Gaming

Outright Games hires former CFO of Natural Motion and launches mobile division

Published

3 years ago

May 7, 2021

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Following a record year of financial growth, the U.K. based games publisher has made key hires at a senior level across finance, HR and production departments and launches the mobile division that will compliment Outright’s portfolio of major kids licensors.

Outright Games, the leading global publisher of kids interactive entertainment today, has announced six new executive hires across the business following on from news about their record 75% year on year financial growth in 2020.

The U.K. based, family-owned video games publisher, has announced the addition of Adam Whittaker, who joins Outright Games as its Chief Financial Officer. This move follows his 11 year tenure at NaturalMotion Games where he grew the company through to the sale to Zynga and continued as part of the senior leadership team for 3 years. Adam brings in-depth knowledge both in scaling tech companies, and in particular mobile games, having launched 14 #1 grossing titles. With Outright Games recording record revenue in 2020, Adam takes responsibility for all financial aspects of the company going forward.

Jon Bishop also joins as Head of Mobile Games to lead the rapidly growing mobile division at Outright Games, as the company looks to bring the most popular IPs in kids entertainment to smart phones and tablets across the globe. Jon brings over 20 years experience in the tech industry, across a range of marketing, gaming and business management roles at Paypal, Funding Circle and Coda Platform. As Head of Mobile Games he will oversee the development and growth of the entire mobile games division, as Outright Games uses its extensive roster of top licensors to become the leading publisher of kids games on mobile.

As the company continues to grow at scale, Mel Kent is appointed as Head of People, with 15 years experience in legal and compliance roles. With a 36% increase in personnel over the past 12 months, Mel is responsible for recruitment, HR, compliance, as well as developing a supportive culture for the fast growing team.

Outright Games is looking to triple their total existing portfolio of 18 titles by the end of 2022, and to meet this goal the company continues to build its production team, with three new hires across the department. Nick Ricks joins as Creative Director, Loz Doyle as Executive Producer, and Chris Rose as Senior Producer all having previously worked at TT Games with decades of experience in the kids’ games market shared between them.

Nick Ricks, Creative Director comments on the new role: “I’ve worked with inspiring and inventive teams, along with some of the world’s biggest IPs for 24 years in both creative and production roles. From small indie studios to global publishers, and across multiple platforms and genres, the thrill of creating unforgettable gaming experiences has always driven me, and is why I’m so excited for this new adventure here at Outright Games.”

Outright Games was established in 2016 by Terry Malham, Terry Malham-Wallis and Stephanie Malham, and is the market leader in publishing top quality licensed kids games from the biggest franchises in entertainment including Jumanji, Transformers, PAW Patrol, Ben 10, How to Train Your Dragon and Adventure Time. After opening offices in Los Angeles, London and Madrid over the past 3 years, Outright Games currently has over 30 projects in development, and is set for another blockbuster year.

This month Outright Games announced record financial growth in 2020. In Q4 alone, they generated £22 million in revenue, an increase of 75% from the same time in the previous year.

Additional Quotes:

“Outright Games has been a pillar in the kids video game sector for years now, and I’m excited to join the team at this pivotal stage of the company’s growth. The industry has gone from strength-to-strength over the past year, and we continue to set the standard for top-quality licensed games for children. I wish I could say I’m more excited than my kids to work on some of these incredible franchises, but that wouldn’t be true!” Adam Whittaker, CFO, Outright Games

“The mobile games industry has been crying out for a trusted brand to bring quality, licensed content to kids. With so much experience and credibility in this space, we are uniquely positioned to lead the production of safe, reputable and high-quality mobile games with some of the biggest names in entertainment. This year alone we are set to reveal a host of exciting new titles, and I can’t wait for what lies ahead of us.” Jon Bishop, Head of Mobile, Outright Games

“It has been incredible to see our growth over the past year, and to welcome so many talented new faces into the business. We’re well on track for another record breaking year, and the team we have built continues to go from strength to strength.” Stephanie Malham, COO, Outright Games

Gaming

Digital Asset Horse Racing Game Stables Appoints Lebnan Nader CEO And Unveils International Expansion Plan

Published

8 hours ago

April 24, 2024

Adrienn Sarkany

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Reading Time: 2 minutes

Stables, the Paris-based Web3 Equestrian Fantasy Game, has appointed venture capital veteran Lebnan Nader as Chief Executive Officer.

Lebnan Nader, who had founded and run several gaming and technology businesses, will oversee an international expansion as Stables seeks to add horses and attract owners from outside its French home market.

