Experience has taught: “CASH IS KING, especially in small companies, and you should always protect your cash flow, even at the expense of growing a little slower. Gabby Dizon, Senior Producer at Boomzap Entertainment, feels that the game market in Southeast Asia has been overlooked, although as a region it is very active in social and mobile games. Because of low ARPU, this market has been underserved, but he says, “The rise of free-to-play games, as well as a very socially active population, means that opportunities continue to increase. There are now many ways to benefit from the Southeast Asia market.” Now he is optimistic about SEA market’s future.
Working With Game
Gabby brings a life-long passion for games to his work in the industry. He grew up with PC games and went on to study IT in college specifically because he wanted a career making games. He spent several years in web development before getting his first break in games.Ten years later, he continues making games.
In Gabby’s work as Senior Producer, he coordinates the milestones and releases of all projects across the company. Boomzap releases five to seven original titles each year. Factor in Mac builds, localization, streaming and iOS, and the result is more than one hundred SKUs over the year. Everyone on the team is intensely involved in their own aspect of each project. Gabby’s responsibility is to oversee all the projects at the macro level and communicate with the publishers about these projects. He also leads the QA team that ensures the quality of all products. Because he has spent ten years in design and production, he is well aware of the pressures involved in delivering a great game. This perspective is invaluable in his position as a producer in the company.
Maintaining Balance
Over the past ten years, Gabby has seen a maturation of the game industry. The demographics are changing as gamers grow older; people who played games in the 80s and 90s are still playing. The game industry changes at a very rapid pace, and people in this industry must struggle to find a proper work/life balance. At Boomzap, a major emphasis ia making sure the team makes great games, but still has a happy, well balanced life outside the company. He tells us, “I’m incredibly proud of helping to shape Boomzap into what it is now—a creator of several #1 games for PC and mobile while at the same time we have enough time for family and our own personal pursuits outside of work.”
As Gabby considers the challenges he has faced in his career, he emphasizes the importance of profitability and maintaining an adequate cash flow. In 2005, he opened his own game company, but was forced to close down in 2009 as a result of cash flow problems. He insists this experience taught him, “CASH IS KING, especially in small companies, and you should always protect your cash flow, even at the expense of growing a little slower. Nothing makes you sleep better at night than knowing you have enough money in the bank to pay everyone in the studio.”
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