Recently in the city of Parañaque, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested several Chinese nationals who were caught doing scamming operations at the Casiana Residences and one of the suspects even tried bribing the law enforcers to release them, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
Eighteen Chinese nationals have been arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for operating a suspected online scam hub at the Casiana Residences in Paranaque City.
One of those arrested, who was suspected to be the group’s leader, attempted to bribe the NBI operatives of P5.1 million for their release, NBI Director Jaime B. Santiago said.
Director Santiago on Wednesday, Oct. 30, presented to the media the suspects, including their arrested leader Hou Jusen.
He said the two Filipino companions of Hou will be used as state witnesses. They were not identified.
The 17 other Chinese nationals were identified as Zhao Jianjin, Huang Cheng Chi, Huang Bi Ying, Li Hui Juan, Lengxin Yu, Liu Xing Rong, Chen Zihao, Zhou You Liang, Chen Xing, Chen Qing Gang, Huang Zhixon, Riu Chen, Mao Jing Hang, Liu Xuan Wu, Wang Wen Bin, Yan Xiao Hong, and Yang Yun.
“Last night (Oct. 29) nagswoop down ang aming mga ahente at nakahuli nga ng labingpito na Chinese while actually engaged in scamming activities (Last night our agents swooped down at the illegal operation and arrested 17 Chinese while actually engaged in scamming activities),” Santiago said.
He said the operation was conducted by the NBI Cybercrime Division (CCD) and Special Task Force (STF) operatives who served a Warrant to Search, Seize and Examine Computer Data (WSSECD) issued by the Paranaque City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 258.
“Na-seize namin ‘yung mga involved na gadgets, electronic devices (We seized their gadgets and electronic devices),” said NBI-CCD Chief Jeremy C. Lotoc.
Lotoc observed that the scam hub is massive “‘yung kanilang crypto transactions (they have massive crypto transactions).”
He said the operatives discovered social engineering scheme scripts, money muling activities, crypto investment activity, and romance scams.
The 18 arrested Chinese nationals were presented for inquest after their arrest.Hou was charged with corruption of public officials, falsification of public documents, and violating the Anti-Alias Law, Lotoc said.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What do you think about this recent development? If you are a resident of Parañaque, are you concerned that there could be a lot of Chinese nationals living in your local community secretly doing a scamming operation? How many Chinese nationals are living in your local community right now?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagement, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
The 2025 season opener of the National Age Group Triathlon (NAGT) series is set to take place on January 25 and 26 at the Subic Bay Boardwalk inside the Subic Bay Freeport Zone and registration is ongoing.
A part of Triathlon Philippines’ (TriPhil) triathlon try-outs and talent identification program for the Philippine Triathlon Team, the 2025 National Age Group Triathlon – Subic Bay race will have race distances as follows:
● Super Trikids:
○ 6-under 50m swim- 1km bike – 400m run
○ 7-8 yrs. old 100m swim – 2km bike – 800m run
○ 9-10 yrs. old 200m swim – 6km bike – 1 Km run
○ 11-12 yrs. old 400m swim – 8km bike – 2km run
● U15: 500m swim – 10km bike – 2km run
● Sprint Distance: 750m swim – 20km bike – 5km run
● Standard Distance: 1.5km swim – 40km bike – 10km run (Individual and Team Relay)
The participants’ categories (Top 3) are listed as follows:
● Super Trikids (6 and under, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12)
● U15 (13-15 Boys & Girls Only)
● Sprint Distance:
○ Elite Men & Women
○ Jr. Elite Men & Women 16-19 y.o.
○ Age Group Men & Women
• 16-19
• 20-29
• 30-39
• 40-49
• 50 & over
● Standard Distance
○ Age Group Men:
• 18-24
• 25-29
• 30-34
• 35-39
• 40-44
• 45-49
• 50-54
• 55-59
• 60 & over
○ Age Group Women:
• 18-24
• 25-29
• 30-34
• 35-39
• 40-44
• 45-49
• 50&over
● Team Relay: All Male, All Female & Mixed Team
Race dates and schedules are as follows:
25th January 2025 (Saturday) at 6:00am for Super Trikids and U15 Distances
26th January 2025 (Sunday) at 6:00am for Sprint and Standard Distances
Be aware that you must have a RaceYa account in order to register. Newcomers can sign into RaceYa using their existing Google accounts or by entering details. After signing up, you can customize your RaceYa profile and then start registering for events.
