.com/en/webforms/index/index/id/117/
Inno3D http://www.inno3d.com/redemption_detail.php?refid=106
MSI https://www.msi.com/Promotion/watch-dogs-legion
Zotac https://www.zotac.com/ph/page/the-geforce-rtx-30-series-bundle
Palit ???
ASUS ???

You only need to enter the Serial Number, Country, Purchase Date, photo copy of Serial Number and Invoice. Make sure to fill up the name and email, this is where you'll get the code for the game.

How to Redeem the Code

To redeem the free games, you need to install the Graphics card into your PC.

Update to the latest driver and latest version of GeForce Experience. It should be v3.18 or higher.

Open GeForce Experience app then login your NVIDIA account.

At the top right corner, go to Account > Redeem.

The code will expired on November 30, 2020 or while supplies last. So make sure to redeem the code once you've obtained it.

PlayStation 5 Standard and Digital Edition Priced at $499 and $399 (With Specs)

Sony has announced the official retail price of its next gen PlayStation during the digital showcase event early this morning. As expected, the price is closed to XBOX Series X priced and the other variant with the same specs except for Blu-ray disc is less $100. The PlayStation 5 Standard Edition (Based) are priced at $499 (PHP 24,155), while the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition priced at $399 (PHP 19,300).

It will be available on the United States, Japan, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea on November 12 and to the rest of the world on November 19th.

However, the official price is solely for United States and it doesn't include taxes and shipping fees for other country. The price will be different when officially landed in the Philippines. But, when you order this console online like in Amazon or eBay and shipped to the Philippines, our estimate total cost will be PHP 30,170 for Standard Edition and PHP 24,335 for Digital Edition including Duty and VAT. That's if you're lucky enough to get a stock during the release date because of the hype ongoing with the new console.

Sample breakdown when ordering the product from United States to the Philippines.

PlayStation 5 (Standard Edition)

  • Based Price: PHP 24,155 ($499)
  • Estimated Duty & VAT: PHP 2,924
  • Shipping Fee: PHP 3,091
  • Total: PHP 30,170

PlayStation 5 (Digital Edition)

  • Based Price: PHP 19,300 ($399)
  • Estimated Duty & VAT: PHP 2,342
  • Shipping Fee: PHP 2,693
  • Total: PHP 24,335

Note, the prices above didn't include storage fee from custom and other miscellaneous.

PlayStation 5 Specification

Also, there are rumored specs circulating online on what supposed to be the specification of PlayStation 5. Here are the specs similar to the upcoming Radeon RX 6000 series graphics card.

  • CPU: x86-64-AMD Ryzen "Zen 2," 8 Cores / 16 Threads, Variable frequency, up to 3.5 GHz
  • GPU: AMD Radeon RDNA 2-based graphics engine, Ray Tracing Acceleration, Variable frequency, up to 2.23 GHz (10.3 TFLOPS)
  • System Memory: GDDR6 16 GB, 448 GB/s Bandwidth
  • SSD: 825 GB, 5.5GB/s Read Bandwidth (Raw – PCIe 4.0)
  • PS5 Game Disc: Ultra HD Blu-ray, up to 100GB/disc
  • Video Out: Support of 4K 120Hz TVs, 8K TVs, VRR (specified by HDMI ver.2.1)
  • Audio: "Tempest" 3D AudioTech

Are you ordering this new PlayStation 5 abroad? or you'll be waiting for the official release in the Philippines. Let us know in the comment section.

PlayStation 5 teases the Black Version for their upcoming Showcase Event, Sept 16

Sony just announced an upcoming showcase event next week for their next-gen console, PlayStation 5. Surprisingly, the promo image included in the announcement teases us the Black Version of the console, making us curious – if they changed their mind and include this variant during the launch this year.

UPDATE as of September 12, 2020 at 11:18PM: Unfortunately, the teases promo image is not a Black variant after all. It is just a shadow, we tried increasing the brightness in Photoshop and it shows the original white version.

Sony wants to give their fans one more look at some of the great games that will be coming to the PS5 launch. The digital showcase event will be lasts for about 40 minutes and features updates on the latest titles from Worldwide Studious and their world-class development partners.

The event will be lived on Twitch or YouTube next week, Wednesday, September 16 at 1pm PDT. In the Philippines, that's Thursday, September 17 at 4:00AM (Manila, Philippine Time).

PS5 Inside the Box, Here's What You Get

The next-gen Playstation (PS5) are just few months away, but Sony is so secretive in showing details of their new console. Apparently, there are some careless distributor leaks some information of what's inside the box including its Model Number and a FREE base.

