Pssst! Pinoys got Facebook game!

“Pssst! Pinoys got Facebook game!”

Wordtrotter, fondly dubbed “The World’s Coolest Word Game” by fans and gamers from around the world is now the first Filipino-created, Filipino-developed, and Filipino-owned video game on Facebook…

The game challenges players of all ages to guide an uncanny word bug known as Wordtrotter in a quest to catch mystical alphabet bugs, the Letterbugs, to form a secret magical word that will save the world from being destroyed by the curse of a wicked witch.

Or monsters will have them for lunch—alive!

Launched on Wordtrotter Facebook last November 9, 2009, Wordtrotter aims to stand toe-to-toe with foreign video games on the social platform.

Wordtrotter , currently ranks number one in the world in Google’s search results for the keyword phrase “world’s coolest word game.”

It also appears on top of over 204 million Yahoo! search results pages when you look for “free internet word game.”

“I am thrilled to unleash, by the grace of God, an offspring of innovation on Facebook,” Gil De Palma, Wordtrotter creator and President & CEO of comics/animation/video game company Palmagick Entertainment, said. “And it’s 100% proudly Filipino-made.”

Unique Homegrown Game

What could anyone possibly do with a word game—aside from guessing the game word? Everything has been pretty much cut-and-dried for this genre.

Test drive Wordtrotter and you’ll discover that it’s unlike any word game you have ever played before.

It’s like a fusion of three of popular video games—Pacman, Text Twist, and Snake—framed by De Palma’s distinctive creative twist.

“First, I put the game within a story,” De Palma said. “Then I told the story as a game.”

The synergy of game mechanics gave birth to a unique word game with an engaging mystery, engaging gameplay and distinctive design and skill requirements that feature a far greater entertainment value than what each of the abovementioned individual game offers.

Play Wordtrotter as a word game or a puzzle game or a casual-action game, but you’ll have to watch your words (literally!) for it is engaging and so much fun you’ll hardly notice that you’re building your vocabulary as you play.

But that’s just the beginning of your Wordtrotter adventure…

Can You Find the Word that will Save the World?

The curse of the wicked witch Grimmar has plunged the bug world Wordth into darkness. You must guide an uncanny word bug known as Wordtrotter in a quest to catch mystical alphabet bugs that form the Anti-Spell, a secret magical word that will save Wordth from destruction.

Seek out dictionary bugs, the Vocabugs, to obtain word clues like synonyms, antonyms, and definitions to help you catch the right word.

To power up your Wordtrotter and earn bonus points, feed it with bugstuff found on top of Wordth’s sleepy letter-shaped hills.

Watch out for bug traps!

Grimmar has discovered your mission, dispatching her bug-eating monsters, the Buggers, to smother you.

If you fail, they will devour your Wordtrotter—alive.

You may implore Def the Forgetful Wizard for a talisman that will give you magical powers—but use it at your own risk. The absentminded wizard randomly grants both helpful and harmful powers.

Otherwise, just pile up game points to earn Wordtrotter Coins and use them to purchase power up items. It will also unlock magical powers that you can send as a gift to your friends.

Find the word. Save the world. Achieve score milestones to win Wordtrotter Crowns. Hot tip: The last crown rewards you with 100 coins.

Win a free game! Achieve 100,000 game points to download a free Wordtrotter special edition game. All this you can easily share with your friends on Facebook.

Oh, and…just try not to become a Bugger’s lunch.

It’s Got Full Facebook Social Gaming Functionality!

Wordtrotter comes with full Facebook application functionality so you can enjoy it with all your friends here: http://apps.facebook.com/wordtrotter/

You want to share the game? Easy. Just one click and your friends will get it.

You want the world to know your top score? Just click!

You want to send a free game, power-up gifts, and other game freebies? The Wordtrotter FB app will handle it all for you.

Wordtrotter even features an in-game coin system that allows you to buy magic powers and other game items on the fly.

One of the coolest things is that you can also invite friends and compare scores (and brag!) on the game’s leaderboard.

And you and your friends and friends’ friends can all be a Wordtrotter fan right here: www.wordtrotter.com/facebook

Of course, if you fail to get the right word, everyone in your list will know, too!

How to Make the First Filipino Facebook Game

Wordtrotter is an all-Filipino child with one birthfather and two sets of adoptive parents, in a manner of speaking.

“I did not do it alone,” said De Palma, also the founder of video game publishing company Gameris, Inc. “It took months of prayers, hard work, and fun with the best team I have ever worked with.”

De Palma considers his partners, businessman Johnny Tamayo and lawyer Ma. Arlene Mendoza, as Wordtrotter’s first adoptive parents.

