WordPress.com – Page 69 – Author Carlo Carrasco

Office building in Parañaque City raided, hundreds of employees arrested

February 22, 2025February 22, 2025carlocarrasco

Very recently in the City of Parañaque, a team of local law enforcers raided an office building in the Bay Area resulting in hundreds of suspected Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) employees – including 146 foreigners – getting arrested, according to a GMA Network news report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the GMA news report. Some parts in boldface…

Authorities arrested 453 illegal POGO employees in a raid in an office building in the Bay Area of Parañaque City on Thursday.

Operatives from the PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Bureau of Immigration (BI), Department of Justice Office of Cybercrime (DOJ OOC) and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) enforced an arrest warrant against a Chinese national for fraud.

An Immigration Mission Order was also implemented as the subject is an employee of suspected POGO that has been under surveillance for the past months.

A total of 453 employees including 146 foreigners, mostly Chinese, were caught in front of their computers on the three floors of the building believed to be operating illegal offshore gaming and scamming activities.

“Dalawang taon na raw silang nag-o-operate and they never stopped. Galing daw sila ng ASEANA. Nung medyo uminit daw doon, lumipat daw sila dito,” PAOCC Spokesperson Director Winston Casio told GMA Integrated News.

Initial review of computer screens and interviews with Filipino employees revealed the different scams employed in the alleged POGO.

“Bawat floor, iba-ibang scam. Sa fifth floor at seventh floor, stock investment scam. Pero ang pinagkaiba dito sa seventh floor, may spamming na nagaganap using a Hong Kong mobile,” DOJ OOC Head Agent Innah Protacio-Ladislao said.

“Sa sixth floor is online betting scam. Particularly, target nila is Indian. Sa sixth floor, Filipino ang employees,” Protacio-Ladislao added.

Scripts for scamming were also found in workstations.

Authorities recovered hundreds of computers, laptops, smartphones, pre-registered SIM cards and other gadgets. The said items will be examined and will undergo digital forensics.

Based on information gathered, local authorities issued a closure order on the POGO after it was raided before.

It is now operating under a new name with a Mayor’s permit, business license and a barangay permit. These will form part of the investigation.

“Dapat kasi before they issue yung permits nila, yung sa barangay, yung sa city hall, dapat they do yung talagang religious inspection of the establishment,” PAOCC Executive Director Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz said.

“Kung ang permit nila is entertainment, are they really indulging yung kumpanya nila sa entertainment? O baka naman scamming yan tulad ng nangyayari dito?” Cruz added.

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What do you think about this recent development? If you are a resident of Parañaque, do you think the City Government is ignoring the presence of POGOs within its jurisdiction? Do you think the Parañaque City Government and barangays should be more careful with reviewing business applications and ensure that no new POGOs will sprout?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

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

What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 57

February 21, 2025February 16, 2025carlocarrasco

Welcome back my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching. Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?

I recommend you check out the following topics and the related videos I found.

#1 Revisiting the Ultraverse – When it comes to 1990s comics, the short-lived Ultraverse is the one franchise that defined the decade the most as it had lots of engaging concepts, solid stories and captivating characters to follow such as Prime, Mantra, Harcase, Prototype, The Strangers, The Solution and more! Behind the scenes, publisher Malibu Comics had a great creative team who brainstormed and developed the Ultraverse a lot prior to its 1993 launch. To learn more about the Ultraverse, watch the following videos below.

#2 The 1993 debate between Peter David and Todd McFarlane – Way back in 1993, I learned bits of information about a certain debate between the prolific writer Peter David (The Incredible Hulk, Spider-Man 2099) and Todd McFarlane (Spider-Man and Spawn) through word-of-mouth and comics-related print media. Of course, Internet access here in the Philippines was not yet available back then but there was local awareness about the David-McFarlane verbal battle. Fortunately for us, an actual video of the entire debate was uploaded to YouTube and the YouTuber Strange Brain Parts posted an analytical video about it. The videos are now available for your viewing pleasure.

