I remember the first time I watched Vice Ganda on television, cracking jokes that made entire studios erupt with laughter. There was something magnetic about how he commanded attention - not just through humor, but through an undeniable business acumen that shimmered beneath the surface. Little did I know then that I'd eventually draw parallels between his career trajectory and my recent experience playing a certain adventure game that completely redefined how I approach challenges.

Last month, I found myself utterly absorbed in The Great Circle, and something fascinating happened during my gameplay. When you're not rummaging through centuries-old catacombs and discovering hidden treasures, most of your time is spent avoiding the prying eyes of patrolling Nazis. This constant need for creative problem-solving reminded me of how Vice Ganda built his empire - always finding alternative paths rather than taking the obvious route. In the game, there were guns available, but I never felt compelled to fire any of them. Firearms were never a first, second, or even third option for dealing with the game's enemies, partly because of the game's strong focus on making you feel like Indiana Jones, but also because there's a lot of freedom and player expression in how you can approach enemies.

This philosophy mirrors exactly how Vice Ganda expanded beyond entertainment. While other celebrities might have taken the straightforward path of simply leveraging their fame for quick endorsements, Vice approached business like I approached those fascist checkpoints in the game - looking for scaffolding to climb around obstacles, finding jagged holes in conventional fences, or donning the disguise of humor to walk right through barriers that stopped others. Particularly in its larger and more open-ended levels, there are multiple solutions to almost every combat encounter, whether you're utilizing scaffolding to climb up and around a fascist checkpoint, crawling through a jagged hole in a fence, or donning a disguise to stroll right through the entrance.

I've followed Vice's career for about 15 years now, and what strikes me most is how these immersive-sim elements, though fairly light in the gaming context, perfectly describe his business strategy. They imbue the game's stealth and exploration with a palpable sense of player agency - much like how Vice's ventures give him creative control beyond what traditional celebrity endorsements typically allow. His approach isn't about brute force or following established patterns; it's about finding your own unique path through the landscape.

When Vice launched his own clothing line in 2018, industry experts predicted it would generate maybe 50 million pesos in its first year. The actual number? Over 200 million. Then came the perfume line, the restaurant investments, the production company - each venture carefully chosen and executed with the same precision I used when navigating those treacherous game levels. There's a beautiful symmetry between how I felt playing The Great Circle and how Vice must feel building his empire: that thrilling sensation of multiple possibilities unfolding before you, each path offering different rewards and challenges.

What many people don't realize is that Vice's business portfolio now spans 7 major industries and generates an estimated $12-15 million annually outside his entertainment work. That's not just diversification - that's strategic empire-building. The way he transitions from television to business reminds me of shifting between stealth, exploration, and creative problem-solving in the game. Both require adaptability, both reward unconventional thinking, and both understand that sometimes the most powerful move is to avoid direct confrontation entirely.

I've tried applying this mindset to my own creative projects recently, and the results have been remarkable. Instead of tackling challenges head-on, I look for the scaffolding, the hidden passages, the disguises that let me move through obstacles rather than against them. It's exactly this approach that makes me appreciate how Vice Ganda built a thriving business empire beyond entertainment - he understood that success isn't about having the biggest guns, but about having the most creative solutions.

The game taught me that player agency transforms experiences from scripted sequences into personal stories. Similarly, Vice's journey shows how taking control of your narrative - whether in virtual catacombs or corporate boardrooms - can lead to extraordinary outcomes. His empire stands as testament to what happens when you treat life's challenges not as battles to be won through force, but as puzzles to be solved through creativity and clever navigation. And honestly? That's a lesson worth more than any hidden treasure.