Launched in January 2023, Stables was born from an ambitious project funded by PMU, the European leader and number 3 worldwide in horse betting, alongside the startup studio 321. The game is designed to bring the excitement of horse racing into the digital realm by combining real data from actual racehorses with an online Web3 gaming experience where horses are represented as tradable non-fungible tokens.
“Stables brings together two of my favorite domains, video gaming and horse racing. Two sectors I’ve been involved in for the past 12 years. The game’s ambitions are high, and that’s what convinced me,” said Lebnan Nader, CEO of Stables. “The teams have done a tremendous job, and we will continue to develop the game, but my priority will be our community, as they are our greatest strength.”
A graduate of HEC Paris with nearly 20 years experience in strategy, product development, and market positioning in the digital sector, Lebnan co-founded an internationally acclaimed video and VR gaming studio, and also co-founded a software company for lottery and betting operators.

PMU’s initial gamble to reach a new audience has paid off as Stables now boasts a community of several thousand engaged players, aged 25 to 40 on average. The community is currently composed of 70% French players and 30% from the rest of the world.

The Stables teams are now expanding the gaming experience by adding new features that will allow any player, even without owning NFTs, to be able to explore Stables for free. A seasonal horse racing system with an in-game leaderboard will be introduced, as well as “The Paddock Gazette,” a feature allowing the analysis of all NFT data and comparing their performances.

The ability to interact with other players and access numerous new horses are among the features currently in development.
“In 2023, Stables succeeded in realizing PMU’s bold vision of diversifying the world of horse racing into Web3 and becoming today’s reference in equestrian fantasy gaming. Contributing alongside its historic partners to the financial support for an accelerated development of Stables represents for the Tezos Foundation a natural progression to the adoption of Tezos. Among other things, the Tezos Foundation always listens to the needs of management teams and economically engages in projects that have adopted its blockchain to be an active participant in their growth stages,” says Jean-Frédéric Mognetti, Executive Director of the Tezos Foundation.
“Convinced of the relevance of the project, it seemed important to involve new investors. We enthusiastically welcome the financial support of the Tezos Foundation, which strengthens a proven technical collaboration that the project has benefited from since its inception,” comments Emmanuelle Malecaze-Doublet, CEO of PMU.

The post Digital Asset Horse Racing Game Stables Appoints Lebnan Nader CEO And Unveils International Expansion Plan appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Gaming

Speechless Announces Hybrid License, Giving Actors Greater Control Over Their AI-Generated Voices

Published

1 day ago

April 23, 2024

Alan Campbell

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Reading Time: 2 minutes

New platform will enable voice actors to gain commission on their AI-generated counterparts while also streamlining the development process for studios

Today, Speechless, the voice actor database and asset tool for the games industry, has announced its new Hybrid AI License, combining real voice talent and generative artificial intelligence (AI). This new license will enable game developers to utilize all aspects of modern voice-over production while providing more equitable opportunities for the actors themselves. With the current games landscape increasingly experimenting with the potential of AI, Speechless is offering a solution that takes a greater ethical approach to this technology.

The first complete management system for the games industry, Speechless’ Hybrid AI License easily allows developers to use the full range of voice-over options in one place; from text-to-speech, speech-to-speech and conventional voice recording. Unlike other text-to-speech providers, Speechless’ integrated approach allows developers to access the voice actors behind the AI-generated, text-to-speech options. This license not only enables developers to gain greater creative control over voice production but also gives actors control over their AI-generated voice.

Voice actors will benefit from this license by having their AI-generated voice earn a commission when it is licensed by developers. In addition, developers can utilize text-to-speech options to refine their scripts before bringing on the voice actor for the full recording. Developers can then adjust the voice actor’s recording with its AI counterpart at the later stages of development, removing the need for reshoots and allowing voice actors to move on to new projects.

The potential of Speechless’ License also enables a greater depth of content for side characters and NPCs and streamlines localization in new markets while keeping voice talent involved. With the rise of generative AI in game development, Speechless is establishing the best practice for utilizing the advantages of this technology without excluding the creative talent of voice actors.

This new license is available immediately and follows Speechless’ recent collaboration with audio middleware leader Audiokinetic Wwise.

“We can’t ignore the potential AI has for the games industry but we need to approach this technology ethically; that’s what we aim to achieve when it comes to voice-acting,” the Chief Executive Officer for Speechless, Peo Drangert (pictured), said. “By offering a hybrid license, developers can streamline their processes and experiment with different voice actors at a lower cost. At the same time, voice actors are compensated for their work and the work of their AI-generated voice, have greater opportunities to collaborate with studios and can work more flexibly. AI will continue to grow in the games sector, so we must use it responsibly to ensure a fairer industry.”

