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Why studios need to promote their games
Elliott Resnick, Head of First Look Games, says that due to the highly competitive nature of the industry studios need to get their games in front of players if they are to succeed in the long term
Slot studios are fighting for operator attention in a highly competitive marketplace. There are literally hundreds of developers pushing thousands of games with endless new titles launching every month. So being heard above the noise made by rivals is a vital key to success.
Developers also face fierce competition when it comes to directing players to their games. Operator lobbies are stocked with thousands of titles, with game positioning often the difference between whether a title sinks or swims.
But what if affiliates could not only fulfil their traditional objective of new traffic to operators but also drive awareness of a studio’s content and have players specifically look for the game regardless of where they are positioned in casino lobbies?
To do this, studios must promote their games to players as well as operators, but that isn’t easy given developers take a small proportion of the revenues made on their slots. Above-the-line marketing is simply not an option for the majority of studios, so they have to look to other ways of gaining the attention of operators and players.
But due to the expensive nature of traditional game development, and the time it can take to bring a slot from concept to market (this can take anywhere from four to twelve months) studios must not leave game discovery to chance and instead proactively promote each of their most anticipated titles.
It is also important for studios to provide operators with easy access to information and assets about their games, not just for the purpose of selling their titles but also for other areas such as inclusion in the operator’s marketing and CRM. Without this, developers are missing the final but crucial step in launching their game – which is proactively letting players know about it.
This has led several studios to partner with slot streamers but while that now hangs in the balance pending Twitch’s upcoming announcement on 18 October, others are leveraging the incredible reach that traditional affiliates can provide. But striking partnerships with publishers can be labour intensive – something that already stretched teams have little time to dedicate to unless they hire someone dedicated to affiliate outreach pretty much full-time.
That is where First Look Games comes in, providing the world’s first platform that directly connects studios with all registered affiliates in the iGaming space who regularly craft detailed new game reviews designed to generate referrals to one or more online casino partner.
A publisher’s access to First Look Games is free, allowing all game studios to deploy finished/approved creative packs direct to an entire affiliate community within minutes. It puts the power in the developer’s hands, giving them control over the information and assets they share, and when they share them.
Affiliate marketing allows studios of all sizes to put their games in front of players and potentially build anticipation around future releases. For established studios that have highly sought-after content coming, affiliate marketing can drive large numbers of reviews along with significant awareness that a new game is set to land. For small studios starting out, it can make a difference between being prioritised for an operator integration or being left out. For those in the growth phase, game promotion can assist with realising greater ROI.
Studios can additionally use the feedback they receive from affiliate game reviews to guide future slot development by understanding what has and has not hit the mark with the player community. This feedback is incredibly valuable.
What’s more, affiliates are very cost-effective when compared to other forms of B2C marketing and can help studios to reverse engineer interest in their games where reviews are strong and the audience has a clear appetite for their content.
But right now, studios are not maximising the potential that affiliates provide. The studio-affiliate relationship is still relatively new which is why this marketing channel can be overlooked in terms of the value it can deliver.
First Look Games has been designed to do much of the heavy lifting on behalf of the studio, providing them with access to more than 800 approved publishers with their combined reach being more than 20 million players around the world.
Studios simply upload game information and assets to their dedicated library, and then our network of approved affiliates can access these files and use them to produce content such as game reviews or video content. The entire platform has been designed to be easy to use by any member of a studio’s team.
Despite this, we often find the studios do not know where to position us within their business – sometimes we are seen as a marketing resource, other times as a tool to support the commercial team. We can be both, but it shows just how new this area of game promotion is.
Over time this will change, especially when studios start to see the incredible success their rivals are having in the affiliate space by unlocking more of the potential in their games.
Getting any title in front of more of the right people is simply good business and in such a competitive market, that can be the difference between a studio succeeding or failing.
Latest News
Signing Day Sports Signs Binding Term Sheet to Acquire Majority Equity Interest in High Growth Sports Gaming Technology Company Swifty Global
Acquisition Expected to Mark New Growth Strategy
Signing Day Sports, Inc. (“Signing Day Sports” or the “Company”) (NYSE American: SGN), the developer of the Signing Day Sports app and platform to aid high school athletes in the recruitment process, today announced the signing of a binding term sheet to acquire 95-99% of the issued and outstanding shares of Dear Cashmere Group Holding Company, doing business as Swifty Global (“Swifty”), a global sports and casino technologies company, and that this acquisition is expected to be the first transaction of its newly initiated growth strategy to buy and build companies in the sports and casino technology industry and other synergistic companies. The transaction is structured as an all equity deal meaning that Signing Day Sports will acquire such percentage of Swifty through the issuance of its securities to the controlling stockholders of Swifty. Signing Day Sports is not required to make any cash payment to Swifty in connection with the acquisition of the Swifty equity securities.
