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Gamecity Hamburg Funds 6 Digital Game Prototypes with 410,000 Euros in its 20th Anniversary Year

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In the 2023 funding round, Gamecity Hamburg is supporting six game projects with a total of 410,000 euros as part of the Prototype Funding programme. This funding for companies and start-ups based in Hamburg enables the development of prototypes of digital games with high market potential. Among the funding recipients are three start-ups that have previously successfully graduated from Gamecity Hamburg’s Games Lift Incubator. The application phase for the incubator programme runs until June 20.

Once again, the awarding committee was impressed by the high quality of the submitted projects and decided to fully utilise the funding budget available for the 2023 Prototype Funding. The application phase for the next funding round will therefore start in spring 2024. Including this fifth funding round since 2020, the Prototype Funding supported the development of a total of 27 prototypes with 1,536,000 euros.

“The applications submitted show the positive effects of our further funding programs and offers for professionalization. Three teams of the projects funded in this round have already successfully completed our Games Lift incubator program. In addition to newly founded companies, experienced studios are also among the funding recipients. This once again shows the versatility and potential of Hamburg as a games location,” Dennis Schoubye, Head of Gamecity Hamburg, said.

The funded projects 2023

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METACORE by Amberdive Interactive – € 80,000

Project Renaissance by Tiny Roar – € 80,000

Reddie – ReRun of Reality by Curvature Games – € 80,000

Light of Atlantis by DrownTown – € 70.000

Stack ‘Em Up by Godcomplex Games – € 70.000

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How to Find Friends by Beardshaker Games – € 30.000

METACORE – Amberdive Interactive

Amberdive Interactive has further refined its co-op shooter METACORE in the Games Lift Incubator 2022. In teams of up to four, players fight their way through ruins on an alien planet and defend themselves against machine guards. Outstanding as a game mechanic are the multi-purpose cores – small high-tech spheres into which the players can transform themselves and which open many possibilities for team play.

Project Renaissance – Tiny Roar

In this point-and-click adventure game from established indie studio Tiny Roar (Wanderlust, XEL, Bomb Bots Arena, among others), players take on the role of Joy, who embarks on a path of self-knowledge after a baby literally falls into her hut. With Project Renaissance, Tiny Roar plans to appeal to genre fans as well as those who have avoided adventure games in the past.

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Reddie – ReRun of Reality – Curvature Games

Curvature Games lets players conduct and immersively experience various experiments as the character “Reddie” in this innovative mixed-reality adventure. They switch dimensions and realities again and again to find the solution. By using mixed reality, the players also interact with the actual environment.

Light of Atlantis – DrownTown

In this 2D puzzle Metroidvania game with jump ‘n’ run elements, players do not control the lovingly drawn robot character in the underwater world of Atlantis, but the element “water” to solve puzzles and pass levels.

Stack ‘Em Up – Godcomplex Games

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Up to four players compete in this crazy multiplayer party game. The players suck up cute “slime packets” just like their fellow players. This is how the so-called “stacks” are created, which leads to involuntary teamwork. Godcomplex Games used the Games Lift Incubator 2022 to fine-tune the game idea.

How to Find Friends – Beardshaker Games

How to Find Friends is a cozy hidden object game in which players must find extraordinary creatures in large-scale patterns. The protagonists Witch & Owl help and narrate the enchanting background stories of the wondrous creatures to the players along the way.

From March 3 to April 5, a total of 24 developers, startups, and companies from Hamburg applied for Gamecity Hamburg’s Prototype Funding. The awarding committee, consisting of Hamburg industry experts Nina Müller (Head of Publishing, Goodgame Studios), Jonas Hüsges (Publishing Director, Daedalic Entertainment), Valentina Birke (Head of Project, Indie Arena Booth/ Super Crowd Entertainment), Jens Unrau (Head of Department Media and Digital Economy of the Ministry of Culture and Media in Hamburg) and Dennis Schoubye (Head of Gamecity Hamburg) decided on the selection.

