Gaming
Thunderbite broadens its distributional footprint via ITP
F2P leader enters into a strategic collaboration with Inside The Pocket’s leading agnostic platform to grow its global scope
Thunderbite, a leading free-to-play (F2P) games provider, has entered into a strategic partnership with Inside The Pocket (ITP) the pre-eminent free-to-play aggregation platform, to broaden its distributional scope.
The deal sees Thunderbite deliver its comprehensive F2P product portfolio to a new network of operators via the ITP platform, an industry-first aggregation model for the free-to-play sector. In turn, Thunderbite’s array of sports and non-sports content will help diversify ITP’s offering and deliver varied gamification options which track player proclivities across igaming with other games that reside outside F2P’s traditional sports-betting domain.
ITP’s ground-breaking marketplace now affords a host of innovative suppliers a simple route to market which, in turn, offers worldwide operators a wealth of value-creation opportunities across a broad spectrum of content from one seamless integration.
Thunderbite already offers in excess of 25 games across 30 countries and in 25 languages (via multilingual API) in Europe and the Americas. In fact, over the past 12 months, the F2P supplier has rolled out around 10 new games.
More broadly, Thunderbite allows its partners to launch a wide range of F2P prediction, jackpot and more hyper-casual game formats with seamless speed across any language or territory.
It’s the latest tactical move from Thunderbite after a series of key alliances which have seen the F2P-games expert deepen its offering by providing real-time rewards and incentives based on specific campaign triggers, allowing Thunderbite to drive player engagement via highly personalised communications with cross-sell capacity across both acquisition and retention strategies.
ITP’s proven international scope and flair for localization promises to drive diversified fan engagement around targeted free-to-play games. Thanks to its open-aggregation approach, Inside The Pocket already offers the broadest and best-curated mix of games available, with one platform integration acting as a gateway to virtually unlimited content.
ITP provides the most modular and democratised strategic F2P platform around, assembling the best minds and models for a new era in fan engagement, localized to specific global markets. When you’re signed up individually to one or more developers, you can end up with a set of expensive integrations or all your eggs in one basket. Instead, ITP’s open-aggregation platform takes the sting out of such outmoded deals by providing the requisite flexibility for maturing markets.
Inside The Pocket’s technical know-how sets it apart in the crucial F2P domains of game development, player management and, above all, multi-level data. Its dashboards provide clients with the full picture on player activity, thanks to aggregated cross-network player data (e.g. from individual customer journeys to in-play data, and other shared insights on player segments).
John Smith, Co-Founder at Thunderbite, said: “ITP’s simple-yet-transformative pitch of ‘one single integration unlocking the gateway to the entire F2P marketplace’ positively delineates them for operators. And regardless of Thunderbite’s relentless recent growth, you should never rest on your laurels in this industry. That is why this third-party collaboration with an aggregator as well-positioned and unique as ITP made such strategic sense.
“Operators worldwide can now effortlessly expand their portfolio through ITP, with this sports betting content aggregation platform affording easy access to the best products on the market, featuring F2P and other agile content solutions. So, we can’t wait to expand our worldwide footprint and observe how our localised games perform in diverse territories which, in some instances, represent new ground for us.”
Hussain Naqi, Founder and CEO of Inside The Pocket, said: “This collaboration is the absolute embodiment of mutually beneficial. For ITP, it provides us with more fantastic content and engagement tools for our burgeoning book or customers. While, for Thunderbite’s sales and outreach teams, we make their jobs easier, streamlining the process and its efficacy by removing impediments to the decision-making process.
“Further, this this partnership has deepened and diversified our offering to broaden ITP’s scope into igaming and wider non-sports content. As markets crystallise and new regulations coalesce, the best and most flexible portfolio will always prevail. And this partnership is an excellent way of framing and delivering these strong products to the end user. It’s all about the agility this offers for both of our customers and future prospects.
