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Antstream Arcade accelerates expansion with hire of games industry veteran Mike Rouse to support growth

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  • Appointment comes at a time of record growth for the business

Leading video game streaming platform Antstream Arcade has expanded its internal studio team with games industry veteran Mike Rouse joining to lead its production team and help build out its internal studio. This move comes during a period of record user growth for the company following its establishment as the world’s first free-to-play game streaming platform.

Mike joins Antstream from 2K’s Brighton based Hangar 13, where he was Head of Production and responsible for developing and co-ordinating strategy across the studio’s four global locations and 400 employees.

Mike has over 20 years’ experience in the games industry, with a career that includes key roles at Microsoft as Studio Director overseeing the incubation and development of Microsoft Hololens and its future tech studio, and at Sony as Dev Director creating the PSN Trophy system and several AAA Titles. He brings this extensive experience in pushing the boundaries of how players interact with games to his new role at Antstream Arcade, as it continues to expand its offering.

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Mike Rouse said: “As a lifelong fan of what we now have to call “vintage” games, working at Antstream Arcade represents the perfect combination of my passion for retro gaming and changing how players interact with games themselves. I think it is very likely that we are nearing the end of physical consoles – with physical media losing relevance to the rise of cloud-based gaming, it is all but inevitable. As the first company to successfully launch a free-to-play platform with thousands of games, Antstream is well placed to be at the forefront of this change.”

Steve Cottam, CEO of Antstream said: “Between our new licensing partnerships with the likes of Disney and Bandai, and our decision to adopt a free-to-play model, we’re in a period of immense change here at Antstream. Bringing on someone with Mike’s expertise and experience in altering how people play games is a huge boost for us as video game streaming continues to drive the game industry forward as a whole. We look forward to working with him in taking our library of iconic video games to the biggest audience possible.”

Mike’s love of retro gaming is on full display on his Retro Gamer Boy YouTube channel, where he posts weekly unique videos delving into his own extensive retro gaming collection, and discussing the best retro games and consoles ever made. His retro gaming goal is to collect every SEGA Megadrive game, with only a few notable holdouts like Pirates of Darkwater standing between him and the holy grail of completionism.

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Erik Londré CEO of Karta

NASCAR unveils first step into the Fortnite ecosystem with custom Rocket Racing tracks inspired by its iconic events and venues

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Today, NASCAR, America’s most popular motorsport, has officially entered the Fortnite ecosystem – announcing its debut with a one-of-a-kind, high-octane racing experience built in Rocket Racing.

Developed in partnership with award-winning UK metaverse studio, Karta, the experience launches with a Chicago Street Course map, styled on the real NASCAR Chicago Street Race taking place this Sunday 7th July, merging the thrill of NASCAR racing with the dynamic creativity of the Fortnite ecosystem.

With the first Chicago Street Map, players navigate multiple routes, master the art of speed, drift and avoid obstacles in intense multiplayer races or solo time trials.

Debuting ahead of the real-life Chicago Street Race, NASCAR’s official launch on Fortnite brings its second annual event in the center of one of the world’s greatest cities, into the Fortnite world. The map gives NASCAR fans, and players of all levels who may have never interacted with the sport, the chance to get closer to the real event than ever before – setting it apart from typical Rocket Racing maps.

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With this fun experience aimed at gamers of all levels, NASCAR’s move into the Fortnite ecosystem isn’t just a one-time event while the Chicago race takes place. NASCAR is setting its sights on a permanent fixture on the platform, with the Chicago map marking the start of a long-term racing experience for players to continuously visit. Looking ahead at the NASCAR calendar, fans of America’s No. 1 form of motorsports and the Fortnite community can get excited, as NASCAR eyes wider plans to add more virtual recreations on the platform.

“NASCAR has always been about pushing boundaries and connecting with fans in exciting ways,” said Nick Rend, Managing Director of Esports & Gaming at NASCAR. “Fortnite provides the perfect platform to engage a global audience, blending the intensity of NASCAR racing with the immersive world of Fortnite. Karta, with their incredible creativity, attention to detail and innovative approach, were the perfect partners to help us bring this vision to life. We wanted to build something with longevity for both diehard NASCAR enthusiasts and the wider Fortnite community and we think we have succeeded with just that.”

Erik Londré, CEO of Karta, added, “Working with an icon of motorsports like NASCAR  has been a dream come true. Our goal was to capture the essence of NASCAR racing – the speed, the strategy, the adrenaline – and inject it with a dose of Fortnite fun. The result is something truly special – a high-octane, visually stunning racing experience that we know players will love.”

Karta is an award-winning metaverse studio renowned for creating engaging virtual gaming experiences for global brands. Karta has established itself as a leader in creating accessible and impactful brand experiences within the metaverse across gaming, music and esports.