Swifty is led by British CEO and technology entrepreneur James Gibbons. Swifty’s technology is scalable and GLI-certified and it holds gaming licenses in the UK, Ireland, South Africa, Curacao, and is expected to obtain a gaming license in Malta in the near future. Swifty’s in-house development team has developed GLI-certified software for the sports gaming sector. This acquisition will enable Signing Day Sports to reduce development costs while accelerating its product development and rollout plans.
In addition to its SaaS-based gaming software, which Swifty offers to online gambling operators under a revenue-sharing model, Swifty also serves its own licensed clients in online sports betting and casino gaming in a limited number of jurisdictions. Swifty, which is debt free, achieved revenue of over $128 million and net profit of approximately $2.44 million in the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, despite significant investments of nearly $3.1 million in software development and licensing.
Swifty’s growth strategy is built on three key pillars: (i) consumer-focused online sportsbook and casino operations (B2C), (ii) SaaS gaming software licensing, and (iii) the acquisition of smaller operators, which will be migrated onto Swifty’s proprietary platform.
Swifty CEO James Gibbons has over 20 years of experience in building and creating robust, secure and easy to use software solutions. James is a serial entrepreneur who created his first company at age 23, a mobile voucher app across Apple, Android and Blackberry devices, eventually selling it to a company based in the US. Prior to joining Swifty as CEO, James led the Digital Visitor Experience team at Expo 2020 Dubai. James is supported by a team of more than 30 staff including a strong in-house development, trading and operational team. Swifty Chairman Nicolas Link is also a serial entrepreneur and seasoned in global mergers, acquisitions and capital markets.
Swifty’s common stock trades on the Pink market tier of OTC Markets Group under the ticker DRCR, and had been preparing to uplist to a national securities exchange in order to unlock its true value. The acquisition of Swifty by Signing Day Sports is intended to result in the combined company being traded on NYSE American. Swifty will continue to operate under the Swifty management team led by James Gibbons, while Signing Day Sports will become a subsidiary of the publicly listed company. This acquisition is expected to provide Swifty with the necessary capital to fuel accelerated growth.
Signing Day Sports, a software company that went public less than a year ago on the NYSE American, has launched a sports SAAS model application designed to help aspiring athletes gain exposure to college and professional organizations, increasing their chances of securing athletic scholarships, roster opportunities, contracts, and NIL endorsements. Since relaunching in December 2022, the platform had more than 10,000 registered users as of August 15, 2024, with most registered for football recruitment and a significant number for men’s and women’s soccer. Signing Day Sports plans to continue to add new proprietary features to its app. The company is now planning to expand into other sports while developing integrated revenue streams to monetize its growing user base. Signing Day Sports expects that the acquisition of Swifty will allow it to leverage Swifty’s in-house development team to reduce costs and accelerate product development and rollout plans.
Swifty CEO James Gibbons commented, “We are delighted to have signed a binding term sheet with Signing Day Sports, following months of close collaboration. The term sheet establishes the deal framework and valuation. Our team has worked tirelessly over the past four years to develop and grow the business organically in a profitable and cash positive manner with no debt and minimal dilution, in a highly regulated sector, obtaining numerous licenses and regulatory approvals globally which we believe demonstrates our ability to successfully execute a dynamic business plan in multiple jurisdictions. After three years of software development and millions of dollars of investment, the company is now perfectly positioned for rapid growth and our acquisition by Signing Day Sports provides Swifty the platform to execute its growth plans.”
Signing Day Sports CEO, Daniel Nelson, commented, “It is with great excitement that we can announce the signing of a binding term sheet with Swifty Global to be the start of our new growth strategy of buying and building sports technology and casino gaming companies and other companies that are synergistic with our business. I want to thank Nick, James and their team for their vision and insights that led to this agreement. It was clear from the beginning that both Signing Day Sports and Swifty had great alignment and synergy and I believe we can build an exciting global sports technology platform together. We both recognize there is a lot of hard work and important decisions still to be made, but we are confident that together, we will make powerful decisions that will build Signing Day Sports into a leading global sports technology company.”