The 2025 National Age Group Triathlon – Subic Bay event is a joint project of Triathlon Philippines (formerly Triathlon Association of the Philippines), the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and FUNtastic Subic Bay. The supporters of the event are the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), Asian Centre for Insulation Philippines, Inc., Standard Insurance and LeGARDE.
Recently in the City of Las Piñas, the Kabataan Kontra Droga at Terorismo Program was held which emphasized the city’s commitment to youth empowerment and public safety, according to the City Government’s announcement via social media.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt of the City Government’s social media post. Some parts in boldface…
Las Piñas City reaffirmed its commitment to youth empowerment and public safety with the successful hosting of the Kabataan Kontra Droga at Terorismo Program held on Wednesday, October 16, at the Mayor Nene Aguilar DRRMO Building in Barangay Talon Dos. Organized by the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) and the Local Youth Development Office, the event brought together young leaders and key local officials to promote community safety and awareness.
Alelee Aguilar, showing her continued support for youth engagement and community programs, was present alongside City Social Welfare and Development Office head Lowefe Romulo, SK Federation Chair Rey Angelo Reyes, PMSg Ivan Francis Gaon, Chief Clerk of the Station Community Affairs Section (SCAS) from the Las Piñas City Police Station, and PCol Vicente Raquion from the Las Piñas Anti-Drug Abuse Office.
PCol Raquion and PMSg Gaon were the key speakers of the program, delivering talks that emphasized the role of the youth in keeping their communities drug-free and secure from terrorism. Their discussions focused on the dangers of drug addiction, the significance of awareness, and how the youth can actively contribute to local anti-drug and anti-terrorism initiatives.
The program served as a platform for discussions on how the youth can effectively combat the challenges posed by drugs and terrorism in their communities.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Las Piñas City, what is your reaction to this development? Do you support youth empowerment in relation to public safety, terrorism and drug addiction? Do you think today’s generation of youth or kabataan are mature enough?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagement, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Very recently in the progressive City of Muntinlupa, the City Government started the distribution of Christmas packages covering roughly one hundred forty thousand (140,000) households, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
Christmas came early for residents of Muntinlupa as the city government started the distribution of its Pamaskong Handog packs.
The Muntinlupa City government is targeting to distribute the Christmas packages to about 140,000 households in the city.
“Gusto nating bawat household sa Muntinlupa ay may celebration ngayong Pasko. Kaya tiniyak natin na lahat ng 140,000 households sa lungsod ay makakatanggap ng Pamaskong Handog (We want every household in Muntinlupa to have a celebration this Christmas. That is why we assure that all 140,000 households in the city will receive the Pamaskong Handog),” said Mayor Ruffy Biazon who led the distribution of the packages.
Each Pamaskong Handog package has three kilos of rice, a pack of 400 grams of spaghetti pasta, a pack of 900 grams of spaghetti sauce, a pack of 400 grams of elbow macaroni, a box of 113 grams of instant champorado, a can of 175 grams of corned beef, a can of 150 grams of meat loaf and a can of 85 grams of liver spread.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? If you are a resident of Muntinlupa City, have you contacted your local community officials about updates of Christmas packages coming in?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagement, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
The City Government of Muntinlupa scored big recently during the 2024 Urban Governance Exemplar Awards held in Quezon City and organized by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), according to a Manila Bulletin news report. The City Government took home nine awards.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
The Muntinlupa City government took home nine awards at the 2024 Urban Governance Exemplar Awards organized by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) at Novotel Manila on Oct. 28.
