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Fast Company ranks Fnatic in the most innovative gaming firms
Every generation of video-game consoles ushers in faster, more realistic titles. This year’s releases by Sony and Microsoft continue that trend. The PS5 and the Xbox Series X deliver unprecedented levels of realism, with graphics processors that simulate shimmering reflections on puddles, controller vibrations that evoke the feeling of running through sand, and game worlds that are as large and detailed as actual cities. But games didn’t simply become more lifelike in 2020. They also became more intertwined with our everyday lives. In the year where everyone sheltered at home, escapism was accessible to more kinds of people than ever, whether you dreamt of the fashion runways in Paris, a quiet pastoral island life, or literal escape (from Zombies, aliens, enemy soldiers, the list goes on). And gaming companies further worked their way into pop culture, from sports to fashion to movies.
1. MICROSOFT
For subscribing to an anywhere, anytime gaming lifestyle
Microsoft is increasingly becoming the everyman’s gaming system. The company aims to empower Xbox fans to play any game, on any device, anywhere, anytime. In the past year, the software giant didn’t just launch its next-generation console, the Xbox Series X, it upgraded infrastructure, introduced new services, and made a sizable acquisition to bring its vision of gaming ubiquity closer to reality. Games on the Xbox Series X load faster than ever thanks to a screaming-fast solid state drive. Subscribers to Game Pass, Microsoft’s “Netflix for Games,” can now play over 100 Xbox games from any Android-powered mobile phone or tablet by tapping into the company’s xCloud streaming service. A feature called Smart Delivery upgrades games automatically and installs them on the owner’s new console—ready to resume play at the moment a player left off. In September, the company announced they paid $7.5 billion to acquire Zenimax Media, bringing games franchises like Elder Scrolls, Fallout, and Doom in house. For more on why Microsoft is a 2021 Most Innovative Company, click here.
2. SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT
For leveling up yet again
Long the gaming industry’s paragon of polish and ingenuity, Sony’s gaming division burnished its reputation with new hardware and software in 2020 that built on what games can do—and who can play them. Its next generation console, the PlayStation 5, employs top-notch graphics processors that enhance how the game looks, its new controller employs haptic technology that changes how the game feels—making it possible for players to distinguish between the touch of a sandy surface versus a shiny metallic one. Games like Last of Us Part II, developed by Sony subsidiary Naughty Dog, added accessibility options to make the game playable and fun for players of any ability level, including those who are partially or fully blind (sonar-like pings relay the approach of menacing zombies). Meanwhile, Dreams, a game developed by Media Molecule (another Sony entity) makes it possible for players to crate anything from games to gadgets to puzzles and paintings with the title’s game-making toolbox and social network. For more on why Sony Interactive Entertainment is a 2021 Most Innovative Company, click here.
3. NVIDIA
For enabling auteurs with cinematic graphics
Graphics in video games have always lagged behind Hollywood CGI for a simple reason: time. Movie studios can spend weeks rendering each shadow and reflection in a given frame with intense attention to realism and detail; games have to render graphics on the fly, some 60 times every second, as the player moves through virtual space. NVIDIA’s RTX 30 series graphics chips close the quality gap between games and movies using a supremely clever chip design that combines traditional graphics processing with ray-tracing, a computationally intense process that can simulate how light beams reflect and refract off smoke, shimmering water, or high-sheen chrome. Meanwhile an AI-dedicated processing core finds shortcuts and workarounds to speed the process up to game-appropriate speeds.
4. NINTENDO
For crossing into everyday companionship
If quarantining during the COVID-19 pandemic had an official pastime, it would be Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The easy-going, wholesome and social game, in which players plant a garden and decorate a home while making friends with a collection of friendly anthropomorphic animals, was exactly the kind of virtual escape many millennials and kids alike were looking for as they sheltered in place. The game’s social elements—users can visit one another’s island and pass the time with meditative, outdoorsy activities like chopping wood and fishing—provided a way for real-life friends to hang out with one another and feel a little close without violating social distancing rules.
5. DAPPER LABS
For putting collectibles on the blockchain
The blockchain-based game developer behind CryptoKitties launched NBA Top Shot, a blockchain-based collectible game, in 2020. The game offers a blockchain twist on sports cards collectibles, by allowing users to buy, collect, and trade video-clip “packets” of top NBA players and moments—pointing toward a new future for sports memorabilia. This year one such blockchain-encrypted video, also known as a “moment”, of the Milwaukee Bucks power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo charging to the basket, sold from one collector to another for $1,999.