Terms of the Transaction
At the closing of the expected acquisition, Signing Day Sports will acquire from James Gibbons and Nicolas Link, being the sellers, the common stock and preferred stock of Swifty held by them constituting at least 95% of the voting power of Swifty and at least 95% of the economic value of Swifty. Additional sellers holding Swifty common stock or preferred stock may enter into substantially identical agreements with Signing Day Sports and also sell their Swifty capital stock to Signing Day Sports, which would increase the aggregate percentage of Swifty acquired.
The sellers will receive a number of shares of Signing Day Sports common stock that is equal to 19.99% of the issued and outstanding common stock of Signing Day Sports. The balance of the shares that Signing Day Sports must issue to the sellers will be in the form of convertible preferred stock that has no voting or dividend rights. The preferred stock will convert into common stock following shareholder approval and the clearance of a new initial listing application with NYSE American, ensuring compliance with NYSE American regulations. Signing Day Sports legacy shareholders are expected to retain 8.24% of the post-transaction company’s shares, with the remaining 91.76% being issued to the sellers and the other stockholders of DRCR.
The transaction is based on an assumed equity value of $14 million for Signing Day Sports and $156 million for Swifty. To support the transaction, both companies will collectively seek to raise at least $2 million in financing, with the proceeds split equally. These funds will be used for working capital, including the payment of outstanding liabilities of Signing Day Sports. Any additional financing required for the transaction will be mutually agreed upon.
At the closing, James Gibbons will become the Chief Executive Officer of Signing Day Sports and remain the Chief Executive Officer of Swifty. Signing Day Sports management will remain the management of the Signing Day Sports subsidiary that will be established in connection with the acquisition.
The post-Closing board of Signing Day Sports will consist of five members, including at least three directors that qualify as independent under NYSE American rules. At the closing, two Signing Day Sports board members will resign, and Swifty will appoint two directors to fill the vacancies. Swifty’s appointees will be independent or executive directors, depending on the type of director who resigns.
Signing Day Sports will hold a shareholder meeting post-closing to, among other things, approve the conversion of the preferred stock issued to the sellers into common stock and elect a new board of directors of Signing Day Sports. The Signing Day Sports board will continue to have five members. Signing Day Sports’ pre-closing board will nominate one board member. Swifty’s pre-closing board will nominate two independent directors. Swifty’s pre-closing board will also nominate one additional executive director. One independent director will be jointly nominated by both Signing Day Sports and Swifty jointly.
After the transaction, Signing Day Sports will consolidate Swifty’s financial statements and operate Swifty as a subsidiary. Signing Day Sports’ existing assets will be contributed into a newly formed subsidiary, allowing the combined company to focus on the integrated business.
Both Signing Day Sports and Swifty will complete due diligence before the transaction closes. The closing is anticipated by October 31, 2024. The closing is subject to the entry into definitive stock purchase agreement(s) and customary closing conditions and no assurance can be given that the closing will occur.
The sellers and the officers and directors of Signing Day Sports will be subject to a three-month lock-up period following the closing.
If the term sheet is terminated due to a material breach, the defaulting party will be liable for a $500,000 break-up fee. Additionally, if the binding term sheet is terminated by Signing Day Sports for any reason other than an undisputable uncured material breach by Swifty or a seller, then one-half of all net funds (after expenses) raised in any capital raising transaction by Signing Day Sports will be paid to Swifty (to the extent not already loaned to Swifty) as an additional break-up fee and any loans by Signing Day Sports of amounts raised to Swifty will be forgiven.
Advisors to the transaction include Maxim Group LLC, which is serving as exclusive financial advisor to Swifty. Lucosky Brookman LLP is serving as counsel to Swifty. Bevilacqua PLLC is serving as counsel to Signing Day Sports.
A copy of the Term Sheet will be filed as an exhibit to a current report on Form 8-K to be filed by Signing Day Sports with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on or about the date of this press release. All parties desiring details regarding the terms and conditions of the proposed business combination are urged to review that Form 8-K and the exhibits attached thereto, which will be available at the SEC’s website at sec.gov.
