Check out my new online home at JoeyAlarilla.com

My former hackenslash reporter Alex Villafania interviewed Level Up! Music Producer Sansan de Leon and me regarding our new music portal.

Here’s a link to the hackenslash article.

And here’s the video interview.

Guess what? We launched the Level Up! Music site over the weekend.

Here’s an excerpt from my Play to Win blog post.

Finally we can talk about it! I was itching to spill the beans while writing my Tayo’y Mag-Ragnarok ‘n’ Roll blog entry, but I couldn’t hehe Now it’s official: Level Up! Music is online, so head on over there to get a sneak peek at Kevin Roy’s new “Ampfufu!” music video and relive the hits from our first two music albums.

The site is still in beta, so please bear with us if there are bugs and rest assured that we’re going to continue improving Level Up! Music.

Also, check out my CNET Asia blog post “Have you plurked your life yet?“

Here’s an excerpt.

It took me a long time to switch to Plurk–I only started Plurking this September–but now I’m really into it and can say this microblogging tool is way cooler than Twitter. My Plurk addiction is funny considering that the first time I saw it, I was put off by the timeline–and yup it is something that you need to get used to if you’ve been weaned on Twitter or other similar microblogging services.

The great thing about Plurk is that the format really encourages people to comment on your posts. Each plurk indicates how many comments it has already received. Click on the plurk and you can read the comments, then post your own, reacting to the original poster or to those who commented. So yup, each plurk is like a thread in a discussion board.

Astig ang casing na ito!

Check out Morrigan Erinyes’ blog post to see just how cool this PC casing is and find out how you can join the promo.

Life isn’t always easy, but good things come to those who wait.

And remember, family comes first!

My friend, photographer extraordinaire Michelle Morelos, guested this afternoon on Wave 89.1.

Good thing I just got my new company phone, a Nokia N82, which has FM radio, so I was able to listen to Michelle.

If you’re looking for a great photographer, then I heartily recommend Michelle. Lots of satisfied clients, like my company Level Up!, can vouch for her, and it’s great that she’s been a guest on different TV and radio shows.

Just drop by her site, and tell her I said hi

Here’s an excerpt from my latest Play to Win blog post.

Aminin na natin, di ba mas masarap kung habang naglalaro tayo e nakikinig din tayo ng music?

Obviously, not all music lovers are gamers, but it’s almost a sure bet that if you’re a gamer, mahilig ka sa music. Music plays an important role in your game experience. How much more satisfying is it to slay monsters if you’re all pumped up by the stirring soundtrack? What would survival horror games be without the mood-setting creepy music and sound effects?

Don’t believe me? Then try playing the game na naka-mute yung PC, TV or handheld mo. Di ba boring?

Nope, Sam wasn’t going to a pajama party when I took these pics.

Their class had a poetry reading session, and their teacher wanted them to wear pajamas as their costumes.

A lot of things have happened to me in the past few months, not least of all a major career move.

“Going corporate” after over a decade as a tech journalist, I’m now the Multimedia Head a.k.a. The Catalyst of Level Up! Inc.

It’s an exciting new world, and my dream of finally being able to focus on gaming and technology has come true. I decided to launch this blog to celebrate this new phase in my life, and the improved work/life balance I’m now enjoying with my family.

I’ll be blogging about my personal life and interests, as well as promoting some of the stuff I do for Level Up! Please keep in mind, however, that this blog doesn’t reflect the official views of the company, and I won’t be blogging about what’s happening inside — that’s all confidential, OK?

Hope you could check out my Level Up! blog Play to Win, which we launched on Friday.

Here’s an excerpt from my first blog post:

Gamers don’t get any respect.

Well, OK, let me clarify that. Many people now do want to befriend gamers, whether they’re companies recognizing the growing importance of this demographic, or moviemakers hoping to turn a video game into a box office hit.

This is a good thing, since it shows how much gaming has become part of the lives of many people, particularly the younger generation. What’s sad, though, is when companies just pay lip service to gamers, whom they might only see as statistics to boost a site’s page views, or as a desirable market for their products and services.

Thanks for stopping by and hope you’ll keep visiting Life as a Catalyst.