6. FNATIC
For upgrading esports teams into elite status
The esports organization is building a lifestyle brand that is synonymous with gaming excellence while selling every aspect of it: Its stable of professional esports players win championships in massively popular games ranging from League of Legends to CS:Go, while using Fnatic’s line of performance gaming equipment (keyboards, mice, chairs) and wearing the company’s co-branded apparel and accessories, which it makes in partnership with fashion houses like Gucci. The company’s CEO, Sam Matthews, sees Formula One as an inspiration; in fact he made Nick Fry, the former CEO of the Mercedes AMG Formula One team, the company’s head of commercial strategy.
7. FAZE CLAN
For elevating video games into pop culture
Rivals may deride the sprawling collective of content-makers and gamers as a Gen Z mashup, but the company’s massive reach is undeniable: FaZe Clan members play video games professionally in tournaments, stream their lives on platforms like Twitch, and make short-form videos for sites like YouTube. The company, led by Lee Trink, a music executive who was once president of Capitol Records, is expanding into novel and traditional forms of content alike, from podcasts on Spotify and clips on TikTok to film and television projects, such as Crimson, which was released in October. The collective is also making its talent for Zoomer whispering available to mass-market brands from Verizon to Nissan to Venmo.
8. HERMAN MILLER
For fashioning the gamers’ throne
9. HOLLOW PONDS
For killing us softly with its quirky creations
10. DREST
For dressing up high fashion into a video game
One of the top casino game providers, Endorphina, has announced the release of its brand-new title, Jolly Queen, which will join its portfolio on April 27th. Jolly Queen is a 5-reel, 5-row fruit slot with 50 fixed paylines, introducing players to the lifestyle of the nobles.
On top of the aristocratic ambiance, Jolly Queen provides players with Free Games, allowing them to master the reels. During the Free Games, at least one Expanding Wild Joker is guaranteed to appear on the screen.
Furthermore, Jolly Queen also features the Royal Treasures Pick Game, enabling players to get a taste of the noble lifestyle. In the Bonus Game, players can choose from three gold-filled treasure chests, containing prizes of 10x, 30x, and 50x their total bets.
The post Endorphina releases its newest title – Jolly Queen! appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Latest News
Kambi Group’s AI-powered trading division Tzeract enters into Bet Builder partnership with European operator kwiff
Tzeract to provide its leading Bet Builder product in the cutting-edge supplier’s first commercial partnership
Kambi Group plc, the world’s trusted sports betting partner, today announced its AI-powered trading division Tzeract has partnered with kwiff to provide its powerful Bet Builder product to the innovative sports betting operator.
The partnership represents the first commercial deal for Tzeract since it was officially launched as a standalone division earlier this year, marking a significant step forward for Kambi as it continues to expand its range of modular services.
Tzeract will initially provide kwiff with its industry-leading Bet Builder football product ahead of the highly anticipated Euro 2024 football tournament, ensuring kwiff customers enjoy an unparalleled betting experience throughout the competition. Additional sports will be added during the course of the partnership.
Unlike other third-party products, Tzeract’s Bet Builder has been designed to seamlessly integrate into an operator’s existing sportsbook and can utilise either the operator’s existing pricing or leverage Tzeract’s AI-generated odds. Working with kwiff, the super-charged betting operator, known for its proprietary platform, sportsbook and innovative modular tech stack, presented Tzeract both of these opportunities.
Having powered football pricing for the Kambi network since 2022, Tzeract is on a mission to establish a new standard in sports betting by providing an indispensable service which empowers operator innovation and makes it possible to bet on anything, at any time.
As part of the Kambi Group, Tzeract benefits from Kambi’s vast network data to inform its state-of-the-art AI-powered algorithmic trading capabilities in combination with increasingly rich sports data.
David Jacquet, Interim Managing Director at Tzeract, commented: “I am thrilled to announce Tzeract’s inaugural commercial partnership which will enable us to demonstrate the full power of Tzeract outside of the Kambi network for the first time. To work with such an innovative sportsbook like kwiff will provide the opportunities to build the world’s most exciting and intuitive betting experiences together.”
Niklas Fallsjo, Head of Sportsbook Innovation at kwiff, added: “We are delighted to partner with Tzeract and integrate their market-leading Bet Builder product into our proprietary sportsbook. This innovative solution perfectly aligns with our commitment to providing our customers with an unrivalled and entertaining betting experience. We are confident that the addition of Bet Builder will be a hit with our players.”
The post Kambi Group’s AI-powered trading division Tzeract enters into Bet Builder partnership with European operator kwiff appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Could you describe the range of products and services that Wise Gaming offers? What makes them unique or appealing to potential clients?
Wise Gaming is the fastest-growing, Complete platform offering both White-Label & Turnkey Solutions. The Wise Gaming solutions are built from our team’s extensive experience: 15 years B2C and 10 years B2B. We know the importance of a truly modular approach, allowing our partner the ability to obtain our entire solution or individual components to enhance what they already have.
