...the puzzle collector

Filipina retiree awarded Guinness World Record for biggest jigsaw puzzle collection

 

By ROEHL NIÑO BAUTISTA,

GMA News

November 29, 2012

 

 

 

TAGAYTAY CITY— The Guinness World Record for the largest collection of jigsaw puzzles has officially been broken by Gina Gil Lacuna, a Filipina.

A 3D puzzle of the Sydney Opera House sits in front of a Mayan Pyramid replica. On the foreground is a 3D model of the Tokyo skyline. Gina Gil-Lacuna collects various kinds of puzzles, often exploring forms beyond the standard 2D jigsaws. Photos by Roehl Niño Bautista

 

Lacuna surpassed the record previously held by Brazil's Luiza Figueiredo, who reigned for two years, when officials certified her on Thursday.

With 1,028 puzzles in her collection, Lacuna, a retired businesswoman, was hailed as the new title holder through the size of her collection, which eclipsed the old record five fold.

“I started doing puzzles when I got to Hong Kong 26 years ago,” said Lacuna, who solved a 5000-piece Disney set for her son, Gino. “Doing puzzles is not easy, that’s why I don’t get any help!”

All of her completed puzzles are housed at the Puzzle Mansion in Tagaytay. They range from mural-sized classic paintings and custom-made photos to toy-like wooden figures and miniature replicas of cities.

“According to doctors, working on difficult jigsaw puzzles exercises the brain,” said Lacuna in an earlier press release. “The more you work your brain, the better off your mind will be.”

An upcoming addition to her collection is an almost 32,000-piece puzzle measuring 17 feet tall and 6 feet wide: a Keith Haring Double Retrospect set, believed to be the biggest in existence today.

Gina Gil Lacuna (left) is officially awarded the Guinness World Record for the largest puzzle collection by adjudicator Seyda Subasi Gemici of Turkey.

“I want to finish that by February next year,” Lacuna told visitors at the awarding ceremony at the Puzzle Mansion.

Lacuna’s discipline has impressed Guinness World Records Adjudicator Seyda Subasi Gemici of Turkey. She allots three to four hours each day to work on her puzzles, finishing one to five of them at a time.

“She is strict in following her own rules, and I like people like her,” said Gemici, who is on her fifth assignment for Guinness in the Philippines. - KDM, GMA News

...the Diablo III artist

3D artist of 'Diablo III' is Filipino

ABS-CBNnews.com

05/22/2012

 

 

MANILA, Philippines – A Filipino-American artist is part of the team behind hit action role-playing game “Diablo III.”

 

Richie Marella, a US-based artist who was born in the Philippines, is one of the 3D artists of the computer game.

Marella was featured in a video posted on the official YouTube page of “Diablo 3,” where he and other artists talked about the game.

“You’re going to really need to use your gems and your enchants (enhancements) to really boost up your defense just to survive and not get one-shotted,” he said in the video, which aimed to answer the question “How hard is this game going to be in Nightmare difficulty (and above)?”

“You really got to play as a team in the later difficulties,” he added.

Facebook user Ahyan Serul gave the tip about the Fil-Am artist to ABS-CBNnews.com on Monday, calling Morella “a pure-blooded Filipino we would always be proud of.”

Morella’s website, Sketchlab7, features his 3D artworks and sketches of mostly game characters. It also has links to his other pages on Facebook, Twitter, DeviantArt and Blogger.

On his DeviantArt page, where he uses the name “Wreckonning,” Marella said he visited the Philippines last April, a month before “Diablo III” was released.

“In the Philippines for a little vacation. It’s been almost 20 years since I’ve been back. It’s nice to be back home,” he said.

...the "lucky cities"

Manila one of world's top gambling spots

abs-cbnNEWS.com

07/25/2011

MANILA, Philippines - Manila is one of the best places in the world to try your luck and splash your cash, according to an online travel company.

Expedia Australia said the Philippines' sprawling capital is one of the world's top gaming destinations not only for its favorable exchange rate and world-class casinos, but also for its wide range of shopping and entertainment options.

"Manila provides great value for Aussies wanting to live the high life overseas," it said in a statement.

Macau and Las Vegas, 2 of the world's largest gambling destinations, are also included in the list. The former Portuguese colony has no less than 33 casinos as well as local horse and greyhound racing venues, while the most populous city in Nevada, United States has over 1,700 licensed casinos in operation.

Expedia Australia said Monte Carlo, home to the Monaco Grand Prix and the legendary Casino de Monte Carlo, "provides a spectacular and luxurious setting for the wealthy and wealthy wannabees" while Paradise Island in Bahamas offers a "sprawling Vegas by the sea."

Below is the online travel company's complete list of the world's best holiday spots for high rollers:

• Monte Carlo, Monaco
• Paradise Island, Bahamas
• Melbourne, Australia
• Macau, China
• Baden-Baden, Germany
• Las Vegas, United States
• Manila, Philippines
• Sun City, South Africa
• Atlantic City, United States
• Genting Highlands, Malaysia

...the game designers

Pinoys place 2nd in global game design tilt

JM TUAZON, GMA News

07/22/2011

For the second year running, the Philippines bagged one of the top spots in the Imagine Cup, a global student technology competition hosted by software giant Microsoft.