Muntinlupa won the following awards:
– Anti-Drug Abuse Council Performance Audit (High Functional)
– Peace and Order Council Performance Audit (High Performing)
– Local Council for the Protection of Children Functionality Audit (Ideal)
– Local Committee on Anti-Trafficking and Violence Against Women and their Children Functionality Audit (Highly Functional)
– Manila Bay Clean-Up Rehabilitation and Preservation LGU Compliance Assessment (Highly Compliant)
– Child-Friendly Local Governance Audit (Exemplary Peformance)
– Manila Bay Clean-Up Rehabilitation and Preservation LGU Compliance Assessment (Top Performer ISF Cluster)
– Local Committee on Anti-Trafficking and Violence Against Women and their Children Functionality Audit (Top Performer)
– Local Council for the Protection of Children Functionality Audit (Top Performer)
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? If you are a resident of Muntinlupa City, are you happy with the many awards the City Government won?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagement, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Recently in the city of Parañaque, a wanted man who managed to hide himself from local authorities for a decade was finally arrested by the local police, according to a Manila Bulletin news report. The suspect has been wanted for acts of lasciviousness.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
A man wanted for acts of lasciviousness was finally arrested by members of the Parañaque City Police Warrant and Subpoena Section after 10 years of hiding on Monday, October 28.
Southern Police District (SPD) director PBGen. Bernard Yang identified the suspect as “Noel,” 52. He was arrested in Barangay San Dionisio, Parañaque City.
Yang said the suspect was arrested by virtue of a warrant of arrest issued by Judge Marie Grace Javier Ibayan of the Parañaque City Regional Trial Court, Branch 194 on September 9, 2014, for violation of acts of lasciviousness under Article 336 of the Revised Penal Code.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What do you think about this recent development? If you are a resident of Parañaque, are you concerned that there could be more molesters or wanted criminals who have been hiding in your local community?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagement, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Recently in the City of Las Piñas, an electric tricycle (e-trike) driver was caught for the theft of a motorcycle while his partner-in-crime managed to escape, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt of the news report of the Manila Bulletin. Some parts in boldface…
An E-trike driver was arrested for vehicle theft, while his partner escaped condominium security on Monday, October 28.
Colonel Sandro Tafalla, the police chief of Las Piñas, announced that the suspect, known as “Joel,” 46 years old from Cuneta Avenue in Pasay City, was apprehended around 3:30 a.m. at the Coastal Plaza Condominium in Barangay Daniel Fajardo, Las Piñas City.
The victim referred to as “George,” 30 years old, reported that his gray-black Honda Click 125 was stolen by two individuals while parked at the Coastal Plaza Condominium.
Upon noticing his missing motorcycle, George reported it to the condominium security guards, Richard Ducrao and Winden Pasok.
The guards stopped the suspects trying to leave the premises with the motorcycle loaded onto the E-trike.
When asked for the motorcycle’s documentation, the suspects failed to provide it, leading one suspect to escape while Joel was caught by security.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Las Piñas City, what is your reaction to this development? Has there been a motorcycle theft in your local community over the past six months?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagement, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
US-based tech giants are worried that the 12-percent value-added tax (VAT) to be collected from digital services providers (DSPs), plus more stringent rules on internet transactions under two new Philippine laws, could make it harder for global firms to operate here.
While this law imposing VAT on DSPs does not discriminate between US non-resident DSPs (or other foreign DSPs) and local DSPs, industry is concerned that (its) implementing rules and regulations, which are currently being developed, could impose unworkable requirements on foreign DSPs similar to what has happened for [non-resident] income-tax payers,” the Washington, DC-based Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA) told the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) in an Oct. 17 submission for its 2025 National Trade Estimate (NTE) Report on Foreign Trade Barriers, which also covers digital trade.
CCIA is referring to Republic Act (RA) No. 12023 enacted into law by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. last October, whose implementing guidelines are due before this year ends in order to collect VAT next year.
CCIA’s member-companies include Amazon, Apple, Cloudflare, Coupang, eBay, Google, Intel, Meta, Opera, Pinterest, Rakuten, TSMC, Uber and X (formerly Twitter), among other global tech firms.
Arlington, Virginia-based Consumer Technology Association (CTA) also flagged RA 12023 as a barrier to US electronic commerce in its USTR submission, citing that this new Philippine law encompasses not only digital goods and marketplaces but also cloud services as well as online advertising, media and search engines.
Back in 2021, the Washington-based multilateral lender International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned that slapping digital services taxes (DSTs) may “open the door to retaliatory trade measures” from the US, as it did with India’s DST.
CCIA pointed out to the USTR that implementation of the Income Tax Convention of 1976, in which both the Philippines and the US are parties, has been “challenging” due to “complex and burdensome documentation procedures” or so-called request for confirmation (RFC) required by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) from income taxpayers.
