If life were a video game, what genre would your life be?
Regardless of whether you’re a triple-A or indie game, the fact of the matter is that one way or another, individually we’re all in our own Role-Playing Game but in the case of JC Malapit, he didn’t go belly down, he went Phoenix Up!
Humble beginnings
Lovingly referred to as a Gen 1 game dev by other indie developers in their circle, JC and Phoenix Up didn’t have their grand adventure overnight. It was a culmination of dreams, ambitions, and experiences spanning almost two decades, with new companions, mentors, and even benevolent beings joining them every step of the way.
Prologues and tutorials
It all started in college for JC, when that spark of imagination and interest in gaming took hold. The inspirations are clear, after all, when you look at BloodBreaker, Phoenix Up Media’s latest game, but we’re getting ahead of ourselves a bit.
Castlevania is the name of the game, and after hours and hours of gameplay, it just clicked, and the rest was history. Anino Entertainment became the first of many training grounds for JC on his game development journey, with the work experience leading to the progenitor of Phoenix Up! Media: Caotic Pixel Studios.
Forming a party
In most turn-based RPGs (give or take a few anomalies) you’ll always see your hero surrounded by companions, either short-term or in the long run. Regardless of the length, though, each member is memorable in more ways than one. In JC’s case, he was able to form a party of his own, coming from both the old school through his experiences at Anino Entertainment and the new school with his comrades from Caotic Pixel Studios.
A cool tidbit about his party from Caotic Pixel Studios: they hit a major milestone with the release of Combatron: Project Phoenix. What makes this impressive is how it pays homage to the original source material while also bringing you back to the pixelated gaming days of old.
Throughout the game development adventure, loyalty also played a big part in Phoenix Up! Media’s growth. From the beginning, co-founders Nurjean Chaneco, the team’s Dreamsmith (aka “Writer”), and Keith Lorenzo, the team’s Technomancer (aka “Programmer”), were there. Think about it. Two decades is a long time, and to have friends and companions like that, with all the support in the world, is a treasure in itself. The rest of the team, including Em Laico, their Overseer (aka “Project Manager”); Buch Dacanay, their Soundweaver (aka “Music Producer / Composer”); and “Ranmen” Noronio, their Ink Summoner (aka “2D Artist”), also being part of Phoenix Up! just made the grind worth it!
The next level
It’s been one heck of a ride leading up to this point, and as we gathered around the proverbial campfire that is the story of Phoenix Up! Media, there was just something about it that drew me in. For starters, one thing that sets this team apart is that it’s headed by someone who’s been in the game dev scene for over 20 years! So much can change in a year but two decades is nothing to scoff at.
Phoenix Up! Media also has a niche in revitalizing old-school IPs with their own spin on things, and Bloodbreaker: Labyrinth of the Witch is just one of many games to come. Like I said, this didn’t happen overnight. It’s the result of years of experience and passion that you can feel as JC recounted Phoenix Up’s exploits. To put it into context: going from conceptualization to development, and eventually being discovered at the Philippine Game Dev Expo (PGDX) in 2024 by their now-publisher SoftSource, is like reaching the final boss of a video game, but you just know there’s more to come.
Roll credits
As we ended our conversation, JC and I reminisced on the past while looking forward to the future. It’s not just a main character going through this game development adventure. It’s a whole village right behind him.
His team, including Keith, Nurjean, Buch, Ranmen, Vanille, Joshua, Katrina, and Edina, helped make Bloodbreaker what it is, and if it weren’t for them, it wouldn’t have come this far.
He was also thankful to his family, Em, Nestor, Yolanda, AJ, Brandon, Matthew, and Anna, for being his support system all throughout.
Epilogue
The story definitely isn’t over for Phoenix Up! and Bloodbreaker, but JC (being an educator and gamer himself) looks forward to upcoming metroidvanias, soulslikes, and especially the youth who want to start their own adventure. He leaves these words of wisdom:
▪️Passion should drive you, not money.
▪️There’s a lot of heartbreak when it comes to game dev, but with the right support system you can make it!
▪️Don’t forget to polish the visuals because first impressions last!
▪️Observe the environment because ANYTHING can be a game.
▪️See the potential, sketch your idea out, and if you’re inspired, just research.
▪️Start with an idea and spark it into a firestorm.
There’s more to Phoenix Up! Media and Bloodbreaker we could talk about, but for more up-to-date info on Phoenix Up! Media, as well as Bloodbreaker’s publisher SoftSource Publishing, you can check them out at the links below:
PHOENIX UP! MEDIA
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/PhoenixUpMedia
X / Twitter – https://x.com/PhoenixUpMedia
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/phoenix_up_media/
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@PhoenixUpMedia
SOFT SOURCE PUBLISHING
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/softsourcepublishing
X / Twitter – https://x.com/SSourcePublish
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/softsourcepublishing/?hl=en
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@softsourcepublishing