With their puzzle game application entitled "Conjunct!," the De La Salle University (DLSU) team Signum Fidei (Latin for "Sign of Faith") garnered the second place in the Game Design Web subcategory of the 2011 youth software development tilt.

"Conjunct!" is a game challenging the player to clear boards overlaid with photos of real-life global problems.

In 2010, the Ateneo de Manila University team By Implication took home the grand prize in the same category, with their application called "Wildfire," a game about saving the world with the help of social action and volunteerism.

“Winning in this year’s Imagine Cup is a big achievement for the Philippines," said Tim Vergel de Dios, academic developer evangelist, Microsoft Philippines.

The DLSU team—composed of Jeriah KJell Miranda, Thomas Tiam-Lee, Keven Hernandez, and Jenina Chua—said their idea for the game was inspired by the game Tetris, coupled with the competition's theme focused on the United Nations Millenium Development Goals.

“As we realize the vast problems faced by the world today, we saw how Filipinos can make a difference; through our game, we have combined social awareness concepts in order to help make a difference by showing the people the various realities taking place in our world," said Tiam-Lee.

The 2011 edition of Microsoft's competition pooled together more than 400 students from over 70 countries competing in five different categories: software design, embedded development, game design, digital media and Windows Phone 7.

In the category where the Philippines won, Poland took the first place while Slovakia placed third.

To further promote the goals of the Imagine Cup, Microsoft announced a three-year $3 million grant program for the participating students of the competition.

The grant would include, among other things, cash, software, training and consulting support from the technology firm.

“Microsoft is very committed to nurture the talents and skills of all its students and through the grant, we hope to be able to further enhance their capabilities with the help of innovative technology," de Dios said.

“Our Philippine teams have shown potential in the aspect of using technology to help transform simple ideas into technologies that can help transform the way people work," he added. — TJD, GMA News

...the Jeopardy champ

Fil-Am becomes two-time Jeopardy champ

by Henni Espinosa

ABS-CBN North America Bureau

06/21/2011

REDWOOD CITY, California – A former employee of The Filipino Channel (TFC) brought big news with him when he returned for a mini-reunion with his former co-workers.

Twenty-nine year old Jericho Saria became a two-time champion of the popular American quiz show, Jeopardy.

"I'm really proud of him. Ever since I've known Jericho, he's always wanted to be on Jeopardy. Even when he was working (in TFC) I knew he was already trying to get on the show," said Mitos Briones, a friend of Saria.

"We thought at the time that he was joking around, but now that we get to see him on Jeopardy, it's crazy. It's really surreal and I think he did great," said Dario Celevante, another buddy of Saria.

Saria was born and raised in Stockton, California. He said that he has followed Jeopardy since he was a kid. Three years ago, he started taking the show’s online test.

When he was chosen as a contestant last January, he began to train hard. He said being unemployed at that time helped him focus.

"I wake up and start studying," said Saria. "Have lunch, dinner, then go back to studying, go to sleep. This is pretty much my schedule for four weeks straight."

His first Jeopardy appearance was on June 2. He became the champion, bagging $29,000.

For his second showing on June 3, he won again, raking in $24,000.

"Getting the reaction from all my friends, the positive reaction from everyone, it made me realize that being a Jeopardy champ is something really special," Saria said.

His championship run may have ended on June 6, but Saria says his future with game shows continues. He is planning to compete on another game show – "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?"

...the Sudoku master

2 Pinoy teens win Sudoku tournament in China

abs-cbnNEWS.com

05/23/2011

 

MANILA, Philippines - Two Filipino students won top prizes in an international Sudoku tournament held in Beijing, China last week.

Sarah Jane Cua, 16, won the first prize in the "under 18" category of the Kejia Pengcheng Cup Beijing International Sudoku Tournament 2011 held from May 19 to 22. The incoming Management Engineering freshman at the Ateneo de Manila University received a cash prize of $500 and a trophy.


Cua was declared grand champion in the Brand's Asia Pacific Sudoku Challenge 2010 held in Singapore last year. She won the same title in 2008.

The 16-year-old was also the grand champion in the 2009 and 2010 Philippine Sudoku Super Challenge, an annual contest conducted by the Mathematics Trainers Guild-Philippines (MTG) and SM Supermalls.

Placing second in last week's tournament was Timothy James Tan, a 14-year-old incoming third year student at Trinity Christian School in Bacolod City. He received $400 and a certificate.

Tan was the grand champion in the Sudoku Grandmaster category of the 5th Philippine Sudoku Super Challenge held in January this year. He also won first place in the Sudoku Wizard Division of the same competition in 2010.

Aside from Sudoku, Cua and Tan have also represented the country in various math contests abroad.

...the videogame master

 Pinoy is videogame champ in California

By Henny Espinosa

ABS-CBN North America News Bureau

02/08/2011

 

 

SUNNYVALE, California - A Filipino is making a career out of playing video games in California.

Twenty-five year old Ryan Ramirez considers himself an athlete. He makes sure he's physically fit, focused and energized.