Since its inception in July 2021, Karta has collaborated with a diverse range of global brands, including Nicki Minaj, BLACKPINK, TWICE, Amazon Music, McDonald’s, Spotify, and Hugo Boss, solidifying its position as a trailblazer in the ever-evolving landscape of metaverse entertainment.

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Driffle selects Mangopay to level-up digital gaming product platform

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Customised payment infrastructure and fraud prevention solutions to streamline and secure global transactions

Driffle, a digital goods marketplace specialising in gaming products, has announced a new partnership with Mangopay, a modular and flexible payment infrastructure provider, to transform the user experience.

Mangopay will provide a customised end-to-end payment flow, including pay-in, e-wallet management, seller payout, and KYC/KYB. This will enable Driffle to offer a seamless, safe, and compliant experience for its users. Mangopay’s e-wallet solution will allow buyers to store and re-spend money within the platform, improving user experience and unlocking additional potential revenue for Driffle. Additionally, Driffle will leverage Mangopay’s AI-driven Fraud Prevention solution to safeguard against transactional fraud and promotion abuse.

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With offices in London, Vilnius, and Delhi, Driffle connects buyers with merchants selling digital gaming products, including games, gift cards, and downloadable content. Driffle has scaled rapidly and now has more than one million users in 190 countries.

Mangopay specialises in providing modular, embeddable payment and fintech infrastructure for leading platforms worldwide. The company has processed over €100 billion in transactions and supports over 250 million users. Mangopay’s award-winning payment solutions enable platforms to build customised payment systems, facilitating business growth, enhancing user experiences, and preventing fraud.

Driffle CEO and founder Chetan Bhardwaj said: “Mangopay’s solution supports our business model perfectly by meeting our complex pay-in and payout needs. With users in more than 190 countries and various KYC requirements, we needed a flexible partner. The Mangopay team has shown exceptional attention to detail, providing us with a solution that will increase retention and streamline our product pipeline.”

Alex Taylor, Head of Sales at Mangopay, said: “Driffle’s journey has been remarkable, and we are proud to support the next phase of their growth. Our technology improves the experience for buyers and sellers on the platform and is designed to increase conversion and retention, unlocking additional revenue for Driffle. With buyers and sellers worldwide preferring different payment methods, our tailored solution for Driffle exemplifies how Mangopay drives growth through customised technology and solutions.”

The post Driffle selects Mangopay to level-up digital gaming product platform appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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FlyQuest

NZXT and FlyQuest Forge Strategic Partnership Empowering Professional Gamers and Content Creators

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NZXT, a leader in PC gaming components, products and prebuilts, is thrilled to announce a partnership with FlyQuest, a premier esports organization. This collaboration designates NZXT as the “Official PC Partner” for FlyQuest’s LCS, NACL, RED VALORANT, RED CS2 teams, and their content creators.

NZXT and FlyQuest share a vision that gaming is for everyone. NZXT will provide FlyQuest teams and creators with high-performance gaming desktops from their Flex gaming PC subscription service. NZXT Flex provides the flexibility of no long-term commitments, 24/7 technical support and equipment upgrades every two years at an affordable monthly rate. This collaboration guarantees that FlyQuest athletes and creators such as Fiona Nova and Basil, have access to the best technology available. It highlights their shared commitment to empowering gamers and creators to reach their full potential by providing easy access to the latest, high-performance hardware, enhancing their in-game performance.

In the spirit of enabling gamers who aspire to be the best, FlyQuest’s NACL team will be officially branded as FlyQuest NZXT. NZXT’s commitment to FlyQuest’s NACL team extends beyond branding. They are dedicated to providing the resources and support necessary to develop the talent for FlyQuest’s NACL team. NZXT and FlyQuest want to help these aspiring players advance to the LCS and achieve success by fostering an environment where players can thrive. Supporting players in the NACL is crucial for the health of the League of Legends Esports, as it ensures a strong pipeline of talent, elevating the level of competition and making it more exciting for both spectators and players alike. Investing in this talent development is an important goal for both organizations, reflecting their commitment to the future of esports.

NZXT will also lend its brand name across FlyQuest’s teams and facilities, including jersey placement for FlyQuest RED, LCS, and NACL teams. Additionally, FlyQuest’s training center and boot camp will be named the NZXT Boot Camp and the center will be outfitted with NZXT PCs, providing each of FlyQuest’s teams with the best equipment for training and competition.

“It is unique to find a partner who can help every facet of your organization,” said Brian Anderson, CEO of FlyQuest. “On top of providing top-tier gaming units for our competitive success, NZXT will allow FlyQuest to level up all aspects of our business, from creators to content.”

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“We believe that anyone can be a PC gamer and strive to deliver the best gaming experience possible,” said Johnny Hou, Founder and CEO of NZXT. “Our partnership with FlyQuest is a testament to our commitment to this vision. We’re excited to support FlyQuest’s mission and look forward to achieving great things together.”

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