By Sibylle Dorndorf 

It’s not Asia, not America and not Europe either, but it’s a little bit of everything. The Philippines is an incredibly beautiful country that’s hard to fathom. A place full of inspirations and different influences. Hans Kenner Fernandez is a typical Filipino when it comes to humour. He has the element of surprise on his side when he mentions his (self-chosen) first name and likes to use it as a tongue-in-cheek door opener and conversation starter – especially at the Spielwarenmesse in Nuremberg and SPIEL in Essen.

The multifaceted business model

The Chief Curator, as Hans likes to call himself, is the founder of Gaming Library, which is based on a versatile business model. On the one hand, it’s a well-stocked brick-and-mortar store for board and other games, and on the other, it’s a high-profile online shop. Over the years, Gaming Library has become a brand and is now regarded as a Mecca for gamers of all ages and an Eldorado for passionate gamers. As the brand’s fame grew, the stores became a meeting place for families and a place-to-be for party people. What more could you want? But Hans does want more. In 2022, he set up the All aBOARD EXPO, an event that brings gamers and wannabe gamers together on one weekend in October.

Where there are games, there can be no harm

The entrepreneur has obviously struck a chord with the “playful” Filipinos. On the Gaming Library website, Hans describes his intention as follows: “We believe that playing board games is a fun, wholesome and educational bonding experience for family and friends. We strive to get popular and modern board games to every Filipino household.”

In Gaming Library, everybody, from children to more experienced gamers, from solo gamers to multiplayers, can find their favourite game. Hans’ promise is now being fulfilled by five brick-and-mortar shops, one in Quezon City, another in Makati, one in Mandaluyong and two in Bonifacio Global City. They are all located in the Greater Manila Area. And let’s not forget the popular online shop.

But who is Hans Kenner Fernandez? What makes him tick? What does gaming mean to him? 

A growing fan base

Games pioneer Hans Kenner Fernandez grasped both the zeitgeist and the culture in the Philippines when he came up with his business idea. The idea of family, doing things together, having fun together. The Filipinos, so Hans says about his fellow countrymen, are a very funny and cheerful folk – and they practically grow up bilingual. Filipino, a standardised version of Tagalog, and English are the country’s official languages. Playing games together is increasingly becoming part of the national family tradition. Hans Kenner Fernandez’s family regularly played chess and Monopoly. Even today, Uno and Monopoly are still the most popular children’s games. The ever-growing circle of adult gamers prefers trading card games such as Magic: The Gathering. People now spend around 150 euros a year on games – and that on a minimum wage of just under 11 euros a day!

A growing gaming scene

Meeting up with friends, playing games together and socialising is now one of the most popular leisure activities in the Philippines. Younger people prefer digital games, but classics such as trading card games and board games are also extremely popular. Party games are among the absolute must-haves amongst teens and tweens.

Delve deeper into the games landscape in the Philippines and you’ll quickly realise that the games played there are mostly imported ones. Hans also confirms this: “There are now up-and-coming game designers in the Philippines, but, sadly, we don’t have a high production standard to fall back on.”

Up until now, games have mainly been played in families, or with friends and acquaintances. And as Filipinos are sociable and like to go out, they often meet up in games cafés or games shops or arrange to meet in restaurants or other public locations. As Hans Kenner Fernandez can confirm, interest in this communicative leisure activity is growing significantly. Analogue gaming is seen as a digital detox, as a counterbalance to one’s everyday digital life, so to speak. When people play online, they often do so on platforms such as YouTube and Tiktok.

The hour of Gaming Library has come

Hans Kenner Fernandez was a pioneer when he founded Gaming Library, and his business idea is now spreading further and further – and generating new target groups, too. However, and this is important to Hans, the main target groups are still casual gamers and beginners of all ages. “We want to be the first memory that people associate with falling in love with the hobby,” he stresses. This hasn’t changed since he founded his online games shop back in 2011. Did he realise at the time what enormous potential his business idea had? “Not really. I just wanted to have a store with a large selection. Over the years, my vision has changed and evolved, but my passion has always remained the same.”

Gaming Library is still primarily best known in the Philippines, but its customer base is also growing internationally thanks to its online shop. Hans Kenner Fernandez’s special service is what makes his business stand out – that and the fact that he also offers Filipino editions of games in his range.

Games – the major winners of the post-pandemic age

Covid-19 has not only changed people’s lifestyles all around the world; it has also changed the way they organise their leisure time. People are once again meeting up more in small groups or playing with their families. This has also led to a gaming culture arising in countries where it was not as deeply rooted as in Germany, for example. Gaming drives social cohesion, and since all the major brands operate globally, the worldwide community of gamers has many common points of contact. When he travels in the gaming world, Hans Kenner Fernandez can regularly be found at the Spielwarenmesse in Nuremberg and at Spiel in Essen. Both events are the ideal arena for him to make contacts, discover games and find out about new publishers. When Hans is travelling, the trip always turns into a market run. His main aim is to keep Gaming Library concept constantly topped up.

All aBoard Expo 

Renting games used to be almost unthinkable. Nowadays, this service is part of a functioning business idea. In Gaming Library, as the name suggests, you can also hire games and tables together with a coach, either by the hour or by the day. It’s a cool idea for celebrations and surprise parties that’s very popular. And because Hans Kenner Fernandez’s declared aim is to bring people together, he and his team regularly organise tournaments and community meetings in the store itself. This marketing concept also gave rise to the All aBOARD EXPO, which Hans launched in 2022. “Board game cafés were suffering from the consequences of the lockdowns. We founded All aBOARD in the hope of inspiring others to do the same.”  The offer was readily adopted. Visitors to the expo are a colourful lot: casual gamers, beginners, and players who want to enjoy their hobby in a fun community all unite here. 

In the beginning was the idea

Hans Kenner Fernandez has a sharp mind. He’s a seeker and, as a result, a tireless doer. Books inspire him and he brings ideas back from his travels. And, of course, he attends trade fairs and gaming events all around the world, including the Asian Board Games Festival and the Tokyo Game Market. The CMON Expo Bangkok, a two-day board game event, immediately hired him as VP of Global Sales. As such, Hans Kenner Fernandez is responsible for organising the CMON Expo in Thailand. There is – as yet – nothing comparable in the Philippines. But who knows what else Hans will come up with? For him, maintaining existing contacts and forging new ones currently involves a lot of effort and travel: “From Essen, I had to work my way up to make contacts. Most of the people I spoke to didn’t even know where the Philippines were.” The market is interesting because it is constantly growing. The demand for Philippine editions of games is also growing. As Hans Fernandez says: “I’m pleased to say that it’s growing, but it’s going to be a tough journey. Most Filipinos depend on employment in a global environment, and the market for local products is still in the early stages of development.”

About the author

Sibylle Dorndorf has been covering the toy industry for almost 30 years. Most recently, the trade journalist was editor-in-chief of the TOYS magazine family at the Göller Verlag publishing house, Baden-Baden, Germany. Her passion: companies that reinvent themselves, brands that position themselves credibly, people who have something to say and products with a future.