#3 Lefties Losing It (Trump, Richard Gere, Taylor Swift booed and more) – In this recent episode of Lefties Losing It hosted by Rita Panahi, you will see how demented the current congressional Democrats have gotten, US President Donald Trump being cheered and how Taylor Swift was booed during the recent NFL Super Bowl, Richard Gere failing to accept reality and much more. Seriously, a lot of Leftists are still bitter over Trump’s return as President and they prefer to move on with their distorted view of reality. Wokeness truly is living wrongly. Watch and enjoy the video below.

#4 VKunia reacts to Poltergeist (1982) – A lot of people find 1982’s Poltergeist (directed by Tobe Hooper and produced by Steven Spielberg) a scary viewing experience. It has been the subject of many documentaries or reaction or retro reviews on YouTube. YouTuber VKunia posted her own reaction video of it and you can how it affects her in the video below.

#5 PatmanQC explains the history of The House of the Dead – The House of the Dead is a horror-themed series of video games that Sega first launched in 1996. During that year, there were The House of the Dead machines that suddenly appeared in local arcades here in the Philippines. Due to its horror theme and high level of violence, it caused some disturbance to concerned parents whose children saw or even played it. Regardless, the newer The House of the Dead games made its way to the local arcades as the years passed by. If you want to know who created the said Sega franchise and what were the inspirations for each game, watch the in-depth video by PatmanQC now.

#6 Dawn of the Dead reaction videos – To make things clear, I was never a fan of Zack Snyder’s Dawn of the Dead remake. I saw it in the local cinema back in 2004 at a time when the new movies released were not so interesting. Even with modest expectations, I was not so entertained by it. Still the movie is popular with YouTubers who posted their own reactions to it. Watch and learn from the selected videos below.

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NLCOM delivers 2024 report

February 21, 2025February 13, 2025carlocarrasco

New Life Community Care Foundation International, Inc. (NLCOM) – the compassion arm of New Life Philippines located inside Alabang Hills Village in Muntinlupa City – presented its official report for the year 2024 during the February 9, 2025 worship service in Alabang.

In 2024, NLCOM did the following for the many victims and the affected communities: serving 598,833 hot meals, distributed 5,457 relief goods, rebuilt 1,200 homes, reached 49 communities and trained 447 individuals.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the February 9, 2025 social media post of NLCOM. Some parts in boldface…

Compassion knows no boundaries, and our mission has no limits. In 2024, we witnessed this truth once again as NLCOM’s reach expanded even further, and the unwavering support and contributions of our donors, partners, and volunteers have been pivotal to that success. Thanks to their supply, we’ve been able to bring light, hope, and transformation to even more lives, making a profound impact on our community.

*NLCOM presented its 2024 report on February 9, 2025, at New Life Alabang.*

Beyond immediate relief, NLCOM remains committed to fostering long-term community resilience. In 2024, they conducted onsite and online resilience training and Psychological First Aid (PFA) workshops for city employees, volunteers and network churches in Manila and Catbalogan, Samar.

NLCOM also revealed that it has partnered with New Life Kathmandu to support 350 families in Nepal who were devastated by landslides on September 28, 2024.

In his message to the partners and friends, NLCOM Executive Director and Pastor Paul Giague stated:

As we reflect on the past year, we’re reminded of the numerous challenges we faced together – from devastating fires to powerful typhoons. Yet through every disaster, our collective resilience shone even brighter. We stood united, responding with compassion, reaching out with kindness, and rebuilding hope. We’re deeply grateful for your unwavering support, which has been instrumental in our efforts. Our Community Ready campaign embodies this spirt of unity and action, empowering everyone to make a lasting difference.

Through your contributions, we’ve been able to provide hot meals, distribute relief, and equip communities with vital resilience training. These tangible expressions of God’s love have brought comfort to those in need. Togther, we can be the hands and feet of Jesus, ensuring that no one faces hardship alone by providing aid, training and community support. We invite you to continue partnering with us, and if you’re new, we welcome you to join us. Let’s build stronger, more resilient communities through Community Ready.

Because of you, lives are being changed. Thank you for your compassion, generosity, and commitment to serving others.

For the newcomers reading this, I previously blogged about NLCOM back in 2020 which you can read by clicking here and my recent blog posts can viewed by clicking here, here, here, here and here. NLCOM has an established record of providing relief to disaster victims and helping them rebuild their lives and communities as they recover.

