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KINETIX ANNOUNCES PUBLIC LAUNCH OF EMOTE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR VIDEO GAMES AND VIRTUAL WORLDS

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Kinetix, the AI startup powering emotes in video games and virtual worlds, today announces the public release of its pioneering Emote Infrastructure. All games and virtual worlds made with Unity can now increase their engagement and open up new revenue streams through an Emote SDK which is compatible with Windows, iOS and Android.

Players use emotes to socialize and express themselves in 3D gaming content. Animations that express emotion have been used in MMO games for more than two decades, but user demand for emotes has skyrocketed after their viral success in Fortnite Battle Royale. A recent report from non-profit research organization Blockchain Research Lab found that 74% of players of games and virtual worlds such as PUBG and Roblox use emotes in games, while 22% do so every time they play.

Meeting this demand has typically required specialist 3D animation skills and emotes that are hard coded into individual games, making it difficult for developers to keep up. In creating emotes that fit seamlessly into almost any virtual environment, the Kinetix Emote Infrastructure mirrors the approach of Ready Player Me which has revolutionized avatar creation by enabling a consistent visual identity across games and virtual worlds. With the free Kinetix SDK, developers can integrate and monetise a growing, cloud-based library of emotes which already numbers more than 1,000 – all of which are compatible with their games’ avatars, visual style and UI.

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Through a plug and play approach which allows developers to activate the features they need, developers can select which emotes they want to offer players, integrate the fully customizable Kinetix emote wheel, hotkeys, contextual emotes, and even enable gamers to create their own in-game emotes via a web app which uses the Kinetix Studio’s generative AI technology to convert videos to 3D animations. This means games can respond instantly to changing viral trends and refresh their in-game shops regularly, while the Emote Catalog will also offer access to official collections of emotes from leading brands and IPs.

Following a successful beta, the Kinetix SDK is live or currently being integrated in more than 10 games and virtual worlds including ZEPETO, The Sandbox, Amber Metaverse, and Next Dancer.

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

“In our era of live-service games and user-generated content, the value of an infinite stream of engaging content is beyond doubt. Emotes are an increasingly vital part of this as users demand ways to express themselves in-game. As we make our emotes infrastructure publicly available to all Unity games, I’m extremely proud of our team’s technical feats in optimizing it for developers. From cloud hosting to P2P networking and optimized file sizes, we’ve covered all bases to make sure games can increase their engagement and revenue with ease and with no impact on performance.”

In April 2023, Kinetix announced the launch of its ‘Text2Emotes’, generative AI technology that enables anyone to create emotes with a simple text prompt. Text2Emotes will be integrated into the Kinetix SDK later this year. Since being founded in 2020, Kinetix has raised a total of $12.5 million in seed funding from investors including Adam Ghobarah, founder of Top Harvest Capital, Sparkle Ventures, and multiple virtual world platforms and entrepreneurs.

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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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