“As a market leader in the dynamic, evolving F2P vertical, Thunderbite was a logical choice as an ITP partner. They deliver a myriad of F2P games for assorted operators, from traditional jackpot and attainable-prize games for retention and responsible play, right through to light-touch and casual games. ITP’s multifaceted assets are already revenue-generating for our operators, so we’re thrilled with the early international reception from our growing global association of betting partners.
“We’re perfectly placed to leverage this opportunity because we can diversify content, leverage consumer data and segment it for our partners as the evolving landscape unfolds, particularly in the crystallising North American space. Harte Hanks, the world’s leading consumer-data provider, also affords us unique consumer insights that will allow us to hyper-segment our audience communication over time – from this summer’s sporting jamboree to the T20 World Cup cricket and the World Cup 2022 football later this year.”
Gaming
4Players and ODIN deliver cutting-edge voice chat for Gray Zone Warfare
The globally operating software company 4Players GmbH announces its partnership with MADFINGER Games, the developer behind the highly anticipated tactical first-person shooter Gray Zone Warfare. The collaboration aims to level up in-game communication by integrating 4Players’ next generation Voice Chat SDK, ODIN, into MADFINGER Games’ upcoming title.
MADFINGER Games’ goal is to create a complex and realistic gaming experience that allows players to embark on an adventure alone or in a team. To ensure excellent communication during tactical approaches, ODIN was the best choice for MADFINGER Games’ Technical Director Johanny Clerc-Renaud:
“Selecting ODIN as the voice chat in our upcoming title, Gray Zone Warfare, was a pivotal decision driven by both technical and business considerations. Technically, ODIN ticks a lot of our criteria with its support for spatial audio, a ready-to-deploy Unreal Engine 5 plugin and the ability to meet any player load thanks to their cloud hosting.
From a business perspective, the agility and openness of partnering with a company like 4Players meant we could work hand-in-hand to tailor the solution to our specific needs. This includes a seamless integration with Wwise, allowing us to modulate voice data for a more immersive and engaging player experience. Together, these factors made ODIN the undeniable choice for Gray Zone Warfare, enabling us to make our game even more memorable.”
By natively integrating ODIN Voice Chat into Unreal Engine 5, MADFINGER Games’ developers could focus on creating ultra-realistic game content instead of managing complex data sets. By leveraging ODIN’s scalable cloud hosting, MADFINGER Games can also ensure seamless service delivery to players worldwide, improving accessibility and the gaming experience.
With features such as real-time 3D spatial audio – including audio occlusion and ambient effects – for the global voice chat as well as full-volume radio communication, ODIN sets a new standard for multiplayer engagement and promotes immersive and crystal-clear interactions between players. This level of immersive communication not only enhances gameplay, but also strengthens the social fabric in the gaming community.
“ODIN represents the future of in-game communication. We combine cutting-edge technology with decades of expertise in the gaming industry to create a product that is fun and designed to improve gamers’ communication,” says Phillip Schuster, CEO at 4Players GmbH. “We are excited to be working with MADFINGER Games to further optimize the immersion of Gray Zone Warfare. The partnership highlights our shared goal of driving social interaction and creating a unique gaming experience.”With the release of Gray Zone Warfare for Early Access on 30th April 2024, players will experience unparalleled realistic gaming communication with ODIN.
The post 4Players and ODIN deliver cutting-edge voice chat for Gray Zone Warfare appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Gaming
Phoenix Games acquires PopReach Games along with its impressive games portfolio and over 100 employees
Phoenix Games, a global gaming enterprise specializing in the acquisition and enhancement of game studios, is thrilled to announce the acquisition of PopReach Games, a live operations studio based in Bengaluru, India, from Ionik for a total aggregate purchase price of up to US$9.8 million, financed from cash reserves. Together with the studio, Phoenix takes over a broad portfolio of free-to-play games that boasts more than 420 million lifetime downloads.
This transaction substantially diversifies the Phoenix portfolio by including globally recognized IPs and beloved free-to-play titles on different platforms, such as Smurf’s Village, Smurf’s Magic Match, Gardens of Time, Kitchen Scramble games, Kingdoms of Camelot, and War of Nations as well as the Brain Training app Peak..