NLCOM is committed to organizing activities from disaster preparedness trainings, relief goods distribution, mobile kitchen feeding operations, Psychological First Aid to kids and adults traumatized by a disaster, and rebuilding of damaged houses. To get to know NLCOM better, I recommend you watch their official YouTube video below…

If you have decided to help people through NLCOM, be aware that New Life’s compassion arm is accepting donations. You may send your monetary donations to:

NEW LIFE COMMUNITY CARE FOUNDATION INT’L. INC.

PESO CHECKING ACCOUNT:

Unionbank (Richville Branch)

00-133000543-3

US DOLLAR ACCOUNT:

Unionbank (Richville Branch)

13-133000530-7

Swift Code: ubpphphmm

Via PAYPAL: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/nlcomPH

For more information about NLCOM, visit https://nlcom.org.ph/ or visit their office at 2 Don Manolo Boulevard, Alabang Hills Village, Barangay Cupang, Muntinlupa City, Metro Manila, Philippines. Contact them at landline 88091542 extension 426.

In ending post, let me share with you a few holy scriptures that should remind you that God is our source, our provider and the blessedness of giving is absolutely true. Be remind that Lord Jesus is the hope of all nations.

Mercy to the needy is a loan to God, and God pays back those loans in full.

Proverbs 19:17 (MSG)

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

Philippians 2:3-4 (NKJV)

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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 engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673

Direct loading to GCash and Maya recently phased out by BPI

February 20, 2025February 12, 2025carlocarrasco

In case you missed the news, direct loading to e-wallet services GCash and Maya using the app of Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) has been disabled recently as the bank made changes, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news reported of Manila Bulletin. Some parts in boldface…

The Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) is phasing out its direct e-wallet loading feature for GCash and Maya on Feb. 13, 2025.

After this date, BPI customers will no longer be able to use the “Load E-Wallet” option within the BPI mobile app to fund their GCash or Maya accounts.

Instead, BPI is advising users to transfer funds via InstaPay and PesoNet using the “Transfer to other banks” function. Within this feature, customers can select “G-Xchange” for GCash or “Maya Philippines Inc/Maya Wallet” for Maya.

BPI explained that this shift is in line with Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Circular 980, which outlines the National Retail Payment System Framework, and complies with recommendations from the Philippine Payments Management, Inc. (PPMI) as detailed in Advisory No. 2024-1104-020.

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? If you are a BPI user who also has a GCash or Maya account, were you deeply affected by the recent changes? Do you find transferring money from BPI to an e-wallet service more inconvenient to do today?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Philippines voting population almost 76 million, voters aged 18-44 form majority

February 20, 2025February 12, 2025carlocarrasco

When compared to the National and Local Elections of 2022, the voting population of the Philippines for this year is significantly higher with almost 76 million and voters aged 18 to 44-years-old combined for a majority, according to a GMA Network news report. It should be noted that the number of registered voters for 2025 is short of 70 million.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the GMA News report. Some parts in boldface…

Filipinos from the ages of 18 to 44 make up the majority of voters for Eleksyon 2025, data compiled by GMA Integrated News Research showed.

According to a report on 24 Oras Weekend, the Philippines’ voting population—or those who are of age to vote—increased by a little over 10 million to 75,940,535 for the 2025 national and local midterm elections, from 65,745,512 in 2022.

Of the 2025 total, Comelec data as of Jan. 23, 2025 shows that 69,673,655 are registered voters.

And of this number, the breakdown by generation is as follows, according to GMA Integrated News Research:

* 25.94 million are Millennials, born in the period from 1981 to 1996, making up 34.15% of the voting-age population

* 21.87 million are Gen Z, born in the period from 1997 to 2007, making up 28.79% of the voting-age population

* 17.64 million are Gen X, born in the period from 1965 to 1980, making up 23.22% of the voting-age population

* 10.50 million are from the Baby Boom and Silent Generations, born in the 1946–1964 and 1928–1945 periods respectively, making up 13.83% of the voting-age population

This means Millennials and Gen Z voters make up about 63% of the voting-age population and 68% of the registered voters for Eleksyon 2025.

In 2022, millennials were still the biggest group of voters, followed by Gen X-ers at 16.78 million. Gen Z-ers saw the biggest increase in voters, from 13.11 million in 2022 to 21.87 million three years later.

