gaming
Anzu Becomes Exclusive In-Game AdTech Provider for Saber Interactive’s Upcoming Dakar Desert Rally
Anzu and Saber Interactive partner to bring advertisers into the highly anticipated Dakar Desert Rally when it launches this year on PC and consoles
In-game advertising company Anzu has secured an exclusive deal with Saber Interactive, the global game publisher and developer, to offer advertisers a chance to communicate with their audiences via the highly anticipated upcoming racer Dakar Desert Rally.
The new AAA title is the official game of Dakar Rally, the largest rally race on the planet, hosted by the Amaury Sport Organisation and broadcast each year across 70 TV channels in 190 countries. 1,065 drivers and 578 vehicles took part in 2021’s race, and clips of the rally have been viewed online by over 59.8M people, with an additional 76.8M Facebook and Instagram story views.
Fans worldwide have been anticipating news of a new official Dakar rally video game title. This past December, Saber Interactive revealed that the title would launch in 2022 and feature an enhanced Dakar rally experience with over 30 stages of full rally racing, an immense open world with seasons and dynamic weather, official road books to navigate, and a garage stocked with licensed vehicles, including motorcycles, cars, trucks, quads, and SSVs.
The game’s development team is committed to creating an immersive game experience that faithfully brings the Dakar Rally to gamers. Anzu is helping the team replicate that; advertisers will be able to run their banner and video ads within Anzu’s in-game ad placements, which will take the form of 3D objects like roadside billboards and banners. They will also be able to take advantage of a variety of custom integration options, including custom vehicles which can be painted with brand colors, logos, and even have the driver wear a custom uniform. There are also options for roadside flags that can be branded with a product logo and different colors, and garage takeovers, where brands can add custom wall banners and items to decorate the building.
The non-disruptive nature and expert optimization of Anzu’s ad placements also mean brands will benefit from extremely high engagement rates without disrupting the player experience. Advertisers will also benefit from the low fraud rates associated with in-game advertising. HUMAN reports that Anzu’s IVT score for mobile is 0.16% and for PC is 0.47%. Comscore also reports a 0.39% score for video and 0.44% for display campaigns, compared to a 6% benchmark. Anzu also works with other industry leaders to measure ad viewability, fraud levels, and brand impact.
Alex Yerukhimovich, VP Games, Anzu, said: “We’ve been working closely with Saber Interactive to ensure our ad placements are perfectly positioned to enhance both the player and advertising experience. This is a great opportunity for advertisers to showcase their campaigns in a visually stunning AAA title, and for players to experience races with real ads that are relevant to the setting alongside the track. Just like they would expect to see if they were watching a real race, making the experience all the more authentic.
More and more advertisers are making in-game advertising a larger part of their digital ad strategies. As the anticipation continues to grow around this title, we’re looking forward to bringing many into the Dakar experience to reach its millions of diverse and dedicated fans who stretch across the entire globe.”
Our Saber Porto team has been passionately working on Dakar Desert Rally and is focused on making this one of the biggest and most authentic rally racing games ever,” said Todd Hollenshead, Head of Publishing at Saber Interactive. “Our goal is to bring Dakar to life in a realistic and fun way, and it’s been great to see that passion mirrored by the talented team at Anzu through their industry-leading technology and expertise. We’re working closely together to ensure these ads are implemented in a way that is immersive and serve to help faithfully recreate the real-life rally experience.”
gaming
Portside Game Assembly: Studios behind Dead Cells, Dungeon Clawler, Dorfromantik, Blasphemous on board and ticket sales for brunch and party launched
With Portside Game Assembly, Gamecity Hamburg is welcoming studio heads and directors from successful indie game studios on a conference ship and other extraordinary locations in Hamburg on June 27. Benjamin Laulan, Co-Founder of Evil Empire, (Dead Cells, The Rogue Prince of Persia) will give a keynote on the Triple-i Initiative started by the French studio. At the Triple-i Showcase 2024, over 30 “iii games” were announced in 45 minutes, and 150,000 views were achieved on YouTube alone. Further speaker on board is Philomena Schwab, Founder of Stray Fawn Studio (Dungeon Clawler, The Wandering Village).
Portside Game Assembly celebrates its premiere as B2B-conference for international indie game leaders on June 27. There will be no direct ticket sales for the conference; instead, a curated list of participants will ensure that only studio heads and decision makers attend the conference on board a ship sailing through the port of Hamburg.
At the same time, the Networking Brunch and the Games Industry Party are open as networking events for interested contacts from the games industry to bring platform holders, publishers, and game companies into contact with the international conference participants. Studio leads from Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK, France, Spain, Canada, the USA, and Germany are already on board for the conference.
Portside Game Assembly is set to be a platform for decision makers and studio leads to exchange ideas, learn from each other, and face the challenges of the games industry through collaboration.
As the first announced talk of the conference, Benjamin Laulan (Co-Founder of Evil Empire) will present a keynote on the Triple-i Initiative and how to create your own announcement space and talk directly to your audience when you can’t really relate to other existing showcases. In addition, Philomena Schwab (Founder of Stray Fawn Studio & Publishing) will give a short talk about ways for game idea validation.
The program of the Portside Game Assembly will consist of keynotes, short talks, and roundtables.