“The BIR has not established standard processing timelines, and businesses are subsequently required to wait indefinitely without any commitment toward a resolution of the filing. These requests are required of all US non-resident service providers operating in the Philippines and, therefore, this policy is not limited to digital services and impacts members of all industries seeking to provide their services and goods to the Philippine market,” CCIA noted.
CCIA added that the BIR revenue memorandum circular (RMC) issued in January of this year “added further confusion to income-tax obligations of non-resident suppliers of cross-border services.”
Referring to RMC No. 5-2024, CCIA said it “appears to depart from established principles of income taxation of cross-border services (using the place where the services are performed to determine if the transaction is income-taxable) and treats the place of receipt of the services as being crucial in determining the taxability of the transaction.”
As such, CCIA called upon the Philippine government and the BIR, in particular, to hold comprehensive industry consultations, “including with US non-resident service providers, to clarify the income-tax position under Philippine law in line with well-recognized and established international practices.”
Like CCIA, the also Washington-based National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) bewailed in its comment to the USTR that “there is significant ambiguity on how long the BIR will take to review the RFC and there is no guarantee of a positive outcome.”
“Such requests have to be made by each and every income payor (customers) of US non-resident service providers selling to the Philippines,” NFTC lamented.
Also, CCIA expressed concern about the Internet Transactions Act signed by President Marcos Jr. last year.
“Industry is concerned that the [Internet Transactions Law] would introduce obstructive requirements on electronic commerce platforms to have regulatory oversight such as mandatory collection of valid business certificates of merchants and subsequent submission to the government authority,” CCIA explained
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think the national government should respond to the concerns of the CCIA? Do you think the digital tax and current laws will turn away technology giants?
Recently in the city of Parañaque, two persons were apprehended by the local police as a result of a drugs buy-bust operation, according to a Manila Bulletin news report. The seized illegal substances were worth over P300,000.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
Two individuals suspected of drug-related offenses were apprehended during a buy-bust operation executed by the Parañaque Police Station Drug Enforcement Unit, resulting in the seizure of shabu valued at P306,000 on Sunday, October 27.
According to the Southern Police District (SPD), the suspects, known by the aliases “Marty,” aged 54, and “Emely,” aged 30, were taken into custody at approximately 4:00 p.m. in Barangay San Antonio, Parañaque City.
The SPD reported that the operation culminated in the confiscation of 45 grams of shabu, amounting to P306,000, along with a P500 bill utilized as buy-bust money, a coin purse, and a mobile phone.
Following their arrest, the suspects were held at the police custodial facility and are facing charges for violations of Sections 5 and 11 of RA 9165, the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What do you think about this recent development? If you are a resident of Parañaque, are you concerned that the illegal drug trade will worsen within the city?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagement, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Welcome back readers, fellow geeks and electronic gaming fans!
In this edition of the Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) series, we will take a look at another batch of retro gaming print ads – including arcade flyers – from the 1980s and 1990s.
For the newcomers reading this, Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) looks back at the many print ads of games (console, arcade, computer and handheld) that were published in comic books, magazines, flyers, posters and newspapers long before smartphones, social media, the worldwide web and streaming became popular. To put things in perspective, people back in the 1980s and 1990s were more trusting of print media for information and images about electronic games and related products.
With those details laid down, here is the newest batch of retro gaming print ads for you to see and enjoy…
1. Galaxian for Atari print ad
A unique approach to the art done by the advertisers.
Developed by Namco, Galaxian was a 2D sci-fi shooter that debuted in arcades in 1979. It was so successful and widely acclaimed, it got ported to varied game consoles and home computers as the years passed by. For its release on the Atari 2600 and Atari 5200, this print ad was created to catch the attention of fans and gamers by utilizing artwork that resembled the look of 2D sprites from the game. That being said, no screenshots of Galaxian on the Atari consoles were shown because the artwork used looked detailed and were attention-grabbing already.
2. 1943: The Battle of Midway arcade flyer
This is a fine looking flyer.
