Press Releases
Top-Tier Mobile Game Publishers Spend $21 Million on Custom Tech
Top-tier mobile game publishers are investing more than $21 million to build and maintain internal technology and tooling. That’s the startling headline of new research from mobile game development company, Metaplay, which also dives into the hidden, human costs of game programmers who are diverted to work on tech instead of gaming content.
Based on a survey of 125 senior executives at large mobile game development companies in the United States, the data shows that large publishers are spending an average of $21,662,784 to build and maintain their backend tech. Respondents, all of whom are C-level execs or tech team leads at companies with at least 50 staff, were asked questions relating to the size of their tech teams, how long they had been working on internal tools, and their teams’ remuneration. They said:
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$138,864 is the average salary of an employee working on internal tech at major publishers in the United States
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52 is the average number of employees working predominantly in internal tech
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36 months is the average number of months the companies surveyed had been building internal tech (just over three years)
Beyond the hard numbers, there are human costs associated with the in-house development of backend tech. Almost three-quarters (74%) of respondents said their game programmers had been impacted by being redeployed to work on internal tech as opposed to gaming content. Of those who had redeployed staff, 41% said that doing so had slowed the game development process, 34% said it had increased ‘crunch’ working practices, and 34% said this led to higher employee turnover.
Teemu Haila, co-founder and Chief Product Officer at Metaplay, commented:
“As a company which has spent almost four years focused entirely on building backend tech for mobile games, even we had to do a double-take when we saw these stats. Shipping a long-lasting hit game was already very challenging, but the current state of the mobile gaming market means investment at this level without any guarantee of success is incredibly risky. We’re trying to fix the binary choice of ‘build vs buy’ when it comes to backend tech – where ‘build’ means expensive and ‘buy’ means unscalable, so mobile devs can focus on making great content.”
Matt Wilson, mobile gaming advisor and investor, said:
“This research shows that building internal tech is becoming prohibitively expensive as well as distracting game-makers from their day jobs. As an investor, I generally want to see as much capital as possible to go towards developing the product. Many companies still suffer from an ‘if it’s not built here, it’s not good enough’ mentality but, while that may have been true in the past, it’s certainly not always the case now.”
Further key findings from the research:
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Top-tier game studios in the US are most likely to be developing strategy games (58%) and shooters (57%). They’re least likely to be working on hypercasual (22%) and card-collecting games (18%)
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Respondents’ companies are most likely to outsource or use third-party tooling for security and compliance (43%), multiplayer and/or matchmaking (42%), and game logic server hosting (41%). They’re least likely to outsource observability tooling (26%), and data pipelines (14%)
As well as being available as a whitepaper here, the research has today been released as a hard copy book which is available at Nordic Game Conference stand D6, or on request from Metaplay.
The post Top-Tier Mobile Game Publishers Spend $21 Million on Custom Tech appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
poker
GGPoker Launches Second Year Of microFestival Online Poker Series with $10 Million Guaranteed Prize Pool
GGPoker is thrilled to announce the return of its microFestival, the world’s largest micro stakes poker festival, running from June 23 through July 7, 2024. With an impressive $10 million in guaranteed tournament prizes, this year’s series promises to be even more exhilarating for poker enthusiasts of all levels.
GGPoker’s microFestival stands out as the premier online poker event for players with modest bankrolls, featuring No-Limit Holdem, Progressive Knockout (PKO) and Pot Limit Omaha tournaments with buy-ins from just $1. The highlight of the series is the $10.80 Mystery Bounty Main Event, which boasts a staggering $1 million guarantee and a top mystery bounty of $100,000.
Adding to the excitement, GGPoker has introduced a unique freeroll promotion to ensure every participant feels like a winner. Players who fail to cash in any microFestival event will receive a free ticket to one of three $5K freeroll tournaments held the following day. This “Second Chance” offer gives all players another opportunity to win cash prizes, reinforcing GGPoker’s commitment to providing exceptional value and entertainment. In total, 50 freerolls will be held, awarding $250,000 in prizes.
Sarne Lightman, Managing Director of GGPoker, expressed his enthusiasm for the upcoming series: “We are incredibly excited to bring back microFestival for a second year, with bigger and better tournaments and prizes. GGPoker’s goal has always been to make poker accessible and enjoyable for everyone, and with events starting at just $1, microFestival offers incredible value and excitement. Adding Second Chance freeroll tournaments is our way of thanking our players and ensuring everyone has multiple opportunities to win big.”
GGPoker’s microFestival 2024 is set to attract a diverse and dynamic field of players, from newcomers looking to dip their toes into online poker to seasoned veterans seeking to showcase their skills in a low-stakes environment. With a packed schedule of events and millions of dollars on the line, the series promises unforgettable moments and life-changing wins.
The post GGPoker Launches Second Year Of microFestival Online Poker Series with $10 Million Guaranteed Prize Pool appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Inspired Entertainment, Inc., a leading B2B provider of gaming content, systems, and solutions, and Paddy Power, the retail division of Flutter Entertainment plc, proudly announce the launch of Paddy Power Gold Cash Freespins, a custom game that combines the distinctive branding of Paddy Power with Inspired’s renowned Gold Cash Freespins theme.
Set against the iconic green backdrop of Paddy Power’s signature colour scheme, Paddy Power Gold Cash Freespins is a 5-reel, 4-row, 40-winline slot game packed with branded Wilds and symbols, as well as other player-favorite features.
Players can trigger the game’s Free Spins bonus by landing three Paddy Power bonus symbols on a single spin, rewarding players with eight Free Spins. During this feature, only the three highest symbols and stacked Wilds appear on the reels, amplifying the potential for big wins. For players who feel adventurous, a gamble feature is available to boost winnings or earn additional Free Spins. This feature presents two gamble wheels for players to choose from, each offering a different path to success.
Now available in both a retail and online format, Paddy Power Gold Cash Freespins showcases Inspired’s commitment to creating high-quality custom experiences tailored to specific operator brands like Paddy Power. The result is a seamless blend of engaging gameplay and operator-specific branded features that delivers an exceptional brand-extension gaming experience for their players.
“We are delighted to relaunch our popular title Gold Cash Free Spins in partnership with our long-term customers at Paddy Power,” said Richard Terry, UK Market Product Director for Inspired. “The seamless integration of Paddy Power branding into Gold Cash Free Spins provides an exciting, omnichannel gaming experience for Paddy Power players.”
“We’re thrilled to be working with Inspired Entertainment once again to create an exclusive gaming experience for our customers,” said Vince Bateson, Head of Gaming at Paddy Power. “Paddy Power Gold Cash Freespins builds on the theme of the original game, which our players loved, and is a fantastic addition to our portfolio.”
The post Inspired Launches Bespoke Gold Cash Freespins Game with Paddy Power appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
FinteqHub, a PCI DSS-certified payment gateway solution provider, is set to participate in iGB L!VE 2024, one of the most expected live industry events of the year.
The exhibition will take place on 17–18 July in RAI Amsterdam. iGB L!VE provides a comprehensive platform for live communication in the highly competitive iGaming sector, contributing to its overall development. In 2024, over 300 exhibitors and sponsors, as well as almost 10,000 gaming and affiliate stakeholders are expected to attend.
This year, the FinteqHub award-winning team, recognised as an Industry Rising Star 2024 at the SiGMA Awards Eurasia, will attend the event for the second time. The company’s experts, with an average of 10 years of tech and consulting experience, will present the product’s recent updates.
FinteqHub recently enhanced its platform by integrating with notable payment solution providers, including Finshark, Ivy, CallPay, and others. These integrations have expanded its presence in countries such as Germany, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, South Africa, and worldwide in general. The company also expanded its analytics functionality by offering more detailed reports.
Besides PSPs integrations, the company provides banking assistance, helping companies open accounts in reliable banks. Primarily serving the iGaming and betting domains, FinteqHub also advises on the selection of strong banks and EMI providers for clients’ needs.
Vadim Drozd, CEO at FinteqHub, expresses his expectation of the event: “This event gives us an opportunity to show our innovative solutions and communicate with key stakeholders in the industry. Live discussions of the latest industry trends and possibilities of collaboration help elevate the fintech and iGaming sectors. We warmly invite our partners to attend the exhibition and visit our stand.”
FinteqHub will participate in the exhibition alongside its lifetime partner SOFTSWISS. Using this link, current and potential clients can schedule a meeting with FinteqHub experts at stand 12-F30.
About FinteqHub
FinteqHub is a fresh player in the payment solutions market with the core product – PCI DSS-certified payment gateway for online businesses. It started its journey in 2019 and assembled a team of 150+ top-notch professionals with solid legal, financial, and technical expertise. The company is headquartered in Lithuania, with offices in Malta, Poland, and Georgia. FinteqHub makes the management of payment processing transparent, stable, and flexible.
The post FinteqHub to Present Updates at iGB L!VE 2024 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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