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do Millennials and Gen Z voters of your local community form a majority of the local voting population? Are the registered voters of your local community willing to vote in this May’s national and local elections?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Avowed now fully available for Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC and Xbox Game Pass (XGP)

February 19, 2025February 25, 2025carlocarrasco

Welcome back Xbox fans, geeks, RPG enthusiasts and other gamers!

The long wait for the next Xbox-exclusive fantasy role-playing game (RPG) experience is finally over as Avowed has officially been released for Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC and Xbox Game Pass (XGP Ultimate) today. Five days ago, the game developed by Obsidian Entertainment was released on early access for those who paid the premium for the privilege.

For the newcomers reading this, Avowed is the newest game from RPG specialist Obsidian Entertainment and it has a fantasy setting and a unique concept for gamers who enjoy in-depth exploration, intense action, consequential decision-making, engaging role-play and strong storytelling. Avowed is set in the fictional world called Eora and is also part of the same universe as seen in Obsidian’s Pillars of Eternity.

To get oriented, watch the launch trailer below.

Is it really great? Is it worth purchasing at all?

As of this writing, the critical reception remains questionable even though a lot of gaming publications posted their respective reviews resulting in a collective average that keeps on changing. As of now, the collective critical average for Avowed is mostly positive but additional reviews could change that.

For some insight, watch the video reviews of Avowed from MrMattyPlays, Colteastwood, GameSpot, XboxEra and Pure Xbox.

If you want to watch some extensive gameplay footage of Avowed that could help you decide to go for the game or not, watch the videos below.

Having waited more than four years to play Avowed (read my previous posts by clicking here, here and here), I will play it on my Xbox Series X console but not immediately. I’d rather wait for Obsidian to patch the game first to fix the bugs and other technical problems. I’d rather play an improved version over its launch version. Here is hoping that Obsidian will be listening to gamers’ feedback and improve the game accordingly.

I should mention that Obsidian is also working on its other high-profile video game The Outer Worlds 2 which is actually a multi-platform release (including PlayStation 5).

If you have decided to purchase the standard edition copy of Avowed for Xbox, click https://www.xbox.com/en-ph/games/store/avowed-standard-edition/9msvpjchhrpr

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Around 600 Barangay Pamplona Uno residents served by Las Piñas Health and Wellness Caravan

February 19, 2025February 11, 2025carlocarrasco

Recently in the City of Las Piñas, roughly six hundred residents of Barangay Pamplona Uno got served when the Health and Wellness Caravan was held in their local community, the City Government announced via social media.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the social media post of the City Government. Some parts in boldface…

The City of Las Piñas, through the City Health Office, conducted another Health and Wellness Caravan on Thursday, February 6, at the Centraza Covered Court in Pamplona Uno. Around 600 residents availed themselves of free health services during the event.

The caravan offered a variety of services, including medical consultations, FBS/RBS screening, cholesterol examination, chest X-rays, ECG, dental services, and nutrition counseling. Other services included risk assessments for non-communicable diseases, pneumococcal vaccination for senior citizens, mobile birth registration, and assistance with Green Card and PhilHealth registration.

City Vice Mayor April Aguilar graced the event along with City Councilor Mark Anthony Santos, and City Health Office head Dr. Juliana Gonzalez. Alelee Aguilar and Martin Andanar were also present to express support for the initiative.Their presence emphasized the city’s commitment to prioritizing accessible healthcare for its residents.

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 know anyone who get served during a recent Health and Wellness Caravan?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Crime syndicates may have infiltrated government agencies

February 18, 2025February 9, 2025carlocarrasco

In connection with the recent raid on a particular travel and consultancy firm that was allegedly involved with the issuance of fake Philippine government documents, it seems that crime syndicates may have infiltrated certain agencies of the government, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) news article.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news article of the PNA. Some parts in boldface…

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian warned that criminal syndicates may have infiltrated key government agencies following the recent raid on a travel and consultancy firm that allegedly facilitated the issuance of fraudulent Philippine government documents.

“The recent raid strengthens our suspicion that criminal syndicates have infiltrated agencies such as the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Bureau of Immigration, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), and Philippine National Police (PNP),” Gatchalian said in a statement on Friday.