For 8 years now, Ramirez has played video games competitively and his forte-- Street Fighter.

"I always had this competitive feeling and for some reason I can’t get it in sports so I transferred it to video gaming," Ramirez said.

Because of his skill, Ramirez gets challenged all the time.

Ramirez is the Street Fighter king of California, winning 34 tournaments, the most for any player.

His biggest win was when he beat the world's most famous Street Fighter player--Japan's Daigo Umehera three times last year.

Because he's so good at the game and because he lost his job as an accounts manager 2 weeks ago, Ramirez has decided to play games for a living.

"In one tournament, I would earn $6,000. So it's not bad money," he said.

To train for Evolution World Finals, the biggest open competitive fighting game tournament to be held in July in Las Vegas, Ramirez plays for hours at the Sunnyvale Golf Land.

He's currently sponsored by Borderline Gaming for all his training needs.

Ramirez says videogaming is not necessarily a waste of time for kids and teenagers.

"Would they rather have their kids to actually play video games or do drugs or be in a gang and get in trouble all the time?” he said.

Ramirez said he does not see himself retiring 5, 10 years from now.

"I'll probably say I'll still play competitively but I think I'll try to get a real job,” he added.

...the protagonist

Pacquiao to star in online game -- UAE news report

abs-cbnNEWS.com

01/31/2011

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao in an online video game? Not impossible.

An Abu Dhabi-based company is planning to create a game which will feature the boxing champion as one of the characters, according to a report in The National, a news website in the United Arab Emirates.

Karkadann Games, a video games company which only debuted this month, said it will attempt to perk the "Pacquiao" character a little bit for the game.

"We're not necessarily going to focus on boxing, we're going to focus on Manny and all the different things that he can represent," Karkadann's general manager, David Ortiz, said.

The company said the Pacquiao-based game will be released online where their target market will have to pay to play.

However, the venture will only come after the Karkadann's first upcoming project, Cricket Power: ICC World Cup 2011, set to be released next month.

Karkadann, a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Media Company (AMDC), said it is looking forward to the release of the video games. It hopes to make online gaming more popular in the region.

"This is an untapped market. I think that the Arabic space is probably where you're going to find the next CityVille or FarmVille [online games] in terms of magnitude," Ricky Ghai, the head of ADMC's digital department, said.

According to the report, video games are becoming a huge hit in the Middle East region.

They are also expected to get a boost this year, with researches foreseeing the market to grow into $86.8 billion for 2014 from $52.5 billion in 2010.

...the social gamers

First Pinoy Facebook game taps into social media

01/18/2011

 

The power unit of business conglomerate Aboitiz Corp. is taking to social media to push its environment agenda by creating a Facebook game application that is geared towards educating people about the concepts of carbon footprints and cleaner and renewable sources of energy.

The game, called Alter Space, is reputedly the first Facebook game to be developed locally. It was commissioned by AboitizPower. According to Socialbakers.com,

The energy provider is taking advantage of social games as there are about 56 million Facebook users playing daily and 290 million playing monthly. Up to 265 million Facebook gamers, meanwhile, spend 210 minutes playing games. Twenty-percent of these game players even pay cash for in-game benefits.

In the Philippines, 54 percent of social networking site users cite gaming as the reason they log on, the company said. According to Socialbakers.com, there are over 20.8 million Filipinos —or just under 21 percent of the country's total population— on Facebook as of January 2010.

In Alter Space, the game players’ mission is to take care of their own little planet. They do this by keeping their carbon footprint levels low, while still keeping their Happiness levels up. They will have to accomplish fun tasks and challenges while their carbon footprint is measured.

Every choice they make affects their environment, and the game always gives feedback as to whether the player’s choice was environmentally sound or not. They can also invite friends to be their neighbors, and their over-all carbon footprint as a community will be calculated.

If they fail to make the cleaner and greener choice, their virtual planet will experience disasters like Smog, which cause their avatar to lose interaction, and Heat Wave, wherein they will have to perform extra tasks or pay a fee to bring their carbon footprint down.

Aside from the carbon footprint calculator, game players’ progress is also measured through their Happiness level, Current-cy, and Experience points.

Mini-games, meanwhile, provide game players an interactive way with which they could learn more about the different sources of cleaner and renewable energy. Harvesting alternative energy is how they earn points in their planet — a significant function of the game that encourages players to seek out and use alternative energy.

The mini-games include Solar, wherein they are tasked to catch as many sunbeams as they can; Geo, wherein they are asked to click the steam that goes out of the valves of hot spots; and Hydro, wherein they create a passageway for the water to reach turbines.

Practical tips, trivia, and other features guide players along as they strive to make their virtual planet a cleaner and greener one.

While addressing the bigger issues of carbon footprint reduction and environmental preservation, Alter Space employs some uniquely Filipino features in doing so. The use of pamaypay (the Philippine native fan), the playing of the game sungka, and eating what is colloquially call “dirty ice cream" are incorporated into the game for that distinct Filipino flavor.

The Facebook game is scheduled to be launched on February 7, although players can take a peek by visiting www.facebook.com/AlterSpaceGame. — Newsbytes.ph