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2021 has already overtaken 2020 with more female-led games
While women make up nearly half of all gamers, a continued study by Buzz Bingo has revealed that only 12% of next-generation video games exclusively feature a female protagonist, with 2020 being the worst year yet for female representation.
As part of this continued study, Buzz Bingo analysed every game released on PlayStation and Xbox since 2016 to see how female representation in the gaming industry has developed, as well as how this representation is unfolding in 2021.
1. PlayStation Games Year-on-Year
- Our research showed us that 2020 was the lowest year in terms of the number of female-led games released on PlayStation consoles, with only 14 games (8.6%) released that year featuring a female protagonist.
- 2021 is already looking more promising in terms of the number of games set to be released featuring a female lead, with 23 games (18.4%) with a female protagonist having been announced so far.
| Year | Female | Male | Mixed | Ambiguous/NA/TBC | Total |
| 2016 | 27 | 120 | 97 | 62 | 306 |
| 2017 | 49 | 85 | 115 | 61 | 310 |
| 2018 | 27 | 90 | 98 | 42 | 257 |
| 2019 | 22 | 87 | 91 | 24 | 224 |
| 2020 | 14 | 53 | 67 | 29 | 163 |
| 2021 | 23 | 50 | 30 | 22 | 125 |
2. Xbox Games Year-on-Year
- In three out of the six years we analysed, only 9 of the games that were released for Xbox consoles featured a female lead.
- So far, 2021 already ranks second for the highest number of female protagonist led games for Xbox, with 14 games (12.8%) featuring a female lead having been announced or released.
| Year | Female | Male | Multiple Options | Ambiguous/NA/TBC | Total |
| 2016 | 16 | 83 | 54 | 34 | 187 |
| 2017 | 9 | 49 | 65 | 21 | 144 |
| 2018 | 10 | 46 | 56 | 29 | 141 |
| 2019 | 9 | 49 | 74 | 16 | 148 |
| 2020 | 9 | 27 | 49 | 22 | 107 |
| 2021 | 14 | 43 | 30 | 22 | 109 |
3. The New Generation: Xbox Series X/S and PS5
- Research from Buzz Bingo has revealed that only 51 games (12%) out of the 414 confirmed PS5 and Xbox Series X/S exclusively feature a female protagonist compared to 139 (34%) games with a male-only lead.
- 33% of all games had both male and female protagonists or allowed the user to customise the gender.
| Gender of Lead(s) | Xbox Series X/S | PlayStation 5 | Xbox % | PS5 % | Total % |
| Female | 21 | 30 | 11% | 13% | 12% |
| Male | 58 | 81 | 31% | 35% | 34% |
| Multiple Options | 68 | 68 | 37% | 30% | 33% |
| Ambiguous/NA/TBC | 38 | 50 | 21% | 22% | 21% |
Methodology
- We analysed every game released on PlayStation and Xbox since 2016, and then manually checked each game to find out whether the playable character was male, female, ambiguous or had mixed options.
- We then broke this down to find out the best and worst years for female representation in video games.
- To determine gender, we researched wiki pages for the individual games and searched for the corresponding pronouns when necessary.
Exploding Wilds and increasing multipliers unlock 10,000x win potential
Independent slots studio Thunderkick has launched Hot Turkey, its latest holiday-themed release that channels Christmas spirit and unwraps maximum wins up to 10,000x.
Candy canes, mistletoe, and Christmas gifts adorn the reels of this 7×7 Cluster Pays slot, where the Avalanche mechanic returns to boost payouts by replacing all symbols from winning combinations.
Every Avalanche win drops an Exploding Wild onto the grid, which either contributes to a new cluster or clears the surrounding 3×3 area, leaving behind 2x multipliers. Should another Exploding Wild detonate over an existing multiplier, the value is doubled up to 128x, greatly enhancing wins.
Landing three Hot Scatters triggers the bonus round, with an initial 10 free spins awarded. During free spins, multipliers left behind by Exploding Wilds remain sticky for the duration of the feature, paving the way for 10,000x maximum wins.
Hot Turkey is the most recent addition to Thunderkick’s expanding holiday-themed slot collection, joining Midas Golden Touch Christmas Edition and the Esqueleto Explosivo trilogy. The provider continues to diversify its product portfolio, emphasising its desire to create compelling games that resonate with a global player base.
Mike Collins, Game Product Owner at Thunderkick, said: “Christmas is the most widely celebrated global holiday, and we’ve attempted to leverage some of that famous festive cheer in Hot Turkey.