Selection of already confirmed participants:
- Evil Empire (Dead Cells, The Rogue Prince of Persia) / France
- Stray Fawn Studio (Dungeon Clawler, The Wandering Village) / Switzerland
- The Game Kitchen (Blasphemous I & II) / Spain
- Toukana Interactive (Dorfromantik)/ Germany
- Ghostship Publishing (Deep Rock Galactic) / Denmark
- Landfall Games (Content Warning, Totally Accurate Battle Simulator) / Sweden
- Chasing Carrots (Halls of Torment) / Germany
- Foulball Hangover (Hydroneer) / UK
- Siege Camp (Foxhole) / Canada
The post Portside Game Assembly: Studios behind Dead Cells, Dungeon Clawler, Dorfromantik, Blasphemous on board and ticket sales for brunch and party launched appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Fourth Star, the cutting-edge virtual reality immersive media streaming platform, is officially available to the public. This innovative platform transforms traditional entertainment by enabling users to seamlessly watch standard 2D, 180 and 360 immersive media content and movies. Fourth Star redefines how audiences engage with immersive storytelling, offering an unparalleled first-person centric perspective on entertainment.
“Fourth Star is more than just a platform – it’s a revolution in entertainment,” said Greg Simon, Co-Founder & CEO of Fourth Star. “We’ve created an immersive experience where users can not only consume content but also actively participate in it. Our vision is to transform how people experience media content and movies in a way that has never been done before.”
A New Era of Interactive Entertainment
The largest immersive media streaming platform available on Sidequest, users can explore nearly forty unique environments, interact with AI-driven crew, and experience entertainment in an entirely new way. Fourth Star offers a groundbreaking approach to digital engagement, whether socializing in the Cafe, customizing avatars in private Apartments or Ships, or stepping directly into a movie’s storyline.
“The combination of VR, AI, and blockchain in Fourth Star sets a new standard for immersive entertainment,” said Craig Wiltshire, CTO of Fourth Star. “Our vision is to seamlessly integrate all three technologies into the user experience. We are redefining the entertainment experience from passive observation to active creation.”
Built for Content Partners
Fourth Star is a self-serve platform designed for content partners of all sizes, from individual creators to blockbuster studios. Content partners can set up an account, create content channels, and begin monetizing their work immediately. No integration is required, allowing for seamless onboarding and instant access to a global audience. The Creator Portal empowers partners to distribute and profit from their immersive media with ease, making Fourth Star a truly open and accessible metaverse for digital entertainment.
Key Features of Fourth Star
- VR Streaming Platform – Users can access nearly forty environments and own their own luxury apartments and ships all equipped with an immersive media streaming entertainment hub.
- Social & Customization – Connect with others in dynamic social hubs, personalize your avatar, and invite your friends to your own luxury apartment and ship.
- Player Portal – Users can access the web-based marketplace to explore content, invite friends,
- Creator Portal – Set up an account, create content channels, and begin monetizing your work immediately. No integration is required, allowing for seamless onboarding and instant access to a global audience.
- Blockchain Integration – The FSTR token, built on the Polygon blockchain, powers the ecosystem, providing secure transactions and exclusive rewards.
- AI-Powered Companions – Coming soon
FSTR: The Utility Token Powering Fourth Star
FSTR serves as the primary ecosystem currency within the Fourth Star platform, enabling users to purchase Apartments, Ships, AI Companions, and exclusive content. Token holders benefit from:
- VIP Access – Exclusive events, early screenings, and red carpet experiences.
- Discounts – 25% savings on in-app purchases (IAPs) and entertainment content.
A New Paradigm in Entertainment
Fourth Star is designed to deliver the future of entertainment through merging cinematic storytelling with interactive gaming, offering:
- A seamless transition from passive to interactive experiences.
- A thriving community for players, creators, and investors.
- Advanced AI integration for interactive AI characters.
- Don’t just watch the star in the movie, become the star.
Availability and Access
Fourth Star is now live and available for users worldwide on Sidequest. Whether you’re an explorer, content creator large to small, storyteller, or entertainment enthusiast, Fourth Star provides an immersive space to experience digital entertainment like never before.
The post Fourth Star Launches Immersive Media Streaming Platform appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Significant industry first will see game launch from day one across 5 alternative stores in addition to Apple and Google.
Flexion, the games marketing company, announces a partnership with preeminent developer King to market new game Candy Crush Solitaire© in alternative app stores.
Expected to be one of the exciting game announcements of the year, Candy Crush Solitaire© will be available on the Amazon Appstore, Samsung Galaxy Store, Huawei App Gallery, Xiaomi GetApps and ONE store from the get-go thanks to Flexion’s expertise and technology. The game launches globally across platforms on 6 February and is already available for preregistration in all the stores.
Flexion has had a partnership with King since June 2024 to market Candy Crush Saga© on the alternative stores. With this latest deal, both companies are breaking new ground with concurrent launches, taking them to the leading edge of games marketing.
“This is the first time King will launch simultaneously across such a wide range of platforms,” says Jens Lauritzson, Flexion’s CEO. “King has recognised that mobile audiences come from a more diverse range of markets these days, and we are thrilled to be able to help them reach those markets. Flexion has brought to the partnership the tech, experience and expertise to ensure the ultimate in user choice.”
Commenting on the deal, Benjamin Pommeraud, General Manager of Strategic Initiatives at King, says: “We’re excited to partner with Flexion to make Candy Crush Solitaire available to more players. As our first expansion of the Candy universe into a new genre, this collaboration reflects our ongoing commitment to delivering high-quality experiences that are accessible to everyone, no matter where they choose to play.”
The post Flexion partners with King to launch Candy Crush Solitaire© simultaneously across platforms appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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