Twitter user Daniel Ahmed uploaded a photo (https://twitter.com/ZhugeEX/status/1304458398369538051) showing parts of some kind of a document, maybe a manual. It contains complete details of what are the contents of both PS5 and PS5 Digital Edition retail boxes would be.

PlayStation 5 Console Inside the Box

  • Model Number: CFI-1015A
  • Box Contents:
    • PlayStation 5 Console
    • Wireless controller
    • 825GB SSD
    • Base
    • HDMI cable
    • AC power cord
    • USB cable
    • Instruction manual
    • ASTRO's PLAYROOM (Pre-installed game. Console may need to be updated to the latest system software version. Internet connection required.)

PlayStation 5 Digital Edition Inside the Box

  • Model Number: CFI-1015B
  • Box Contents:
    • PlayStation 5 Digital Edition
    • Wireless controller
    • 825GB SSD
    • Base
    • HDMI cable
    • AC power cord
    • USB cable
    • Instruction manual
    • ASTRO's PLAYROOM (Pre-installed game. Console may need to be updated to the latest system software version. Internet connection required.)

Both of the system contains the same content except for the console. It is also good thing to know that the storage are separate option from the console, which means it is not soldered in the system and it is replaceable with an aftermarket PCIe 4.0 SSD.

Unfortunately, other accessories like Headset, remote controller and HD camera are not included in the box.

66-Year-old Aiden Pearce is back on Watch Dogs Legion as a Playable Character

First protagonist of Watch Dogs franchise is back in the 3rd installment of the game 'Watch Dogs Legion'. The Fox, Aiden Pearce will be a playable character in the game, but since the Legion is set in the near future at 2040, he aged a little bit older at 66-year-old.

Aiden Pearce was born on May 2, 1974 at Northern Ireland, you played him in Watch Dogs 1 as a 39-year old in the fictional world of Chicago, beating the ctOS operating system that controls the city. In Watch Dogs 3 Legion, near-future London at 2040, he was aged 66 years old with a beard and he will be part in the side story of the game "Story Arc".

The Story Arc is an all-new chapter and only available in Season Pass. In this side-story, Aiden Pearce will be a fully playable character and you'll be unlocking his own story in the game. There are no details yet on how he re-appear in the game or he is a part of resistance, or even a leader of it?

Anyway, here is the full game teaser of the game introducing Aiden Pearce.

Watch Dogs: Legion is now available on XBOX One, PlayStation 4, and PC. It will be soon available on XBOX Series X, S and PlayStation 5 this year.

ASUS ROG announces up to PHP 25K off for selected RTX 2060, 2070 & 2080 Graphics Card

Just in! ASUS Republic of Gamers Facebook page just announced that they're adjusting the prices for their best-selling ROG GeForce RTX 20 Seires graphics card with up to PHP 25,020 off. However, there is no exact information yet if this mark down is available nationwide, or where/how to buy these deals. They only leave a link to their official retailers and resellers; and a note that says "We'll let the photos do the talking, and you do the card hunting.".

Updated as of 09/10/2020 at 10:57 PM, Back2Gaming reported that ASUS representative confirms that the mark down price will be effective starting tomorrow, September 11, 2020.

Here are the prices of card the are set to be mark down.

  • ROG RTX 2080S 08G – PHP 24,490 (PHP 49,510)
  • DUAL RTX 2080S 08G EVO V2 – PHP 23,450 (PHP 44,800)
  • ROG STRIX RTX 2080S A8G – PHP 23,950 (PHP 48,210)
  • ROG STRIX RTX 2070S 08G – PHP 21,450 (PHP 35,950)
  • ROG STRIX RTX 2070S A8G – PHP 20,830 (PHP 34,460)
  • DUAL RTX 2070 08G MINI – PHP 20,830 (PHP 24,170)
  • DUAL RTX 2070 08G EVO V2 – PHP 20,590 (PHP 24,810)
  • ROG STRIX RTX 2060S 08G EVO – PHP 19,610 (PHP 26,840)
  • DUAL RTX 2060S 08G EVO V2 – PHP 18,380 (PHP 24,170)
  • TUF RTX 2060 06G Gaming – PHP 17,940 (PHP 20,090)

This news is exciting for everyone as grabbing yourself an RTX 30 series this year is unsure because of the hype ongoing with its "double performance" against its predecessor. If this markdown is really for a nationwide sale, it will surely sold out their unsold graphics card from the market, because there are people waiting for ages to get a cheap upgrade. But if not, only lucky few folks will be able to enjoy this deal.

As of writing, the prices didn't reflect yet from their online shops at both Lazada and Shopee, some are even out of stock. We will update you with more details once we spot it 😉

Here is the Facebook post announcement.