In addition to Prototype Funding, Gamecity Hamburg organises the annual Games Lift Incubator programme for all developers, teams, and start-ups from Hamburg’s games industry, regardless of the status of their games project. Each year, the Games Lift Incubator supports five teams with 15,000 euros and a comprehensive coaching, mentoring, and workshop programme by experienced international experts from the games industry. The teams also receive one-year support in the form of individual mentoring to work on their games and project ideas and develop them further.

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Teams and developers can currently apply for the Games Lift Incubator until June 20.

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DFL and Tipico Extend Partnership Until 2029

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Tipico, Germany’s leading sports betting provider, will continue as the Official Partner of the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga. Before the end of the current agreement, Tipico and the DFL (Deutsche Fußball Liga) have agreed to extend their partnership, which began in 2018, through to the end of the 2028/29 season.

As part of this agreement, Tipico will continue to use the logos of both competitions and the two Meisterschalen (championship trophies) in its advertising. The company will also retain its extensive advertising rights, including first-access rights included in DFL’s media contracts, as well as a “Matching Offer Right” for all special advertising formats with national partners, and exclusivity within the industry. Tipico will also be integrated into digital Bundesliga platforms.

“We’re thrilled to extend this long-standing collaboration built on mutual trust. Over the years, Tipico has proven itself as a highly professional and reliable partner with a deep passion for football,” said Tobias Thöne, Director of Commercial Partnerships at Bundesliga International GmbH.

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Kajetan Strini-Brown, Director of Sports Brand at Tipico, said: “We’re incredibly proud to continue our partnership with the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga! German football is at the heart of what we do, and that passion has always been deeply embedded in our DNA as a company. This extension is a key part of our strategic partnerships, which also include the DFB-Pokal, another major German football brand. Sponsorship, and the visibility it brings, plays an important role in guiding customers to the legal market.”

As outlined in the State Treaty on Gambling, the possibility to promote sports betting is an essential tool for guiding the deeply human drive to gamble into regulated and monitored channels. This plays a critical role in ensuring proper regulation of sports betting while counteracting illegal offerings. For more than 20 years, Tipico has been offering innovative, user-friendly, and secure sports betting products and has become the most popular brand for sports betting in Germany. In addition to continuous product development, Tipico has been working on modern player protection strategies for the last 15 years. The DFL has also long been committed to preventing match-fixing and gambling addiction in German professional football.

The post DFL and Tipico Extend Partnership Until 2029 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Promatic Games now live in Slovakia

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Promatic Games, a polish game-tech brand and a slots studio specializing in game design and software solutions for online casinos, officially entered the Slovak market on January 24th, 2025. Eurogold, a long-time partner of Promatic Group in the land-based gaming sector, became the first online casino in Slovakia to launch 10 of the studio’s popular online slot games.

“Entering the Slovak market has been a significant milestone for us. This year, we are focused on strengthening our presence in Central Europe, with Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Romania, Croatia and other markets in the region as key strategic priorities. Our portfolio of over 100 online slot games is designed to meet the expectations of players in these markets, as proven by our success in Poland. Partnering with a long-time customer for our initial launch in Slovakia was a natural choice, but our ultimate goal is to become a widely recognized game provider in the country and a trusted partner for all operators “– says Maciej Makuszewski, Head of iGaming at Promatic.

The collaboration with Eurogold online casino marks a significant milestone in Promatic Games’ journey. This partnership brings a selection of top-tier games to Slovak players, including fan-favorites such as Jumping Fruits, Ultra Reels, 81 Show, and Miss Inferno Deluxe. As a highlight for this market, Promatic Games has developed an exclusive slot for Eurogold – Kmeťo King Deluxe – which is a tribute to a popular Slovak folk singer Igor Kmeťo. The game is available exclusively at Eurogold.sk and features some of Mr. Kmeťo’s music during the gameplay. The launch of Kmeťo King Deluxe underscores Promatic Games’ commitment to delivering localized and tailored gaming experiences for new audiences.

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All ten games introduced to the Slovak market have successfully passed rigorous certification by TSU Laboratory, a local Slovak authority specializing in game testing and certification. TSU ensures that all gaming software complies with international standards, guaranteeing fairness, reliability, and security for players. Promatic Games’ adherence to these high standards emphasizes the company’s dedication to delivering trusted and quality experiences.

