Asia
FBM donates ₱20M to the fight against Covid-19
FBM is deeply committed to the fight against COVID-19. After taking all the security measures necessary to ensure the safety of its workers, clients and stakeholders, the brand decided to take direct action in this cause against the pandemic, by donating 20 million Philippine pesos. The donation to the Philippine General Hospital, National Kidney and Transplant Institute, Lung Center of the Philippines and Research Institute for Tropical Medicine was coordinated by the PAGCOR – Philippines Amusement and Gaming Corporation and will allow these hospitals to buy medical equipment useful to help the Philippines fight the virus.
More than reacting to the effects of the virus, FBM management is working to anticipate challenges and provide quick answers to the circumstances dictated by the context. The brand is concerned with the evolution of COVID-19 and, when facing the first signs, activated hygiene and health measures to the highest level following the World Health Organization recommendations. The home office was also applied to all the professionals that can perform their role remotely.
FBM is part of the gaming industry since 2001 and is aware of its role and impact as a global gaming brand with responsibility for the well-being and safety of hundreds of families. That´s the reason why FBM´s management decided to take further actions and have an active role in the community by helping hospitals with a solid investment in equipment.
The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation received a letter from FBM expressing the brand´s concerns about this pandemic and then coordinated the distribution of the funds to the four hospitals referred.
“Caring is one of our main values as a brand and we take it very seriously when it comes to our people, our clients and our games. We could not step aside from this cause. The Philippines means so much to FBM as a nation that we could not ignore its people when they need us the most”, mentions Rui Francisco, founder of FBM.
Rui Francisco also explains the focus of this action. “We chose the hospitals to make our impact in the community because we know that their professionals are some of the heroes in this daily battle against the virus and they must be properly equipped to take care of us”. The FBM founder continues with a message to the brand´s team:” I also had the opportunity to send a direct message to all of our workers, but I want to make a public note to recognize and thank them for the commitment and collaboration revealed in this challenging moment”.
FBM has a legacy of 19 years in the gaming industry. After conquering the leadership of the video bingo market, FBM focused its expansion campaign on Europe and Central America. The brand has now a rich portfolio of landbased and online titles that include the following game types: video bingos, spin reel games, table games and video poker.
Asia
Ocean Sharma Becomes the First Esports Caster to Join World’s Biggest Cricketing League – IPL 2024
Ocean Sharma, a prominent caster of the country’s Esports industry, has been appointed as the national presenter for the highly anticipated season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 by Star Sports. This groundbreaking move marks a historic moment in Esports and sports broadcasting, as Ocean becomes the first Indian Esports caster to join the world’s premier franchise cricket league.
Ocean is widely recognised within India’s Esports landscape for his extensive experience and expertise as a caster and game analyst. His notable achievements include casting for official Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) tournaments and global Esports events such as the PUBG Mobile Global Championship 2021: League – East, PUBG Mobile Global Championship 2021: Grand Finals, and PUBG Mobile Pro League – South Asia Spring 2022.
For IPL 2024, Ocean will join hands with the league’s national presenters Mayanti Langer Binny, Jatin Sapru, Tanay Tiwari, Suren Sundaram and more to undertake various responsibilities as an anchor and reporter.
Ocean Sharma said: “As a passionate cricket fan, being appointed as the national presenter for IPL 2024 is truly a monumental moment for me. It presents an incredible opportunity to bridge the gap between Esports and mainstream sports in India, and I am honored to be at its forefront. With my experience, I am committed to delivering an unparalleled experience for all viewers and cannot wait to kickstart this innings of my career.”
Having enjoyed an illustrious career in Esports, this will not be Ocean’s first stint in the country’s sporting landscape as he has previously showcased his casting talent in high-profile tournaments such as Ultimate Kho Kho and Pro Kabaddi League.
“We are thrilled to see Ocean making strides in India’s sports industry after establishing himself as a notable figure in Esports. His journey is an inspiration for aspiring Esports enthusiasts, showcasing that the sector offers lucrative growth prospects in roles other than being a gamer as well. We are confident that his distinctive presenting skillset will enhance the excitement of IPL viewing for fans nationwide,” said Ketan Singhal, Ocean’s business manager and Founder of Phiesi.
Ocean’s unique content has established him as a distinguished figure in the Indian video gaming community with his Youtube channel comprising more than 858k subscribers and Instagram handle exceeding 450k followers. His inclusion in the IPL star cast is not only an individual achievement but also signifies a significant step forward in recognising the growing influence of Esports in mainstream sports.
Asia
Nagasaki IR Partner Won’t Appeal Against Rejection
Takashi Oya, the president of Kyushu Resorts, one of Nagasaki Prefecture’s partners in its plan to develop an integrated resort has disassociated himself from the possibility of an appeal against the negative decision from central government.
As reported by local industry outlet, Oya told a meeting at the general affairs committee of the Nagasaki prefectural assembly on Monday (March 12) that he would not file a request for an administrative appeal as the chances of getting a favourable response were negligible. Under Japan’s Administrative Appeal Act, the deadline for any such appeal would be March 27.
Oya said he still believed the Nagasaki IR District Development Plan deserved to be approved. He suggested the reason for the rejection could have been due to the lack of clarity in the certainty of fundraising and implementation capacity.
Nagasaki submitted its IR District Development Plan alongside Osaka in 2022, aiming to partner with Casinos Austria International Japan and to open by 2027. The expected cost for the development was to be JPY438.3bn.
Asia
MapleStory Universe Enters into a Strategic Partnership with Avalanche
MapleStory Universe, a global blockchain project of Nexon Group, has entered a strategic partnership with Avalanche, a smart contracts platform that has the fastest transaction speed among existing layer 1 blockchains.
Avalanche supports a highly scalable app-specific platform called “Subnet,” which provides a smooth gaming experience even through surges of transactions.
Through this partnership, MapleStory Universe plans to utilise Avalanche’s “Subnet” technology to expand its blockchain ecosystem and continue various activities such as technology-related collaborations to build a stable service.
“I cannot imagine a bigger opportunity in Web3 than what MapleStory Universe is doing, and we are honored to partner with MapleStory Universe to steward this IP using the power of Avalanche. We have been extremely impressed with the vision since our first conversation, and the focus on long-term sustainability could easily onboard millions of users on-chain,” Ed Chang, Head of Gaming at Ava Labs, said.
“Our partnership with Avalanche will allow us to build a stable and complete blockchain ecosystem, enabling us to securely service various dApps along with MapleStory N to amplify our competitiveness,” Angela Son, Partnership Lead at MapleStory Universe, said.
MapleStory Universe plans to release its blockchain-based PC MMOPRG “MapleStory N” in certain countries within the year, followed by many other tools and applications to come.
Additionally, MapleStory Universe and Avalanche will hold a joint panel talk at MapleStory Universe’s side event on the week of the 2024 Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco, on March 20th. At this event, Angela Son and Edward Chang will introduce the process of incorporating blockchain into game projects.
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