There was a time when gaming in the Philippines meant physical spaces. Arcades echoed with coin drops and machine sounds, while computer shops became temporary homes for students skipping the afternoon heat after class. Gaming had limits then. Shops closed. Tokens ran out. Parents called the children home...

In the province, far from the bustling and sleepless Metro Manila where there exists a strange mix of “everyone-ness,” lies a certain magic that the country’s capital city, no matter how hard it tries (if it dares), won’t be able to replicate.

It might not be that obvious to the general public, but the Philippine publishing scene has seen significant growth in the past decade.