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European Gaming Congress 2024

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KINETIX LAUNCHES TEXT-TO-ANIMATION AI SIGNALING A NEW ERA IN USER-GENERATED GAMING CONTENT

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Kinetix, the AI startup bringing emotes to video games and virtual worlds, today announces ‘Text2Emotes’: generative AI technology that heralds a new era of user-generated gaming content (UGC) by enabling anyone to create 3D animations and emotes for games – from nothing more than a simple text prompt.

Text2Emotes offers one of the first ever examples of AI which can create high-quality, playable 3D animations and emotes – animations which express emotion – from a basic text input. For example, users could enter a well-known dance such as ‘griddy’ or a literal prompt such as ‘I’m angry’, and see their avatars come to life through AI-generated emotes. The AI has been trained on the large proprietary dataset created by Kinetix over the last three years. With millions of 3D animations and emotes, it produces far more advanced and industry specific content than typical models, which leverage limited academic and standard datasets.

Uniquely, Kinetix has created a format that enables animations to be saved and published across multiple games and virtual worlds, meaning emotes generated with Kinetix can be used on any avatar, within any video game or metaverse world that integrates the Kinetix SDK. Game developers and publishers can now open their games up to a whole new era of user-generated content, allowing players to import viral trends into their favorite games – or even fuel the next one by coming up with their own in-game emotes.

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Emotes have been used by MMOs like World of Warcraft for over two decades but, after rocketing into the mainstream with games like Fortnite and PUBG, are fast becoming a must-have feature for self-expression in gaming content. UGC is core to the success of many gaming platforms such as Roblox, and is set to become the new standard for helping games generate sustainable, long-lasting revenue, as shown by Fortnite’s Creative 2.0 announcement. The crossover potential of emotes is endless, with videos tagged #emote having received more than 2.4 billion views on TikTok alone.

Yassine Tahi, CEO and Co-founder of Kinetix, commented:

“As we know, UGC is becoming the bedrock of modern gaming and enabling gamers to generate their own content on the fly using AI will be a critical part of this. So for two years we’ve focused on perfecting our AI models and the animations generated by them; first using video inputs and now, incredibly excitingly, using just a simple text prompt. The clear early use case for this tech is in gaming. Emotes have become an essential part of users’ self-expression and a revenue driver for game-makers, and our AI-powered emotes tech is already being integrated by some of the best-known developers and virtual world builders.”

Jay Lee, Global Head of Ecosystem of leading virtual world platform ZEPETO, which has more than 400 million global users and is operated by NAVER Z, a Kinetix partner company, added:

“Kinetix’s Text2Emotes feature represents an exciting use case for generative AI in virtual worlds, with the potential to enable a new dimension of expression for ZEPETO users. When integrated, it will provide the ZEPETO community with an even more immersive social experience.”

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Over the last two years, Kinetix has opened up the creation of 3D animation to anyone with video-to-animation AI and no-code editing tools. Traditionally, 3D animation has been an expensive and time-consuming process involving trained 3D experts, and specialist software and hardware. Text2Emotes will be added to the Kinetix Studio and existing Kinetix SDK, which already offers a ready-made, fully customizable emote wheel and a constantly growing library of more than 1,000 emotes across PC, console, and mobile. The Kinetix SDK is currently being integrated by more than 10 video games and virtual worlds including The Sandbox and PolyLand. Later this year, Text2Emotes will also be offered as an API.

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Max Verstappen to attend GAMERGY, the world’s largest esports, gaming and entertainment event

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In an exciting announcement for motorsports and gaming fans alike, three-time Formula 1 World Champion Max Verstappen will be making a special appearance at the GAMERGY event for the exciting Heineken Player 0.0 Global Final in Madrid this December. This immersive entertainment and gaming Experience promises to bring together the worlds of motorsport and gaming, offering fans a unique experience.

GAMERGY, one of the largest global gaming and esports events, will take place in Madrid this December from the 13th-15th, 2024. The 10th edition of the event will host exhilarating activities featuring cutting-edge technology, live competitions, traditional sports activations and phygital interactive experiences that cater to a wide audience.