This came after members of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) found birth and marriage certificates and a passport with a foreign national’s photo but a Filipino name during a raid at JRB Travel and Consultancy Services Inc. based in Intramuros, Manila on Wednesday.

Gatchalian, who has filed a bill to expand Philippine Statistics Authority’s (PSA) authority and impose penalties on civil registrars involved in fraudulent registrations, urged law enforcement to intensify efforts in dismantling these illegal networks.

He cited cases wherein individuals reported paying large sums to the travel agency to secure the release of their detained partners, with one complainant claiming to have paid PHP900,000 to free her fiancé and another paid PHP1.1 million for her husband’s release after a Jan. 17 raid in a Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO) center in Parañaque City.

In a press conference on Thursday, PAOCC Executive Director Gilberto Cruz described the raided travel agency as the “missing link” in the Senate’s ongoing investigation on POGOs.

He said the firm enabled foreigners to obtain government-issued documents, allowing them to stay in the country despite crackdowns on POGOs.

Aside from document forgery, Cruz revealed that personnel of the travel agency also impersonated PAOCC personnel to extort money.

Cruz, however, clarified that no actual PAOCC officers were involved in the scheme.

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think the national authorities will be able to find and arrest all the criminal elements who infiltrated government agencies? Do you think the law enforcers can put a stop on the forgery of government documents?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Two Chinese nationals arrested in Parañaque City for selling unregistered medicines

February 18, 2025February 14, 2025carlocarrasco

Recently in the City of Parañaque, two Chinese nationals were arrested by elements of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) for allegedly selling unregistered medicines, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) news article.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…

The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) have arrested two Chinese nationals allegedly involved in selling unregistered medicines in Metro Manila.

Agents of the CIDG-Detective and Special Operations Unit nabbed suspects Hu and Quan in a buy-bust at Concorde Village, Tambo, Parañaque City past midnight Saturday.

According to a news release Sunday, the CIDG agents confiscated two boxes of OTC 999 – Ganmaoling Keli, 20 boxes of Glucophage – Metformin Hydrochloride Extended-release tablets, two boxes of Amlodepine Besilate tablets, three boxes of Linou – Gliclazide tablets, two boxes of OTC – Longdan Xiegan pills, four boxes of Zhibai Dihuang pills, one box of Bear Bile powder, 12 boxes Diamicron – Gliclazide tablets and 16 boxes Bayaspirin – Aspirin Enteric-coated tablets.

The medicines, with an estimated market value of PHP15,000, are not registered with the Food and Drug Administration.

The suspects will be charged with violation of Section 11 of Republic Act 9711 (FDA Act of 2009) which prohibits manufacturing, importation, export, sale, distribution and transfer of unregistered drugs.

CIDG chief Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre urged the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities related to the sale of unregistered medicines.

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What do you think about this recent development? If you are a resident of Parañaque, how many Chinese nationals are living within your local community right now? Did you notice any foreigners selling unregistered medicine locally? Why do you think Parañaque remains a hot spot of criminal activities involving Chinese nationals?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 27

February 17, 2025February 10, 2025carlocarrasco

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 to the year 2000.

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. Tutankham print ad

*This print ad appeared in several comic books in 1983.*

First released in the arcades in 1982, Tutankham is a 2D adventure game that had a mix of shooting, maze exploration and puzzle-solving with Egyptian settings and concepts. It made its way to the Atari 2600 published by Parker Brother, and it was this specific version I played. This game print ad appeared in comic books I read in 1983, and the people who made it implemented a hand-drawn art of the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun dominating the space to emphasize the Egyptian setting. In fact, this ad made me think more of Egypt and left little to give me an idea of the game design.

2. Star Trek arcade flyer

*The clever use of classic Star Trek imagery was used in this initial flyer by Sega.*

*Back in the 1980s, a futuristic design for an arcade machine like this one was mind-blowing.*

I never played the Star Trek arcade game (full title: Star Trek: Strategic Operations Simulator) Sega released in 1983. I only saw its graphics and gameplay during an episode of Starcade. With its game design and visual presentation, Star Trek was a very ambitious arcade project for its time and Sega really went in to promote it. The initial arcade flyer (first one above) was meant to grab the attention of both gamers and arcade operators. The next arcade flyer (2^nd one above) showed the ambitious design of the arcade machine made with player immersion in mind.