“Leny and Johnny were there at the onset, sharing their business acumen and legal expertise to help me conceive a game that would break the mold,” De Palma says.  “I could have never done it without them.”

Then there’s the Palmagick team of Filipino artists and programmers that helped him turn his concept and story into a world-class video game.

“My team works like a street gang,” De Palma said. “We go at every project tooth and nail as one man.”

It worked well when he gave the game a whimsical letter-shaped world with a distinctive gravitational orientation—characters trot and jump horizontally, vertically, and even upside down—never been seen in any other Flash games before.

De Palma said: “There were no available source codes we could use as a model. The forums didn’t have any answer to our development queries either. The notion that innovation spells the difference between a leader and a follower gave us the impetus to do it on our own—from scratch.”

Creative Director Jd Dimanarig and Graphic Artist/Animator Cristian Sigua collaborated with Lead Programmers Roy Sanchez and Rafael Hingco, researching, experimenting, and complementing each other with creative and technical input to build Wordtrotter’s unique game engine.

“Let’s build the “awesomest” word game!” It was the team’s development war cry, according to De Palma. “Of course, we would change it to ‘coolest’ later,” he said.

The Facebook project duo of Technical Director/Web Designer Fred Timajo and Senior Game Programmer Jan Manalaysay teamed up with De Palma, Dimanarig, and Sanchez again to integrate Wordtrotter into the social platform as an application.

When the FB project hit a snag right about the same time when Sanchez also discovered a game-breaking bug, the gang would strike again… The rest of the team, including SEO Chief Mary Rivera and Social Media Manager Ina Mangalindan who supposedly were supposedly just in-charge of search engine optimization and Internet marketing, backed them up with research, programming, and game testing works to surmount the hurdles.

Singapore-based Creative Directors Joni Raso and Jeff Mendoza also provided artistic guidance to the team. Gameris’ Tamayo and Mendoza likewise suggested ways to help make the first Filipino Facebook game application globally competitive.

“God gets the glory,” De Palma said. “Right from the start, the Lord has blessed with a team that’s on top of its game. I knew then that we could make this Facebook game.”

Let’s Make History!

Test-drive Wordtrotter on Facebook and see that Filipinos can hold their own against the best in the world.

And yes, you’ll be playing the first Filipino-created, Filipino-developed, and Filipino-owned video game on Facebook—with your head held high…

It’s your game!

“Wordtrotter puts a piece of video game history in the hands of Filipinos,” De Palma said. “And we can all proudly say, ‘We got Facebook game!’ ”

So you think you can find the word that will save the world? Play WordTrotter at www.wordtrotter.com/facebook

By Gil De Palma

The words you know can make or break you.

There’s no way around it. No excuses. We’re all at the mercy of our vocabulary.

Success is too closely akin to winning word games.

In my word game Wordtrotter (play the free internet game here), the beleaguered word bug must possess an extensive vocabulary to catch alphabet bugs and form a magical word to save the world from being destroyed by the curse of an evil witch…

Everybody knows that Obama’s forceful language has helped carry him to the White House…

And you may be engaged in a more challenging endeavor than saving the world or the presidency…

But one thing is for sure—you all have to flex your language muscle.

As you will soon see, a large and precise vocabulary is a key element of success in word games as well as in real life.

Say what? People judge you by the words you use.

Whether you like it or not, people use your spoken and written language to form an opinion of you.

Cool?

Say that word to different folks and imaginary personality rating stars seem to pop up over your head—

—Two stars for education…

—One and a half stars (if you’re lucky) for intelligence…

—Two stars for competence…

—Five stars (if you’re a famous DJ) for level of career success…

Add the word “dude” and you’re rating gets even more interesting.

People can’t help it. Your vocabulary consequently paints a mental picture of your personality. To most of them, you are what you speak.

Before they even get to know you.

Or see you.

But…But…But…

What if CNN asks Obama this question: “What makes you think you can still steer the course this nation out of recession?”

And he answers, “Well, y’all know I’m a cool dude. Cool?”

Aha! Now you also see the stars, don’t you?

Remember: most of the time, you only get one chance to make a positive impression and show people high rating stars.

Scientific fact: vocabulary scores are the only measure found to highly correlate with your career and financial success.

More than any of your quantifiable characteristics, your vocabulary level could indicate your level of success.

Yep.

Consistently.

Scientific studies conducted by The Human Engineering Lab, the Johnson O’Connor Research Foundation, and several universities confirmed that the extent of vocabulary knowledge is the best predictor of overall personal, academic, and professional success.

Vocabulary is almost like your personal fortuneteller. Only more accurate—and a lot cheaper.

Do you want to know the future and see where your vocabulary knowledge can take you? Read this…

Corporate vocabulary tests conducted at 39 major manufacturing companies by the Johnson O’Connor Research Foundation, a non-profit aptitude testing organization, revealed that people in executive positions scored an average of 150 points higher than floor bosses.