In 1987, Capcom released in the arcades 1943: The Battle of Midway which was their follow-up to 1942. The arcade flyer itself was designed to strongly promote the game using a combination of screenshots, short-but-clear text descriptions and the great looking piece of artwork which really emphasized the World War II concept. Behind it all, this game was made by Japanese developers with the Western markets in mind and the irony is that the game has players control Americans fighting the Japanese fleet.
3. Top Gunner arcade conversion kit flyer
Show this nice looking image to the woke nut or modern day Communist near you. Watch and observe his or her reaction.
To make things clear, Top Gunner is actually the run-and-gun game Jackal and the alternative titles was mainly used in North American arcade distribution and also reflected Konami’s move of coming up with titles inspired by blockbuster movies of the time. To promote its 1986 arcade release in America as a conversion kit, the advertisers had three models playing soldiers on a military jeep to immerse gamers into the core concept of the game – moving armed military jeeps from one location to another while fighting bad guys. The approach used for the visual concept is indeed inspiring, especially during the Cold War. Top Gunner/Jackal became a hit in both arcades and consoles.
4. Joust for Atari print ad
While I played Joust on console, I don’t remember seeing this print ad before.
Made by Williams Electronics, Joust was one of those early 1980s arcade games that eventually made its way to the Atari 2600 console which was massively popular in North America. Strangely enough, the artistic approach Atari’s advertising came up with for the console version of Joust was similar with that of the ad of the Atari version of Galaxian (see item #1 above) in which artwork was used to resemble the 2D sprites of the game. Regardless, the images of this ad showed what a joust looked like – a martial game between two armed combatants going against each other while riding an animal.
5. Kid Chameleon print ad
Can you relate with Kid Chameleon’s identity crisis?
During the early years of the Sega Genesis, Sega of America exerted efforts to make new games that were not only exclusive to their console but also stand out among the many 2D side-scrolling adventure games by coming up with a protagonist with a unique personality that could somehow resonate with young kids and teenagers.
Developed by their internal experts (Sega Technical Institute), the company released Kid Chameleon in 1992 and they came up with the above print ad that had detailed hand-drawn art of the lead character as well as a wordy text description which was a clear attempt to help young gamers (including teenagers) get connected with both the game and the protagonist. The advertisers even had space to spare to accommodate two screenshots of the game.
6. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (AKA T2: The Arcade Game) for Sega Genesis print ad
This print ad appeared on the many comic books I read long ago.
Back in the early 1990s, Terminator 2: Judgment Day was a massive success in the global box office and this resulted in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s popularity to soar very high while also establishing the Terminator as an essential pop culture figure. Apart from comic books and merchandise, video games based on the movie were made and the one that stood out the most was the arcade shooter game initially titled Terminator 2: Judgment Day (later retitled as T2: The Arcade Game).
The arcade mega hit eventually got ported to the Sega Genesis and this print ad really looked flashy with its visual presentation showing screenshots and a zoomed-in look at how the Terminator T-800 looked like in the Genesis version complete with a few explosions in the background. It should be noted that this flashy print ad cleverly concealed the visual downgrades and the redrawn images as the Genesis itself could never come close to matching the high quality visuals of the arcade version.
7. CYBERPad print ad
I never owned the CYBERPad, nor have I ever used one.
During the so-called 16-bit console generation (actually the 4th console generation), there were lots of licensed console peripherals made by independent companies in support of the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). The company Suncom Technologies came up with the CYBERPad controller for the two consoles and they boasted in their print ad that the product had a programmable control pad that allowed users to create combinations for each game with convenience in mind. The CYBERPad also allowed the saving of the programmable moves and it had a rapid-fire feature and even a slow-motion function. The CYBERPad was made to make the gameplay experience more user-friendly.
If you look closely, this print announcement by GamePro technically advertised the game consoles, the arcade game and Lara Croft to its readers.
In 1999, GamePro magazine celebrated its 10th anniversary and to keep on resonating with gamers and maintaining the loyalty of their fans, they organized a reader sweepstakes with prizes worth over $25,000 to be won by the few winners. GamePro boasted a date with an unnamed model who played the iconic Lara Croft (Tomb Raider). Certain arcade machines plus the modern consoles of the time – including the brand-new Sega Dreamcast – were also at stake. The way it was presented, this GamePro print announcement was enticing to read.