Promatic Games is already preparing its next lineup of titles, promising to bring even more unforgettable gaming experiences to Slovak players. The new games will include, amongst others, Janosik 30 game based on the character of both Polish and Slovak folk hero. This expansion signals the company’s dedication to growing its presence in the Slovak market while maintaining the exceptional standards it is known for.

The post Promatic Games now live in Slovakia appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Ten Square Games Welcomes Dayan E. Yar as Chief Product Officer

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Dayan E. Yar joins Ten Square Games S.A. as its new Chief Product Officer, effective January 27, 2025. Dayan brings over 17 years of experience in the gaming industry, having held leadership roles at Zynga, SciPlay, and Playstudios. His extensive expertise in product strategy, LiveOps, and game innovation will be instrumental in driving the turnaround of TSG’s flagship titles and positioning the company for sustainable growth.

“- 2024 was a year of immense effort by the TSG team, who showed exceptional dedication in identifying obstacles to the growth of our main products and understanding the evolving needs of our players.” said Andrzej Ilczuk, CEO of Ten Square Games. “This invaluable effort has laid the groundwork for our next chapter. Combining our team’s insights with Dayan’s vast experience in overcoming market challenges and driving product excellence, we are confident that we are on the best possible path to recovery and growth.”

Dayan Yar’s career spans 17 years of significant achievements in product strategy, game design, and innovation. Originally pursuing studies in nuclear physics with dreams of becoming an astronaut, his career path shifted when he created a game during his final year of college. That project, a sci-fi MMO strategy game, went on to win MMO of the Year, launching his journey into the gaming industry.

Since then, Dayan has worked extensively on action RPGs, MMORPGs, and card games in roles such as game designer, systems designer, and economy designer. In 2016, he transitioned to the mobile gaming industry, focusing on product management. His expertise spans a variety of genres, including social casino, card games, and casual titles, such as Words with Friends.

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Dayan has held pivotal roles at industry leaders such as DeNA, Playstudios, Zynga, and SciPlay, contributing to both live games and new game development. At Zynga, he led efforts on Hit it Rich, achieving a 68% increase in revenue bookings and a 43% growth in payer percentage, while spearheading features that improved early user experiences and boosted revenue per install by 44%. During his time at Jackpot Party, Dayan was responsible for managing the company’s largest title, delivering $400 million in gross revenue and expanding revenue bookings by 14% in 2023, marking the 7th consecutive quarter of double-digit growth for a 12-year-old product.

Dayan Yar, as Chief Product Officer at Ten Square Games, will emphasize a structured approach to developing the company’s core products and implementing strategies that seamlessly combine innovation with player-centric design. Dayan’s mission will be to leverage the deep knowledge and expertise of the TSG team, blending it with proven approaches that have successfully turned around products facing challenging market trends. With a unique blend of technical expertise, creative vision, and strategic leadership, Dayan is well-positioned to boost Ten Square Games’ flagship products, steering them back to a strong growth trajectory.

“What sets Ten Square Games apart is the unique blend of creativity and the ability to seamlessly integrate diverse game mechanics into its titles,” said Dayan E. Yar, Chief Product Officer at Ten Square Games S.A.“TSG has carved out a distinctive category in the gaming market, standing out from the competition while offering significant potential for further growth and reaching new audiences. I am proud to join such a talented team and look forward to working together to strengthen the company’s flagship products and deliver unforgettable experiences to players worldwide.”

Dayan Yar’s appointment underscores TSG’s commitment to achieving sustainable growth and delivering innovative gaming experience. The Group continues to invest in the development of its flagship products, which hold strong positions in their respective market segments: fishing and hunting. Additionally, TSG has established a meaningful presence in the flight simulator segment following the acquisition of Rortos and the dynamic development of Wings of Heroes and Real Flight Simulator.

The Group is also working on two new game prototypes to further strengthen its position in the hunting and flight simulator segments. By focusing on revitalizing its two main products, driving the growth of Wings of Heroes, and developing entirely new titles, TSG is setting itself on a solid path for sustainable growth in 2025 and beyond.

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The post Ten Square Games Welcomes Dayan E. Yar as Chief Product Officer appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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