Netopia relaunches online gaming event
Leading Internet cafe Netopia has re-launched an online gaming event called Cyberleague 2010 to emphasize that the company is not just for Internet surfing but also as top venue for cyber games.
Interested gamers can register at any Netopia branch from May 1 to 30. 100 players are allowed to join in every Netopia branch nationwide. Elimination runs from June 10 to August 22 and the semi final will be held on September 22 to 26, 2010.
George Tan, Netopia president, said that the company is aggressive in tapping the bulk of about 18 million online gamers nationwide this year.
" With the rise of the gaming community, Netopia is the fast becoming the leading caterer for cybergamers in the country, and with this we shoot for being branded as the number 1 gaming hub nationwide," Tan said .
The company has no plans of expanding its branches nationwide but Tan said "we’re focusing more on improving our branches, and upgraded our computers right now."
Jito Grau, Netopia COO, explained that they want to change the perception that Netopia is not a gaming hub.
The company has been spending about P25 million yearly for the upgrade of their computers funded through internal cash flow.
Grau said the company revenue stood at P320 million last year from the rentals and franchise.
At present, the company has 119 branches nationwide of which 74 company are owned and 41 are franchised. There are about 240 average users daily per branch, of which about 15 to 20 percent are online gamers.
Number of outlets has been reduced from 145 last year to 119 as some branches had to close their business as they can’t afford the required upgrade of computers yearly.
Of the total estimated 25 million Internet users in the country, about 17 million to 18 million are online gamers. Netopia is optimistic to tap the bulk of these online gamers to boost revenue growth.
The Netopia CyberLeague aims to draw out the best gamers in the country.
"Netopia throughout the years has invested in high-end specs and facilities to provide our customers the ultimate gaming experience," said Grau.
Netopia is a business owned by Digital Paradise Inc., a subsidiary of e-PLDT the ICT arm of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT).