Gaming

ADMIX RAISES $25M SERIES B TO MONETIZE THE METAVERSE WITH IN-PLAY

Published

3 years ago

October 27, 2021

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Admix, the leading In-Play monetization company that bridges the gap between gaming content and brands, today announces that it has raised USD $25 million in a Series B round to scale up its In-Play solution worldwide; and establish it as the content monetization layer for the metaverse.

Arriving just one year after Admix’s Series A round, this latest raise is the largest secured by any non-intrusive games monetization company and brings Admix’s total funding to USD $37 million. Participating in the Series B round are renowned VCs Elefund, Force Over Mass, DIP Capital, Notion Capital, Speedinvest, Rocket Capital, Colopl Next, Sure Valley Ventures and Sidedoor Ventures as well as growth investor Kuvi Capital and angels from the gaming industry.

Founded in 2018, Admix pioneered In-Play advertising; an unrivalled solution that bridges the gap between brands, creators and advertisers using non-intrusive product placements integrated inside video games. Over 300 global games and thousands of advertisers currently use Admix’s end-to-end platform which utilizes drag and drop SDKs for game publishers to integrate into their games, a platform for advertisers to access the gaming world, independently verified measurement and data reporting. The company has recently made key hires in the Americas and APAC where its presence will now be expanded further.

The first phase of Admix’s development has proven its commercial model, which is on track to deliver 1,000% year-on-year revenue hypergrowth. This fresh capital is set to power Admix’s evolution as a set of monetization tools for the new creator economy, and its second critical phase of product development that will set standards in the formative metaverse. In building the technology and tools to empower creators to make money from their content, Admix will iterate on its state-of-the-art proprietary rendering technology which can digitally inject complex 2D or 3D constructs into any 3D environment, with zero impact on virtual world engine performance.

Samuel Huber, CEO and Co-founder at Admix, commented:
“We’re delighted to have secured this substantial funding round which signifies the start of Admix Phase 2. This funding round validates the incredible hard work which the entire team has worked so tirelessly to reach. We see the internet entering a new stage: Web 3.0 or the metaverse, characterized by real-time 3D interactions and a new creator economy, spearheaded by the video games industry. We are establishing In-Play as the monetization layer for gaming and the metaverse. While many players in our industry are essentially agencies, Admix is building critical infrastructure for creators to monetize their content in the best way possible.”

Admix COO and Co-Founder, Joe Bachle-Morris, added:
“This Series B round – the most significant in our industry by far – comes at a time when household name brands and some of the highest-grossing games ever are joining either end of the Admix ecosystem. Research we released last week demonstrates just how hot an area this is for brands, with 93% of media buyers intending to conduct an In-Play campaign within the next few years. We’ve built an unbeatable tech stack, proved our model commercially and recently put boots on the ground in North America, LATAM and APAC, where our presence will now be ramped up. Admix is at the forefront of gaming as a media channel and we’re excited to be able to put even greater firepower behind creating the infrastructure that will enable our creators and clients to maximize the opportunity.”

Serik Kaldykulov, Founder and Managing Partner at Elefund, commented:
“Sam and Joe are exactly the type of founders we want to work with at Elefund. They created Admix and In-Play with their incredible vision for the future of digital gaming, and we believe that they will continue to play a significant role in shaping how consumers and businesses exist and interact in what the world will come to know as the metaverse.”

Lucas Stoops, Investment Manager at Force over Mass Capital, commented:
“We are delighted to invest in Admix again. This Series B shows the wider market is waking up to new monetization tools. The investment will allow Admix to continue to innovate with its platform, enabling developers to monetize their games and advertisers to reach a new and growing audience.”

Admix is experiencing hypergrowth driven by unprecedented inbound and direct sales and has doubled in size to more than 80 staff this year. It has recently signed deals for In-Play campaigns with Calvin Klein, Schuh, Movember and Sky.

Gaming

4Players and ODIN deliver cutting-edge voice chat for Gray Zone Warfare

Published

3 days ago

April 30, 2024

Adrienn Sarkany

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Reading Time: 2 minutes

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

Published

4 days ago

April 29, 2024

Adrienn Sarkany

phoenix-games-acquires-popreach-games-along-with-its-impressive-games-portfolio-and-over-100-employees

Reading Time: 2 minutes

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.

The post Phoenix Games acquires PopReach Games along with its impressive games portfolio and over 100 employees appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Gaming

Midjiwan Supports Reforestation Efforts With New Elyrion Tribe Skin In The Battle Of Polytopia

Published

1 week ago

April 25, 2024

Adrienn Sarkany

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Reading Time: 2 minutes

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.

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