The post Speechless Announces Hybrid License, Giving Actors Greater Control Over Their AI-Generated Voices appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Gaming

G2 Gozen crowned inaugural Red Bull Instalock Champions with Grand Finals sweep

Published

2 days ago

April 22, 2024

Peter Tolan

Reading Time: 3 minutes

G2 Gozen crowned inaugural Red Bull Instalock Champions with Grand Finals sweep

G2 Gozen were crowned inaugural champions of Red Bull Instalock in 3-1 win against VCT Game Changers 2023 champions Shopify Rebellion
The invitational tournament ran from 20-21 April at the UK’s premier esports and gaming venue, the Red Bull Gaming Sphere in London
Red Bull Instalock brought together some of the best women’s VALORANT GC teams from around the world including G2 Gozen, GIANTX, Shopify Rebellion and Karmine Corp
The tournament was hosted by Yinsu Collins, with insights from Kieran “Kairo” Tulloch, Billie “BillieIDK” Purdie, Matt “Twiggy” Twigg, and Harry “Hazza” Chapman and an appearance from Megan “Megsoundslikeegg” Garner
AGON by AOC was the official Monitor Partner for Red Bull Instalock, providing cutting-edge AGON PRO AG254FG monitors, featuring a 360 Hz refresh rate and 1 ms response time, for the best in-game experience.

G2 Gozen have been crowned the inaugural Red Bull Instalock champions, claiming the victory across a weekend packed with exhilarating VALORANT matches and tactical plays. Streamed live from London’s premier esports and gaming venue, the Red Bull Gaming Sphere, Red Bull Instalock marked the UK’s first professional women’s VALORANT tournament of 2024.

Red Bull Instalock brought together four of the world’s best professional women’s VALORANT teams for a spectacle tournament, G2 Gozen, GIANTX, Karmine Crop, and 2023 VALORANT Champions Tour: Game Changers Championship winners Shopify Rebellion. Putting a unique twist on the traditional team composition, the competing teams were required to implement three of the game’s offensive class, duelists.

Red Bull Instalock quickly established itself as a high-stakes competition, with teams racing to dominate maps across a best-of-three format across the Upper Semi-Finals. The first game of the tournament saw powerhouse G2 Gozen battle it out against underdogs GIANTX, with GIANTX securing their position in the Upper Finals with a tiebreaker victory against G2 Gozen (2-1).

The second match featured North America’s Shopify Rebellion, who swiftly relegated the French force of Karmine Corp to the Lower Bracket (2-0). Facing off once again, G2 Gozen vanquished GIANTX in a Lower Bracket match underdog victory, securing themselves a position in the Grand Final to compete against Shopify Rebellion (2-0).

This Lower Bracket victory marked a turning point for G2 Gozen, who delivered a flawless masterclass in VALORANT against the North American titans Shopify Rebellion. The Grand Final was an intense showdown, pivoting to a best-of-five format in a battle for the crown. Shopify Rebellion started off strong, with a one-map lead, a reward following their success in the Semi-Finals, but G2 Gozen quickly closed in on that lead as they took the first and second maps. In a gripping third and final map, G2 Gozen swiftly closed out the tournament, claiming the win over the tournament frontrunners and Game Changers 2023 champions Shopify Rebellion (3-1).

The tournament also featured a show match featuring some of the UK’s most beloved VALORANT creators going head-to-head, including Talia Mar, Shan “ThePizzaWaffle” Hadden, Ella “Tenshi” Merry and Alexandra “LexieMariex” Butterfill. Hosted by British FNATIC content creator and partnered streamer Megan “Megsoundslikeegg” Garner, the nail biting creator show match saw Team Jupi take the win after a surprise comeback from Team Tenshi forced the match into overtime.

Kieran “Kairo” Tulloch, Billie “BillieIDK” Purdie, Matt “Twiggy” Twigg, and Harry “Hazza” Chapman were also part of the broadcast, providing live commentary and analysis.

Following the gripping grand finals, recently crowned Red Bull Instalock champion, G2 Gozen Pro and Red Bull Player Michaela “Mimi” Lintrup said: “We learned so much playing in this new format at Red Bull Instalock, how undisciplined people can be when playing something so chaotic. In the chaos, the thing that helped us to secure the win was to chill.”

Red Bull Instalock host Yinsu Collins also commented: “I loved my experience at the first ever Red Bull Instalock! The invited teams were incredibly competitive and tackled the format in a really unique way. Throughout the tournament, as the player’s normal game plan was out the window, we saw a lot of creativity, pros thinking on their feet, adaptation and some new approaches to how the game can be played.”

AGON by AOC, a global leader in gaming monitors, returned to join the Red Bull Gaming universe once again as the official Monitor Partner for Red Bull Instalock. Bringing the event to life and providing cutting-edge hardware for the esports tournament, AGON by AOC equipped the event with the AGON PRO AG254FG monitors, featuring a 360 Hz refresh rate and 1 ms response time for the best in-game experience.

Check out redbull.com/gaming for more information.

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