9. Smash T.V. for SNES print ad
Smash T.V. was a lot of fun on both arcade and console.
The arcade hit Smash T.V. made its way to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) in 1992 and the publisher came up with a print ad that had captivating artwork, six screenshots and a text description that emphasized that a lot of fun awaits gamers on the console version. In my view, this old ad is still amusing to look at.
10. David Robinson’s Supreme Court print ad
It was a smart move by Sega to get NBA superstar David Robinson as the endorser of this basketball video game exclusive on the Sega Genesis. This ad was published many years before Robinson finally won an NBA championship.
As part of its strategy in competing with Nintendo during the 4th console generation, Sega of America was focused on producing exclusive sports video games for the Genesis console backed by endorsements of sports professionals. In 1992, they released David Robinson’s Supreme Court on the Genesis and unsurprisingly their print ad used a large, stylized image of the NBA superstar dunking backed with an exciting text description plus screenshots showing the game’s use of the isometric view for gameplay. This is still worth looking at.
11. Taito’s “heat wave” print ad
An amusing and creative way to sell video games.
If your company lacks money to effectively market your video games individually, you can try making a single ad promoting them together. This is what Taito did in this print ad which showcases multiple games for different platforms and they used artwork of a player experiencing the so-called heat wave. This is a nice stroke of creativity on the part of Taito.
12. Jurassic Park Interactive print ad
This was a creepy print ad promoting the 3DO-exclusive Jurassic Park Interactive.
When it comes to video game consoles, having exclusive games is essential as long as they are of high quality, highly playable and enjoyable. The 3DO company acquired a license of the Jurassic Park movie and made the exclusive game Jurassic Park Interactive hoping it would sell a lot and lift up 3DO hardware sales.
This print ad, which features a zoomed-in image of the Raptor from the game, was more focused on selling the 3DO console than the video game as seen on the descriptive text. 3DO ran a promo selling the console which would entitle the buyer to get Jurassic Park Interactive and another game free. Nothing was done to describe the console’s multimedia capabilities of showing videos, images and graphics of the game (which was essentially a collection of mini-games). This print ad shows ignorance on the part of the 3DO company and the ad maker as it showed desperation happening really early in the console’s life. Notably, Jurassic Park Interactive was the only video game adaptation to use actual footage (note: the faces of the actors were edited out) and music from the film.
13. RoboCop 2 print ad
You want to become RoboCop to save the city of Detroit from criminals?
Way back in 1990, RoboCop 2 was a big hit in cinemas here in the Philippines and in some places around the world. As typical of the time, licenses to make video games based on the movie were released resulting in RoboCop 2 games for multiple platforms. The print ad featured two different images of RoboCop – one from the movie poster and the other from an official artwork. The descriptive text does a fine job to immerse readers into the story concept of the game but showing only two screenshots was a lackluster effort to sell the game.
14. Star Trek: The Next Generation – Echoes from the Past print ad
Space…the final frontier waiting for Sega Genesis gamers.
Released in 1994, Star Trek: The Next Generation – Echoes from the Past delivered the Star Trek TNG adventure experience to Sega Genesis gamers. In fact, it is the exact same experience that SNES gamers got the same year. In reality, Star Trek: The Next Generation – Echoes from the Past is actually a port of Star Trek: The Next Generation – Future’s Past on the SNES and the screenshots on the print ad are giveaways about it. In fairness to the ad makers, this print ad never attempted to deceive gamers that it promoted a totally different Star Trek TNG game.
15. Dinosaurs for Hire print ad
This print ad caught my attention and made me interested in the game and the comic book series. Even though it was small, Malibu Comics’ logo was still recognizable.
Dinosaurs for Hire (sometimes referred to as Tom Mason’s Dinosaurs for Hire) was a 2D side-scrolling platform adventure game based on the comic book series of Tom Mason. Published by Sega, it was a Genesis-exclusive game and this print ad had a catchy text description, a few screenshots and the eye-catching artwork of a triceratops facing the viewer. This print ad is still good to look at. If you’re thinking about searching for existing copies of the game, I encourage you to also read some Dinosaurs for Hire comic books before playing. By the way, Tom Mason also wrote several comic books of the Ultraverse.
Author Carlo Carrasco 