3. Battlezone arcade flyer

*While the hand-drawn artwork was too detailed for the arcade game’s graphics, it still emphasized strongly the concept of the game.*

In the history of video games, Battlezone was a groundbreaking game both visually and with game design. It was designed to give gamers an immersive experience of driving a tank with 3D graphics, fun gameplay and a first-person view. Its own history is worth researching. Atari knew it had to heavily promote their ambitious game and the arcade flyer above featured nice hand-drawn artwork while also showing the two types of Battlezone machines that arcade operators can choose from. Battlezone went on to become a highly influential arcade game.

4. Chrono Cross North American print ad

*Arguably, this print ad was aimed at RPG enthusiasts, Chrono Trigger fans and gamers looking for something adventurous to play.*

First released on PlayStation in Japan, Chrono Cross made its way to the said console in America just a few months before the PlayStation 2 launched there. While there was a risk that came with releasing the ambitious follow-up to the classic Chrono Trigger so late in the PlayStation’s life, Squaresoft (now Square Enix) still went on to aggressively promote Chrono Cross in America. This 2-page print ad that appeared in many gaming magazines remains captivating to look at. As typical of the time, 3D polygonal models and the epic-looking art were used in dominating fashion leaving the small space (lower-left corner) to display a few gameplay screenshots and other 3D art. Still it a fun game to play and this should remind you that Chrono Cross was recently remastered for modern consoles.

5. Ms. Pac-Man arcade flyer

Given the fact that Pac-Man was so massively successful, it was not surprising that a sequel had to be made and released on as many arcades as possible. Ms. Pac-Man was the sequel and it was released in arcades in 1982 eventually achieving huge commercial and critical success. To promote the game, Midway’s ad makers came up with an ad showing unique art of Pac-Man’s wife looking glamorous (with a driver and a vehicle in the background) and a photograph of the arcade machine on the right. This also was one of the early arcade flyers to use the words “femme fatale”.

6. Centipede arcade flyer

*Three machines of Centipede for arcade operators to choose from.*

Centipede is another arcade classic from Atari. Released in 1981, a lot of players enjoyed the game’s simplistic and yet addicting design of shooting an incoming centipede and its remaining portions that move down the field. Similar to the Battlezone arcade flyer, this game’s flyer had nice art of a centipede on the top and images arcade machines. Even by today’s standards, this flyer remains eye-catching.

7. Tempest 2000 print ad

*This 2-page print ad of Tempest 2000 is still captivating to look at.*

Back in the 1990s, Atari went on to release their Jaguar console which was promoted as a 64-bit machine. At a gaming convention, the company met with prospective game developers over Jaguar projects and one of the developers volunteered to do Tempest (a memorable Atari arcade game). This resulted in the development of Tempest 2000 which was a remake of the classic.

As a Jaguar-exclusive game, Atari came up with an eye-catching 2-page ad showing off the 3D visual presentation (6 gameplay screenshots and one original artwork) while boasting in the text description that Tempest 2000 was named the “Best of Show” at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). The game was released in 1994 attracting mostly positive reviews from game critics and was one of the best-selling Jaguar games (note: Tempest 2000 can now be played in the Atari 50 collection). With the Atari legacy and presentation combined, this print ad remains captivating to look at.

8. Alien vs Predator print ad

*Arguably the most defining and most entertaining game on the Atari Jaguar.*

If there is any game that truly defined enjoyment and the technological features of the Atari Jaguar, it is the 1994 first-person shooter Alien vs Predator. At the time of its release, it was one of the most immersive games of the Alien vs. Predator crossover franchise and it allowed players to experience what fighting the Predator or the Xenomorph was like. The game also allowed gamers to play as a Colonial Marine (human soldier).

To sell the game, Atari came up with a 2-page ad highlighting the Aliens on one page and the Predator on the other. As the Predator was shown with a grotesque human skull, the use of photographs (most likely sourced from the movies) strongly emphasize the game was aimed at the mature audience among gamers. Six screenshots of gameplay were displayed by the ad makers who were clearly aware of the high popularity of first-person shooting games. Alien vs Predator was a critical and commercial success, and its print ad is arguably the most memorable one of any Atari Jaguar game ever made.

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