Alexander Fernandez, founding member and CEO of Streamline Studios, has been named as the keynote speaker in the Asian Games Convention. The convention will be held on September 6 and 7 at the Suntec Singapore International Convention & Exhibition Center.

Under Fernandez's directive, Streamline was able to deliver critically-acclaimed video games such as Gears of War, Saints Row, and Ghost Recon 2.

Fernandez's speech will be titled The Rising Value of Content Capital and will tackle the issues surrounding the importance of content-driven games and how outsourcing can help develop the industry.

"We view GC Asia as a key forum for addressing both the opportunities and challenges of the emerging content creation sector in Asia," said the Streamline Chief. "With game development ever more a global phenomenon, it's the perfect time to address the implications for all parties involved: creators and publishers alike."

GC Asia is the regional counterpart of the recently-concluded GC 2007 in Leipzig, Germany where talks about the industry as well as exhibits of the biggest gaming projects today were held. The event covers all forms of gaming from consoles, PCs, handhelds, and even mobile phones.

If you're interested in GC Asia and would like to participate, you can go to www.GC-asia.sg to find more information.

It came to our attention that a new breed of outsourcing companies for World of Warcraft are sprouting left and right these days. We don't mean the game per se as everybody already knows that by now. Known as power-leveling companies, these "game consultants" take over players' accounts for a fee and take their characters where they want to be.

But where is "where" exactly? Why, at the top of the heap of course! According to some estimates, it would take a player 768 hours to reach level 70 of The Burning Crusade from scratch. If ever you've attained level 60 in the original WoW, the report mentioned that you will still need another 384 hours to get to the top level.

Now, the first service (from start to level 70) will cost players US$ 556 and the jump from level 60 to 70 is another US$ 239. The figures here are rather surprising, we know, but some players indeed go that far. If you're wondering what this practice implies, Blizzard Entertainment sent out an email last Monday regarding the matter.

Making use of a power-leveling service is a violation of our account-sharing policy. This policy is discussed in World of Warcraft's terms of use, which players agree to prior to playing.

It was reported as well that these power-leveling companies also have clients for other MMO titles such as EverQuest II. And like the former publisher, Sony Online Entertainment isn't too happy about the situation. EQ II's Head of Public Relations Courtney Simmons sent out a similar email.

Sony Online is aware that it happens, and we do not condone it. It is against our terms of service. You can not give anyone else access to your account. Players are responsible for the security of their own accounts. And players that use those types of services are at risk of having their accounts stolen or compromised.

Technically speaking, this can be viewed as having a skilled friend play for you. That's your account, you paid for it, and you can do with it whatever you want to do. But then again, don't expect to enjoy the game as much as those who worked their arse off to get to the highest level.

And lastly,and we're betting our lives on this, no other player will respect you if they ever found out that you paid for your level 70 character.

While both outsourcing and development in China is expected to continue its growth in the coming years, a new report from Pearl Research warns that outsourcing may not be as cost-effective as it may seem.

According to GamesIndustry.biz, the new report warns companies of various pitfalls in Chinese outsourcing, as the region's videogame market is set to exceed US$ 1.3 billion in 2008.

Pearl Research highlights travel, training and project management costs eroding savings made in areas such as low labor costs. Concerns over product quality, protection of intellectual property and competition for skilled employees are also some of the challenges that outsourcing presents.

As the market matures, however, Pearl Research says that the long-term quality of output will mature right along with it. The report also notes that online casual gaming will make up 30% of the Chinese games market in 2008, while the most popular Chinese MMORPGs can generate US$ 80 million annually.

It has been the common practice of some developers and publishers to have their products outsourced. This means that certain aspects of production are given to other companies, typically from third-world countries, to have smaller expenses (and therefore more profits). We're pretty sure we don't have to reiterate to you how low they sometimes pay third-world workers.

Regardless of your stance on this matter, it seems that it will continue - and continue to boom in the coming years. San Francisco-based firm Pearl Research forecasted the games market in China will exceed US$ 1.3 billion in 2008. The study focuses not on game development outsourcing alone but also on the country's domestic games market.

In case you're wondering about the company's findings, here are the highlights worth mentioning the most:

• Online casual games continue to gain traction and are expected to constitute 30% of the online games market by 2008. MMORPGs still constitute the largest online gaming segment in China. Top MMORPGs can generate US$ 80 million annually in China.
• Compelling and diverse game content, the low cost of playing games at an average of US$ 0.05 per hour, and the lack of entertainment options in China drove growth in the online games market.
• China will continue to flourish as a game development and outsourcing destination due to its low cost structure, large labor force and robust infrastructure. Companies can increase their production capabilities and achieve cost savings of 20% to 40% by outsourcing disciplines such as art creation.
• Outsourcing to China comes with significant challenges. These challenges include concerns over product quality and intellectual property protection, cultural differences and the competition for skilled employees.

It seems that China's videogame industry is more revved up than ever, thanks to videogame outsourcing. According to a report done by Niko Partners, a market reserach and consulting firm for the Chinese videogame industry, outsourcing games to China gives costs savings of around 40-60% (compared to games solely done in the US or Europe). As such, more and more developers and publishers seek China for artwork-related projects to save money.

And saving money is something developers and publishers would want, as manufacturing a game means high production costs. Thus, outsourcing is quite a feasible option for game developers. According to Lisa Cosmas Hanson of Niko partners, "Chinese developers continue to improve their skills across all game platforms, the country has become the primary center for outsourced game development globally."

Moreover, the said report includes tips on selecting a studio, the perks of outsourcing to China as compared to other country markets, costs and risks associated with outsourcing game development in China, measures to secure intellectual property within studios, and a directory of 25 premiere studios handling outsourced game development.