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| (Image Source: ComicsBeat.com/Naver) |
Global social storytelling platform Wattpad and digital comics avenue Webtoon will merge their respective studio divisions to form and launch Wattpad Webtoon Studios, which will create another space for stories in new formats. Naver, the parent company of both Wattpad and Webtoon, commits US$100 million for development and production financing following its acquisition of Wattpad on May 2021.
Wattpad Webtoon Studios currently has over 100 television and movie projects in development or production with global partners, and a slate of books and international imprints. The companies have stated that publishing will remain a "key component" under the new studio with the first volume of Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe in the queue of publishing slated for October 2021. The new platform will reach a wider audience and provide more opportunities for creators, especially for young adult fiction and comic adaptations, with global partnerships in Asia, America and Europe.
In a press release, Wattpad Webtoon Studios president Adam Levitz said, "We're bringing a new era of diverse voices and incredible IP (intellectual property) to audiences and an industry looking for both." This may strengthen the performance of the South Korean-based company Naver in IP, digital comics and web novels. On the other hand, Wattpad reassured writers that the acquistion will not change its core application as it is continuing operations independently.
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DOT, TikTok Launch #SarapMagingPinoy Campaign In Celebration Of Filipino Pride
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| (Image Source: Adobo Magazine/Department Of Tourism - Philippines) |
The Department Of Tourism (DOT) and video making and sharing platform TikTok introduces its newest campaign, #SarapMagingPinoy, to encourage locals to celebrate Filipino pride by sharing treasured dishes from all over the country and promote a renewed interest and love for local cuisines. Launched last June 1, the campaign received positive reception from TikTok users and has recorded more than 35 million online video views and counting.
Under the #SarapMagingPinoy campaign, various content creators from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao were tapped to share clips of homemade recipes and dishes on the TikTok platform with each video showcasing local produce and diverse cooking styles found across the archipelago. Some videos have even featured homegrown cooks preparing the dishes amidst the scenic destinations where these recipes are made popular. The #SarapMagingPinoy campaign is a form of crowd-sourced community food mapping or associating food with culture and a specific destination, to create compelling stories for travel, with food as an integral part of a traveler's journeys.
"Food is an integral part of Filipino culture, it reflects our history and our diversity. More importantly, food is what binds us together with our family, friends, and community. Whenever we travel, we travel for food," said Tourism Secretary Hon. Bernadette Romulo-Puyat. "The DoT continuously pushes its food tourism initiatives, and it will always be open to partnering with various innovative and engaging platforms such as TikTok to constantly promote and remind our people about how special our cuisine is to our nation," Puyat added. To view the campaign, visit https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSJHQf25c/.
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Creativity, National Pride To Be Showcased In Xiaomi PH's Mi Bunny Design Contest
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| (Image Source: Gadget Pilipinas/Xiaomi Philippines) |
Xiaomi Philippines is cordially inviting and encouraging all artists and fans of the brand to showcase their creativity and national pride by designing its own Mi Bunny, which has been a significant icon of the Mi Community that has been widely popular among Mi fans and featuring in various campaigns. Now, each country where Xiaomi is present will have its own Mi Bunny and Mi Fans are given the chance to design their own Filipino Mi Bunny through the Mi Bunny Design Contest.
Full mechanics of the competition including the design template are posted and can be found on the official contest announcement in the Mi Community website. To enter, designs shall be posted on the comments section of the same campaign thread in the Mi Community Page post where Mi Fans can also get to vote for their favorite designs. The three most popular entries will go on to be shortlisted and Xiaomi Philippines will be choosing the winning design. Exciting prizes await the artist of the chosen design as the winner will take home a Redmi Note 10 5G, Mi Air Purifier 3H, Mi Air Fryer, Mi Bunny Toys and Xiaomi merchandise.
Submissions are currently open to any Filipino citizen who is 18 years old and above and has a genuine account in the Xiaomi Mi Community website. Deadline for submission of entries is on July 14, 2021 while voting periods for the top three designs will be held on July 15-17, 2021. Winners will be notified of the contest result via e-mail and the results will be announced on Xiaomi's official website during the Winner Announcement Period.
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AKG Games Philippines Bares Local Hearthstone Guild Series Tourney
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| (Image Source: Ungeek.ph/Facebook/AKG Games Philippines) |
AKG Games Philippines has officially launched and introduced the Hearthstone Guild Series Philippines, the country's adaptation of an official tournament organized in collaboration with local Hearthstone communities around the world with the support of the game's developer Blizzard Entertainment, which is open to all Filipino Hearthstone players with over Php60,000 worth of cash and prizes at stake.
Set within the Warcraft universe, Hearthstone is a turn-based card game between two players using constructed decks of 30 cards along with a selected hero with a unique power. Players use their limited number of mana crystals to play abilities or summon minions to attack the opponent, with the goal of destroying the opponent's hero. Winning matches and completing quests can earn in-game gold, rewards in the form of new cards, and other in-game prizes.
The Philippine iteration of the tournament will first have a qualifier stage where players are slated to compete for a slot in the main bracket of the event. Participants can choose to enter with a friend in the game's Battlegrounds mode or with three other players to compete in Standard mode. Registration for the Hearthstone Guild Series Philippines is free. Aspiring participants may register at the AKG Games' Battlefly page.