Here’s a snapshot of the results of one vocabulary test:

Position Vocabulary Points

Executive 236

Manager 168

Superintendent 140

Foremen 114

Floor Boss 86

And here’s a fascinating piece of information: the research also showed that executives actually score higher on vocabulary tests than PhDs and college professors.

A research conducted by the Human Engineering Laboratory on thousands of people in diverse careers, gender, and age groups yielded a similar result: those who scored highest on the vocabulary test draw the highest salaries.

There’s some kind of a pattern here, don’t you think?

Word power equals wealth power, or something like that.

I know, I know, you can whip up award-winning killer quotes to better illustrate the point. Hey, cut me some slack, dudes. Cool? (Ah, there go my rating stars!) It’s three in the morning and I’m testing the latest Wordtrotter game demos, answering tons of e-mails from addicted players, and editing my business plan as I write this article.

But don’t sweat it, the scientists have pretty much nailed the success secret for the rest of us:

The capability to achieve success depends highly on the ability to communicate effectively.

Again, just like playing word games, knowing the right words is the key.

What a superior vocabulary can do for you

• Help you excel in school and get top grades in IQ tests, SAT, GMAT, GRE, TOEFL and other tests
• Get you ahead with advanced reading and comprehension skills
• Provide you with career-boosting opportunities for promotion and income generation
• Grant you immediate respect, credibility, and leadership qualities
• Enhance your communication skills
• Expand your writing skills
• Equip you with the right words to express your ideas and be a better conversationalist
• Empower you with the knowledge and confidence to be a better public speaker
• Give you a distinct edge over your competitors in career progression and business

In a nutshell, if you want to boost your personal, academic, and professional success, you must build an expansive vocabulary.

Now.

I don’t think it’s a good idea to do it the night before your job interview.

Can you imagine Obama boning up on power words on the eve of his debate with Hilary Clinton?

So do it now. Who knows, you might find yourself in a presidential debate someday.

Want to know a word power secret?

You already know this…

I’m sure you will agree with me that vocabulary building will be much easier if you do it as an enjoyable activity…

The keyword here is fun.

Like playing word games, for example.

(You knew I was going to say that, didn’t you?)

But really, word games are by far the most exciting and engaging way to learn, remember, and master new vocabulary.

They make learning and practice fun…

Unless a dictionary can keep you focused and motivated for hours.

Okay, what will you do if I give you a free word game?

Will you play the game to boost your vocabulary?

If you say yes, I’ll give you a Wordtrotter mini-game…

FREE!

As part of my education advocacy, I want to help people around the world prepare for future success by enhancing their English vocabulary—I will put a free Wordtrotter mini-game in their computer.

Your computer as well.

Obama’s computer, too—if he still has the time to have fun and catch runaway letters to form a word.

Download Wordtrotter for your computer now.

It’s just a mini-game version, but I hope it can jumpstart your vocabulary building.

One more thing Barack Obama, a Wordtrotter, and You Have in Common

Dudes, y’all can play Wordtrotter for free.

Cool?

INDNJC

by Gil De Palma

Quick, what does INDNJC stand for?

Some of you may already know this.

Hint: Musical genius Johann Sebastian Bach often wrote the letters INDNJC at the bottom of a manuscript.

It is also my secret to creating Wordtrotter. You will find it in the end of the Wordtrotter game credits.

But first, let me tell you my story about how working INDNJC brought forth what we fondly call “the coolest word game in the world.”

By the time you finish reading this, you’ll pretty much have an inkling of what this mysterious acronym is all about…

I was at my wit’s end. Clueless. Beating my brains out for days trying to pin down ideas that would constitute an innovative online word game.

Nothing.

What could anyone possibly do with a word game—aside from guessing the game word? Everything has been pretty much cut-and-dried for this genre.

Game developers have chosen to copy each other’s games to a point where people no longer expect innovation and excellence.

My friends and business partners, lawyer Leny Mendoza and businessman Johnny Tamayo, were expecting—in less than an hour—THE groundbreaking computer game concept that I promised to present to them.

We all agreed that our Internet word game should break the mold or we wouldn’t do it at all. 

Portals offer video games by being Wal-Mart; we choose the Brand of One path.

The notion that innovation spells the difference between a leader and a follower has brought us together to choose a different approach…

“We should go for a non-violent family-oriented video game that would create a niche in the educational genre while making a broader appeal to the general casual gamers.” Hey, always anticipate Johnny to up the ante.

“For copyright purposes, there should be nothing quite like it out there.” Leny wanted a unique built-from-scratch engine for the game. “And our game should be fun and compelling enough to stand alone as a brand.”