The acquisition of PopReach Games India strengthens Phoenix Games’ global presence and adds a dedicated workforce of more than 100 employees from the Indian studio.
“The acquisition of PopReach Games signifies a remarkable enhancement of our portfolio, introducing not just a team of 100 passionate professionals but also a suite of globally acclaimed IPs and games that continue to captivate millions,” states Klaas Kersting, CEO of Phoenix Games. “We look forward to elevating these games to new heights with our proprietary Uplift platform and exciting new game experiences that we can craft around them.
Echoing this sentiment, Jairaj NS, General Manager at PopReach Games India, shares, “I am excited about joining forces with the stellar team at Phoenix Games. This marks the beginning of an exciting journey we can’t wait to embark on with Phoenix as our new home. This is great news for all the stakeholders, especially for the millions of our loyal players across the globe. I am happy we have found a new ideal home for our globally acclaimed games. This partnership enables us to continue pouring our hearts and souls into creating unforgettable experiences for our players worldwide and create value for stakeholders.”
Ted Hastings, CEO of Ionik, adds: “It’s truly remarkable that we’ve discovered the perfect home for our former games division, PopReach Games India, with Phoenix Games, ensuring a promising and successful path ahead. This strategic move enables us to turn our full attention to our core responsibilities”.
Based in Karlsruhe, Germany, Phoenix Games boasts an impressive lineup of studios, including Upright Games, Sixteen Tons Entertainment, Well Played Games, Smileygamer, and the recent addition of Canadian developer Sad Panda Studios in November 2023.
Utilizing its proprietary Uplift platform, Phoenix Games enhances the financial performance and reach of the titles of acquired game studios, providing their expertise in user acquisition, ad monetization, and live operations to ensure an economic upswing.
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Gaming
Midjiwan Supports Reforestation Efforts With New Elyrion Tribe Skin In The Battle Of Polytopia
Midjiwan, the award-winning independent studio behind The Battle of Polytopia, is celebrating Elyrion (∑∫ỹriȱŋ) Tribe Week with a brand-new Midnight (₼idŋighţ) skin and donations to support reforestation.
Tapping into the Elyrion Tribe’s nature magic abilities, every purchase of an Elyrion item in the game will plant one real-world tree from April 22-28 2024. Midjiwan has teamed up with The Canopy Project, an organisation that works with global partners to reforest areas in urgent need of rehabilitation, combining The Battle Of Polytopia’s themes with a desire to make real change in the world. Previous years of Elyrion Tribe Week have resulted in the planting of over 12,000 trees.
The Elyrion Tribe is a mysterious group of elves, dedicated to defending their woodland home with their unique magic and connection with nature. Players using the Elyrion tribe have the ability to enchant animals into Polytaurs and summon powerful Fire Dragons.
Christian Lövstedt, General Manager at Midjiwan, commented:
“This is a hugely exciting partnership, allowing players to support the planet and contribute to reforestation whilst also accessing brilliant new content to use in The Battle Of Polytopia.”
Alongside donating to The Canopy Project, The Battle Of Polytopia also boasts a brand-new skin for the Elyrion Tribe! The Midnight skin allows players to create graves, build crypts, and summon demons in dark forests, all in service of the mysterious Shard of D’Naeh.
The Midnight skin re-skins the entire Elyrion Tribe as the Midnight Cult. Everything the Elyrion Tribe is all about – nature, enchantment, and sanctuary – is turned on its head, corrupted into a dark, twisted dystopia of itself.
Midjiwan has already invested €250,000 in solar power projects in rural areas around Africa, and other charitable projects. The studio continues to seek opportunities to combine its in-game creativity with real-world benefits. The Battle of Polytopia is available on Nintendo Switch, the App Store, Google Play, PC, and Tesla cars.
The post Midjiwan Supports Reforestation Efforts With New Elyrion Tribe Skin In The Battle Of Polytopia appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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