In the zone
April 28, 2006 | 12:00am
You could call it the middle ages of gaming in the Philippines: in the past, arcades were usually situated in a dimly lit corner of the mall, and the featured games were monolithic, cumbersome, and usually violent. Not a good environment for teens (and young ones) to hang out in. Plus, gamers had to deal with those pesky tokens, which they ended up mixing and confusing with one-peso coins. The arcade machines also shared space with kitschy animal rides (which were rarely used since only a few kids wanted to bob up and down on a giant mechanical duck). Enter Timezone and the gaming scene changed. You can call it an arcade renaissance of sorts.
The first Timezone center was put up at the Ayala Center in Cebu in ’98, and then followed afterwards by the flagship Timezone branch at the fourth floor of Glorietta in Makati. In the late 1997, Ayala Land Inc. entered into a joint venture with LAI Australia establishing Leisure and Allied Industries (LAI) Philippines Inc. Take note that the Philippines is now the second to the biggest operator of Timezone.
"During the Asian crisis, we started on the wrong foot. The peso value went from 26 to 31 and even higher," says, Rafael Prats Jr., president and general manager of Timezone. "Our business relies a lot on imported machines. We pay a higher exchange rate so it was a bit of a challenge."
Over the years, Timezone evolved from being just a video parlor. Aside from the Timezone Classic, there are new store editions like the Timezone Arena (geared for the adult market, the young-at-heart), Timezone Express (for impulse players, the ones shopping and being mesmerized by those inviting machines) and TZ Active (music and sports activities for teens). Indeed, there is something for everyone. Which reminds you of what Kevin Costner said in Field of Dreams: "If you build it, they will come." How gamers came in droves to those Timezone branches.
When the Dance Dance Revolution was such a hit in the States, Timezone was the first to bring it to Manila. The game, touted as "the hottest entertainment machine," became such a craze and people lined up just to get jiggy with it.
Timezone also put up new machines like the Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune 2, Initial D3, Ghost Squad, Slam N’ Jam, Adlib of the Wind, and Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection. Enough to keep one busy and redeem prizes.
Timezone was the first to use the Powercard system in place of those tricky tokens. This modern, computerized ATM-like card stores credits and the tickets won. "The great thing about the Powercard is that you can track everything and it is very convenient. Most customers appreciate that because they do not have to count tickets anymore since they’re stored in the card."
Another thing that sets Timezone apart from other arcades is that the company is run by a very young, dynamic team. With about 300-plus employees, Timezone was awarded the Superbrand status last year. Plus, they are very generous in giving away prizes. With just five points, you can at least get a pen or other cute and useful items. So, even if you get repeatedly outwitted by those zombies in The House of the Dead, you could at least get a stuffed bunny out of it.
"Timezone is a very family-friendly, wholesome store. We don’t want to promote the violent gun culture so we don’t give away guns, swords or lighters, which some of our competition give out," adds, Prats. "We want to cater to everyone. Kids can enjoy toys while parents can enjoy useful prizes like microwave ovens or toasters."
The company recently tied up with Disney for three years. If you notice now, there is a Disney vibe around Timezone. You will see the magical world of Disney in Powercards, authentic Disney products at redemption counters, and even games.
The Music Zone is another new concept for Timezone. Think of it as a high-tech karaoke. Music Zones come with sturdy benches, state-of-the art equipment, as well as colorful and creative interiors.
"Music Zones are like karaoke booths where five to six people can sing their favorite chart-toppers," explains Prats. "Actually, other people have done this already, but what we did was to make it more classy and even more affordable."
An ongoing promotion is the "550 Value Overload." This value package allows the customer to receive P1,000 worth of value despite paying P550 worth of Powercard load. With this, you get freebies worth P150, extra 10 games worth P200 pesos, and a bonus load of P100.
All the fun at Timezone does not end with just games. There are events just like the Celebrity Open. Every February, local celebrities team up to play basketball and bowling, and pit their arcade skills against each other. When this started, there were just 16 celebrities who joined but more wanted to participate. And the grand prize was an Asian cruise package.
As a way of sharing blessings with the needy and underprivileged, Timezone holds charity events with Ayala Cinemas and Burger King.
Recently, the kids at the Asociacion De Damas De Filipinas were treated to a Burger King meal, followed by a movie and playtime at Timezone.
"The whole five-hour session is planned for kids," Prats explains. "This is part of our social commitment. In the future, we are thinking of planting trees in La Mesa Park."
During family day at the Ayala Malls, kids can get free toys, movie tickets at Ayala Cinemas, and face-painting session using the Timezone Powercard. Or the whole clan can purchase the Family Adventure Pack for P750, which comes with three Powercards and unlimited number of games.
"Timezone created a wholesome, clean, bright, location-wide arcade," concludes Prats. "This is our way of changing the perception of arcades in the Philippines."
The great thing is, everyone is a winner in Timezone. Even if you couldn’t defeat those persistent zombies.
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