Challenging partners? Man, you should sit in on one of our meetings.   

Or eavesdrop on my creative huddle with “the boys” of the Palmagick team…

You’ll discover that our Creative Directors Jd Dimanarig and Christian Sigua, Lead Programmers Roy Sanchez and Rafael Hingco, and even our Chief Web Designer Fred Timajo Jr. can hold their own against the best in the world.

You’ll agree that our VP for Production Joni Raso and Art Director Jeff Mendoza are really on top of their game. 

They constantly strive for excellence and treat each project like it’s the last thing they’ll ever do.

“Let’s make the “awesomest” word game!” It was the clear consensus among the boys. (Of course, we would change it to “coolest” later.) 

And you don’t present a pedestrian concept to the Palmagick team—even if you’re the company’s CEO.

They have already shot down every lameass (please pardon the industry term) word game idea I tossed at them.       

Luckily, I have already done my homework and prepared a business plan based on what I learned about the video game industry…

• According to PricewaterhouseCoopers, it is expected to grow from $42 billion in 2007 to more than $68 billion in 2012, a growth rate 10.3 percent better than all other media sectors.
• The biggest category, console games, will get bigger by 7 percent annually from 2007 global sales of about $25 billion to about $35 billion in 2012.
•  Internet and wireless gaming will lead the way. Online games will shoot up 17 percent from $6.6 billion to $14.4 billion. Wireless games will jump from $5.6 billion to 13.5 billion.  

Several industry studies on the sales, demographics, and usage data for the computer and video game industry also indicate similar phenomenal growth, with 50% of the revenue coming from Asia.

The video game industry is even bigger than Hollywood!

However, it is the information I discovered about the new breed of gamers that is more interesting…

• 65% of households play computer and video games
• 63% of parents are convinced that video games are a positive part of their children’s lives
• the average game player is 35 years old and has been playing for 13 years
• 26% of gamers are over the age of 50
• 44% of gamers are women. In fact, there are more female gamers age 18 or older of 18 (33%) than boys age 17 or younger (18%)
• the average playing time of PC gamers is 18.5 hours per week

Video gaming is no longer just for kids. The industry is really redefining next generation entertainment.

Nice. But…

None of the above would be of any particular use to me in our meeting.

Forty-five minutes before the meeting, I still got nothing for Leny and Johnny. Not even a game name.

Should I just throw in the creative towel and present an animation project instead?

My superhero pack, the TaeKwonDoggs, has been waiting for me for quite sometime.

And the boys have been aching to do it, too.

Yeah, cop out.

But that would mean turning my back on a lifelong dream—ever since I played Pacman—of making my own video game. A dream rekindled by hours of online Text Twist. Fanned into flame by Snake on my mobile phone. Set ablaze by Starcraft.

No!

It has never been my habit to give up. I was not about to start.

I prayed for guidance.

That was when I realized that distracted by my sheer exuberance, I’ve been foolishly trying too hard to beat my personal deadline, losing my balance between work and rest.

I became too preoccupied with creating the great game concept that I unwittingly prioritized productivity more than prayer, forgetting to work INDNJC.

How could I be so arrogant to do it on my own?

The solution was staring at me all along…

Prayork.

No, no, no, it’s not a typo. It’s a portmanteau word from pray and work that I coined to describe work as a form of prayer.

To me, prayorking is working in partnership with God for His greater honor and glory. Everything else is secondary.

Admitting in all humility that apart from God there is nothing I can do.

It is all about depending on God’s mighty power within me to help me do better than my best.

Here’s my ABC of prayork:

• Accepting that work is a gift from God.
• Believing that work is our gift to God.
• Contributing time, talent, and treasure in a manner worthy of God.

And here’s the secret only my soul knows…

I do it all INDNJC.

Latin abbreviation for In Nomine Domini Nostri Jesu Christi.

In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Relying not in what I do for Christ, but in what Christ does for me.

Prayorking INDNJC.

I knew then that I got my game.

About thirty minutes before my meeting, prayork kicked in and the concept came to me like a long lost memory.

Like I already had it all in me in the past and I only had to remember it…

Like watching the re-run of an old movie…

I saw myself playing Pacman, Text Twist, and Snake once again—only this time they’re all in my own game—

Amazing! Familiar, yet dissimilar.

—and I knew what Wordtrotter would be like.

Two thumbs up from the Palmagick team.

In moments of grace like these, it’s difficult not to find tears running down your cheeks in gratitude.

What an awesome God!

I arrived at the meeting five minutes ahead of Johnny. Leny turned up right on time. And in so many words they said: “We have our game.”

I was smiling to myself.

I had the game the moment I started prayorking.

INDNJC.