In what regions or markets does Wise Gaming primarily operate? Are there any plans for expansion into new territories?
Our focus has been on both the European & LatAm Continents. With enormous success in our B2C operations, we are relying on our extensive experience. We believe the balance between established & emerging markets brings both knowledge and the ability to learn and adapt, truly focusing on our partners needs without limitations.
2025 will be Wise Gaming’s year of expansion! 2024‘s goal is about building on our success in EU & LatAm whilst planning next years’ growth in both Africa & Asia.
What technologies does Wise Gaming employ to deliver its iGaming solutions? Can you highlight any proprietary technologies or platforms that differentiate your offerings?
From our 15 years of B2C success, we felt that we understood both the pleasure points and pain points that most operators face on a daily & weekly basis. Therefore, we build our Wise Gaming solutions with a customer-centric approach, How can we support our partners to support their customers. We diligently sourced the industry’s best-in-class providers for both our Sportsbook & Casino content, utilizing Enterprise software to provide the most robust offering in the iGaming industry.
Our dedicated in-house teams visualize, build and enhance our Proprietary systems for each of our Partner’s needs, making each of our partners brands Unique.
In what ways does Wise Gaming prioritise security and data protection within its technology infrastructure?
As previously mentioned, our customer-centric approach is vitally important to Wise Gaming and our Partners! Providing the correct technology and experience to our partners is key to having a successful KYC, AML, Due Diligence and Data Protection process. We opted for Amazon AWS solutioning to provide market-leading security, Encrypted databases & data storage, penetration resilience, DDoS attack elimination, dedicated Back-Office segmentation and User-based access, protecting player data while safeguarding our partners operations.
What are the current trends or challenges you’re seeing in the iGaming market? How is Wise Gaming adapting to these changes?
The speed in which technology advances is always a challenge for any provider. The key is to know your markets, the players, the accessibility of online entertainment such a sports betting & casinos and implement the technology that meets these variables. Everyone is talking about AI & Machine learning, and rightly so! With such advancements AI & Machine Learning models, it would be irresponsible not to utilize them. Whether it’s for Player customisation, Events based recommendation or supporting operational needs such as RG, KYC & AML, AI & machine Learning should be used to ENHANCE human interaction, not replace. At Wise Gaming, we have already implemented AI & Machine Learning models to provide the unique edge to our partners.
Also localized content is important. Every market is its own unique playground with their own specific cultural identities. Knowing these identities and becoming an expert in these will not only assist in the acquisition of players, it signifies a brand’s genuineness and authenticity to that market and allows greater player retention. At Wise Gaming we have already implemented A.I & Machine Learning models
How does Wise Gaming ensure compliance with regulations in various jurisdictions? How important is regulatory adherence in your sales approach?
I will answer these 2 questions together. The market is experiencing a shift in regulation, and compliance. MGA & CGA license domination has been challenged, with more and more markets opting for tighter safety measures and implementing their own self-regulated approach. This brings safety to players and trust.
Working alongside regulators will always help, and more importantly, we can learn from each other. Adhering to regulation is ultimately for a player’s safety and that is paramount for the industry’s longevity. Wise Gaming continuously enhances its platform to conform with regulations, making it safe and reliable for our partners.
What are the key factors potential clients considering when choosing an iGaming provider, and how does Wise Gaming address these factors in its offerings?
As previously mentioned, experience and knowledge are key attributes from both an operational and technical aspect. “You can’t plant apple trees and expect to get oranges!” Wise Gaming’s experience & knowledge puts us, and our partners, at the forefront of each market, allowing substantial growth and higher ROI.
Time to market should also be a priority. Whilst most Providers offer 2-4 months implementation time, Wise Gaming can deploy your platform within 2-4 weeks, giving us the competitive edge in a highly competitive space.
How does Wise Gaming incorporate feedback from clients into product development and improvement?
Experience and knowledge are simply 1’s learning over time. Our approach at Wise Gaming is that of a learning mentality, “you are never too old to learn!” iGaming is rich in experts – We trust our Partners, and they trust us, it’s the unification that builds long-term partnerships. We have 2 ears and 1 mouth, use them in that order!
What are the future goals and plans for Wise Gaming? Any upcoming innovations or developments you can share?
Our goal is to continue providing a reliable and robust platform, listening and delivering an innovative and unique solution for each of our Partners.
Innovative Developments – If we tell everyone, they won’t be innovative 😉 However, what I can say is that we are focused on “advanced”, real-time localised AI recommended content both Casino & Sportsbook.
The post Exclusive Q&A w/ Steven Paton, Commercial Director at Wise Gaming appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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