Filipino working-student builds telco strategy game

MANILA, Philippines – “What if you owned PLDT, Smart, or Globe?” Developer Marc-Ace “Sora” Edu asked Tech INQ while introducing Network Overreach, an upcoming turn-based strategy game by his independent studio, Replay Value.

In Network Overreach, players are in charge of their own telecommunications company and gradually expand their influence and infrastructure. 

Network Overreach was the concept that married Sora’s love for urban development and gaming.

Before shifting to game development in the College of Innovation and Integrated Technology (CIIT), Marc-Ace “Sora” Edu was an architecture student. 

From BS Architecture to BS Entertainment and Multimedia Computing.

As an architecture student, Sora was passionate about urban planning. But by his third year, he envisioned a different path.

While Sora loved urban design, he wanted to go beyond the boundaries of architecture. He wanted to go outside the invisible lines that came with the discipline.

Gaming was a way to cross those lines.

“I thought that if I studied architecture, I could do urban planning. Because I really love urban planning,” Sora said. “But later in my third year, I realized that it’s not what I think it is.” 

Urban planning required a different practice, separate from the disciplines taught in architecture. As Sora realized this, he shifted to his next passion: Entertainment and Multimedia Computing (EMC). 

“At first, it was very foreign to me because I’m used to drawing. I’m used to pen and ink. And now, I’m coding,” Sora said.

“But I’ve been playing games since I was four.”

After a year of being in the course, something just clicked for Sora. 

Developing Network Overreach

“In my heart, I want to create games that are not popular,” Sora explained. “I really want to revolutionize the game scene in the Philippines. Basically, I want to put us on the map.”

Sora watched other games from the country reach international audiences, and that became his inspiration. He wants to show the world that Filipino game developers can do more.

Network Overreach started as a passion project Sora that his friends in CIIT conceptualized. Then, as opportunities arrived to further promote the game, they became invested in developing it further.

While still a work-in-progress, Network Overreach aims to be an online multiplayer.

Taking inspiration from games like the Civilization series, players will race to expand their telecommunications empire. The goal is to control areas through building cell towers, networks, and social interactions.

Network Overreach is still in its early stages, but Sora and Replay Valura are already thinking of their next project.

Besides Sora, Replay Value is made up of members Gabriel Barrientos, Juliana Rae Caguingin, Charles Kimberly Salarzon, and Mark Vincent Yap.

Bite-size genres

Sora sees Replay Value as a studio that develops titles that contain “bite-sizes” of each genre.

“What we want as an indie dev studio is that we want to build multiple games,” Sora said. “The reason our tagline is “Player Dreams” is because we want that whatever you think of, you’ll see it in our gallery.”

While Sora and his team are busy developing the game and their studio, he also has to balance work, life, and school.

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Driving force

Sora is a working student. He works to fund his schooling, necessities, and the production of his games.

He finds his passions and staying busy as a way to move forward after losing his mother to cancer. 

“My drive is different. I get reminded that I am doing it for someone that’s not here. I’m not sad about it, but it is my driving force,” Sora said.

When asked if he wanted to convey anything to others like himself he said, “For other devs, programmers, future game designers, don’t forget your roots.”

“I want everyone to know to do it with passion, do it with love. You can create wonders as a dev, as an artist if you do it with love, and if you do it with intent.”

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