“This game sees the return of several fan-favourite features, including Avalanche wins, Exploding Wilds, and Sticky Multipliers. We have combined these with huge 10,000x win potential, themed icons and a merry backing track to create a title we are sure will bring players joy.”
The post Thunderkick spreads festive cheer with Hot Turkey appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
SYNOT Group has been granted a 10-year license for production, distribution and technical support within the Bulgarian market. This significant step is part of SYNOT’s further expansion in the Balkan region, where the company plans to make its most successful products available to new customers.
“We are really happy with obtaining the license for the Bulgarian market“, said Stanislav Stanev, International Business Development Director of SYNOT Group. „Like this we can continue with our expansion plans within the Balkan region and make available our most successful products for the Bulgarian customers as well. The license is coming just on time for the upcoming BEGE expo in Sofia, where we are expecting to meet most of the local operators and have some fruitful discussions and presentations of our most successful products from both online and land-based divisions.”
For the first time ever, SYNOT Group will present its extensive product portfolio at the Balkan Entertainment and Gaming Exhibition, which will take place from 27th to 28th November at the Inter Expo Center in Sofia. We are delighted to invite all visitors to our booth 2.18 where they will have the opportunity to explore SYNOT’s advanced multigame progressive jackpot systems MAGIC BALL LINK and SUPER LINK, the state-of-the-art cabinets, such as UP2-32, Eclipse FL-32 and UP1-27 as well as the latest titles from the proven game sets. Visitors interested in online slots or comprehensive iGaming solutions should also not miss our online section.
“Participating in BEGE is a valuable opportunity for us to strengthen relationships with partners and establish new collaborations in a Balkan region that we consider strategically very important,” added Stanev.
The post SYNOT HAS BEEN GRANTED LICENSE FOR THE BULGARIAN MARKET appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
GiG
GiG Expands Global Reach, Bringing Successful Partnership with LuckDays into Mexico for the First Time
GiG Software Plc, a leading B2B iGaming technology company, has announced its entry into the Mexican regulated market with the launch of long-standing partner LuckyDays in the region, as the successful partnership powers into its fourth regulated market and its first in Latin America.
The deal carries extra significance as GiG’s first launch in Mexico, adding another regulated market to its vast list of live jurisdictions and further increasing its capacity to offer opportunity for growth to its partners.
GiG is one of the few global regulated market experts that can offer enhanced, next generation platform capabilities. iGaming platform CoreX, is a powerful, secure, and highly scalable iGaming platform, built for rapid integration with the potential for an unlimited inventory of preferred third parties. In prioritising powerful functionality that greatly elevates localisation and gamification features that offers partners a competitive advantage in their local markets.
As part of the deal, LuckyDays will again benefit from the full power of dynamic AI tools DataX and LogicX. With a growing emphasis on cutting-edge artificial intelligence and automation, the incorporation of the advanced machine learning models into LuckyDays’ toolkit, with enhancing decision-making processes and rule building will help deliver significant increases in player acquisition and customer retention.
Online gaming in Mexico continues to provide a steady growth trajectory with Gross gaming revenue (GGR) projected to reach $3.7 billion by 2028, according to data supplied by H2, with regulation enforced by Mexico’s General Directorate of Games and Raffles..
Richard Carter, Chief Executive Officer at GiG, said: “We are actively expanding our addressable market by strategically entering regulated regions, with this being our first venture into Mexico. This agreement represents a combination of a high-growth market and our established, successful partnership with LuckyDays. Together, we have the ideal elements to enhance our partner’s operations through cutting-edge, next-generation technology and our extensive experience in navigating evolving regulatory landscapes. This demonstrates our ongoing commitment to fostering growth opportunities for our partners and powering their continued success.”
A spokesperson at LuckyDays added: “We are extremely pleased to enter the Mexican market with the robust support and expertise of GiG, confident that their platform will deliver the same high standards of performance and reliability that we have experienced in Ontario, Sweden, and other key regions. GiG’s proven solutions empower us to launch and scale effectively in this new market, aligning with our vision for sustained growth and exceptional player experiences. We look forward to a successful expansion in Mexico and beyond, bringing our high-quality offerings to a broader audience with GiG as a trusted partner.”
Thunderkick spreads festive cheer with Hot Turkey
SYNOT HAS BEEN GRANTED LICENSE FOR THE BULGARIAN MARKET
GiG Expands Global Reach, Bringing Successful Partnership with LuckDays into Mexico for the First Time
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