Authors

“RJ” Kapoor

I spent a good chunk of time, maybe around six months, really buried in code, trying to build this ‘Smart Session Timeout’ feature for PHWIN. I was thinking, ‘Yeah, this is going to be super helpful for players, save them from accidental losses!’ Sus, little did I know! It turns out, many players were actually triggering it on purpose! Like, it became some kind of good luck ritual for them before a big game. Nakakagulat, ano? (Surprising, isn’t it?) My writing style, if you can even call it that, is usually pretty straightforward, just trying to explain things simply, maybe with a bit of a story.

My everyday life isn’t all about staring at complex algorithms, though. You’ll often find me at our local basketball court in the afternoons, just shooting some hoops to clear my head, or maybe grabbing some merienda (afternoon snack) like turon or banana cue from a street vendor. It’s during these everyday moments, just watching people, listening to their chatter, that I often get my best ideas, or at least, a good laugh. When I first heard about the timeout ritual, I was probably enjoying some isaw (grilled intestines) and almost choked on it from surprise! Now, we’re actually looking into this quirky player behavior – it’s fascinating, really. And forget about ‘academic dignity’ from teaching at a fancy university; I feel like I learn more from these real-life user quirks than any textbook could teach me. It just shows you, no matter how smart you think your tech is, people will always find their own unique ways to use it, and that’s pretty cool, and often quite funny.

Lianne Tan

You know how sometimes, when you’re excited to play, waiting for your GCash deposit to go through feels like forever? Nakakainip, ‘no? (It’s frustrating, right?) I’m one of those people who gets really antsy with slow processes, especially when it’s about getting into the game. I’m not some big-shot finance guru, but I’ve always been the type to tinker around and figure out how to make things run smoother for everyone. It’s just satisfying to make something clunky work well.

I remember spending ages trying to help my tito (uncle) get his online payments sorted for his game a few years back – it was a real headache! That got me thinking, there has to be a simpler way for us everyday folks. It’s not about fancy reports for banks, but more about making sure when you want to use your GCash, it just works, agad-agad (right away). And now, I’m really into looking at new stuff like blockchain to make sure that if you hit a massive jackpot, you know the whole process is fair and the payout is super secure. It’s all about making things better and more trustworthy for us regular players.

Santos-Manalo

You know, I’ve always had a knack for numbers and games, not really from a fancy university like UP, but more from hanging out at local computer shops back in the day and playing a lot of different games. My friends would say I’m just naturally swerte (lucky), but I believe it’s more about really watching the game and the players, you know? I’m a pretty chill and observant guy, always curious about how things work, especially when it comes to games of chance.

I remember spending hours in a small internet cafe in our province, not just playing, but also watching how others played, what made them excited or frustrated. That’s where I first saw how much fun people have with these games and how a little bit of strategy, or even just good vibes, can make a difference. It wasn’t in some high-tech lab, but right there, with the everyday Pinoys, that I started to see patterns. For example, I’ve noticed that folks who use GCash for their gaming funds tend to play a bit longer and seem more relaxed – maybe it’s just more convenient for them, di ba? It’s these little things from real life that got me hooked on understanding the online gaming world better.