“In the past few years, we have seen how the traditional sports and gaming ecosystems have come closer together in innovative and immersive ways. At our most recent GAMERGY México edition, we saw our tennis, football, boxing, skateboarding and paddle activations being amongst the most popular gaming fair attractions. We are very excited to partner with Heineken in adding Player 0.0 to the digital fandom,” said Cristina Carranza, Global Head of Sales at GGTech.

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Heineken® Player 0.0 Global Final featuring Max Verstappen
23 finalists from all around the world will be joining us in Madrid for a simulated racing competition with the aim of winning the title of Player 0.0 Global Champion. Expect a high-octane race where the finalists will demonstrate their skills, speed and agility. During the Player 0.0 Global Final, festival goers will also have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see Max Verstappen on stage. This unique experience is expected to draw immense crowds and therefore fans are encouraged to arrive early.

Exclusive Merchandise and Memorabilia
Fans attending the event will have the opportunity to purchase exclusive GAMERGY merchandise. Limited-edition collectibles will be available for purchase. Don’t miss the chance to take home a piece of history!

The post Max Verstappen to attend GAMERGY, the world’s largest esports, gaming and entertainment event appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Xsolla to Present Global Expansion Solutions at Tokyo Game Show 2024

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Xsolla, a global video game commerce company, will showcase its cutting-edge solutions at Hall 4, Booth #04-C48, during the Tokyo Game Show 2024, which will take place from September 26-27, 2024, at the Makuhari Messe Convention Center in Tokyo, Japan. Xsolla’s booth will feature live demonstrations of its latest solutions aimed at helping game developers and publishers succeed in expanding to international markets.

During the event, Jin Jeong, Regional Vice President of Xsolla Japan, will deliver a keynote session focusing on the critical role of Xsolla’s Merchant of Record (MoR) solutions in transforming the way game companies handle cross-border transactions, taxes, and regulatory complexities. This session will offer developers and publishers a comprehensive look into how Xsollasimplifies global operations, allowing studios to focus on creating games while Xsolla handles the business side.

In addition to showcasing their MoR solutions, Xsolla will demonstrate how their payment systems and cross-play/cross-pay features enhance global reach for game developers of all sizes and across all platforms. Xsolla will also showcase how they help video game companies integrate with various payment methods worldwide, allowing developers to monetize their games across different regions easily.

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David Stelzer, President of Xsolla, emphasized the significance of this event for the company: “We’re thrilled to be part of the Tokyo Game Show and to present our latest solutions designed to empower game developers and publishers to expand globally. Our mission is to support the gaming industry with the tools they need to thrive in international markets, and we are eager to showcase how Xsolla can make global expansion easier and more effective.”

Attendees are invited to visit Xsolla’s booth to meet with the team of experts, who will be available to provide insights, answer questions, and discuss how their tailored solutions can help game developers and publishers grow their businesses. For those interested in more in-depth discussions, Xsolla also offers one-on-one meetings to explore specific solutions for global market expansion.

The post Xsolla to Present Global Expansion Solutions at Tokyo Game Show 2024 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Evoplay rolls out successful third-person shooter title Star Guardians to wider operator network

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Evoplay, the award-winning game development studio, has expanded the availability of its groundbreaking skill-based title, Star Guardians to all its partners following a successful exclusive release.

Star Guardians blends the mechanics of slot games with the immersive action of third-person shooters. Players can choose from a range of unique characters, each equipped with their own special boosters and abilities, adding layers of strategy and customisation.

The game can be experienced in automatic or manual mode, where movement and shooting are controlled by the player, enhancing the skill-based element of the title.

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Released as Evoplay’s flagship title in 2021, Star Guardians was originally released on an exclusive basis for operators. Due to its exceptional performance and popularity, the game is now being rolled out to the studio’s wider partner network.

Evoplay has continued to hone in on skill-based gaming experiences, including its most recent flagship title, the 3D racing game Adrenaline Rush which is currently available as an exclusive to its partners.

Ivan Kravchuk, CEO at Evoplay, said: “By merging role playing game elements with gambling, Star Guardians delivers an innovative and unique gaming experience for players.

“As a first-of-its-kind title, Star Guardians has consistently grown in popularity since its debut. With Gen-Z and millennial audiences playing an increasingly significant role in shaping the industry, we expect this wider release to drive even greater success.”

The post Evoplay rolls out successful third-person shooter title Star Guardians to wider operator network appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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