For further information about Signing Day Sports and Swifty, please see their communication channels listed below:
Website: https://swifty.global
X: @swiftyglobal
Telegram: @swiftyglobal
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://signingdaysports.com
Ecommerce Website: https://signingdayshop.com
Investor Relations Website: https://ir.signingdaysports.com
X: @sdsports
Email: [email protected]
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” that are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this press release are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release may be identified by the use of words such as “may,” “could,” “will,” “should,” “would,” “expect,” “plan,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “project” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. These statements are only predictions. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including without limitation, the Company’s ability to complete the acquisition of Swifty and integrate its business, the ability of the Company, the sellers and Swifty to enter into definitive stock purchase agreement(s), obtain all necessary consents and approvals in connection with the acquisition, obtain NYSE American clearance of a new initial listing application in connection with the acquisition, obtain shareholder approval of the matters to be voted on at the shareholders’ meeting described in the press release, obtain sufficient funding to maintain operations and develop additional services and offerings, market acceptance of the Company’s current products and services and planned offerings, competition from existing online and retail offerings or new offerings that may emerge, impacts from strategic changes to the Company’s business on its net sales, revenues, income from continuing operations, or other results of operations, the Company’s ability to attract new users and customers, increase the rate of subscription renewals, and slow the rate of user attrition, the Company’s ability to retain or obtain intellectual property rights, the Company’s ability to adequately support future growth, the Company’s ability to comply with user data privacy laws and other current or anticipated legal requirements, and the Company’s ability to attract and retain key personnel to manage its business effectively. These risks, uncertainties and other factors are described more fully in the section titled “Risk Factors” in the Company’s periodic reports which are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These risks, uncertainties and other factors are, in some cases, beyond our control and could materially affect results. If one or more of these risks, uncertainties or other factors become applicable, or if our underlying assumptions prove to be incorrect, actual events or results may vary significantly from those implied or projected by the forward-looking statements. No forward-looking statement is a guarantee of future performance. Forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are made as of this date, and the Company undertakes no duty to update such information except as required under applicable law.
SOFTSWISS, a leading software supplier in the iGaming industry, has announced the launch of its private Bug Bounty Program to boost cybersecurity. The program invites white hat hackers and independent security researchers to identify vulnerabilities, offering rewards for their findings and ensuring the highest level of security for SOFTSWISS clients.
To ensure that only significant cases that meet specific requirements are reported, SOFTSWISS launched a private program with invitation-only access. Invitation-only programs encourage white hat hackers to pay close attention to their terms and requirements, resulting in higher-quality reports. While public programs can offer broader perspectives but tend to generate more irrelevant reports, the private launch ensures that the focus remains on critical security issues.
The Bug Bounty Program offers financial incentives of up to 3,500 euro, depending on the severity and complexity of the discovered vulnerabilities. This program serves as an additional layer of defence, providing external, unbiased assessments from highly skilled security experts.
“We care about the security of our clients and their players, which is why it is important for us not only to pay close attention to protecting the products we develop but also to constantly recheck our applications with the help of skilled external experts and enthusiasts. In collaboration with the expert community, we can ensure a reliable level of data protection and uninterrupted operations for all our clients,” said Evgeny Zaretskov, Group Chief Information Security Officer at SOFTSWISS. “SOFTSWISS is proud to set a new standard for cybersecurity by leveraging crowdsourced expertise. In this ever-evolving landscape, even a minor bug can lead to significant losses for operators. The Bug Bounty Program is an extra measure to protect our existing and future clients.”
The program has started with two products: the SOFTSWISS Casino Platform and the SOFTSWISS Sportsbook. It is conducted in a dedicated test environment, which operates independently of live casino systems, ensuring no disruption to player experience or platform performance.
“Cybersecurity is an ongoing battle,” adds Artyom Buchkov, Deputy CSO. “No company can discover all vulnerabilities on its own. This program enables talented hackers to legally hack an online casino, helping us anticipate and defend against potential threats. It strengthens our commitment to providing the most secure software and platforms in the iGaming industry.”
Moving forward, the SOFTSWISS cybersecurity team plans to broaden the frames, adding more products and refining requirements to maintain the highest standards of security across all platforms.
Cybersecurity in iGaming, along with other key topics in the industry, can be discussed with our specialists and product teams at the SBC Summit Lisbon at stand B-160 from 24 to 26 September.
About SOFTSWISS
SOFTSWISS is an international technology company with over 15 years of experience in developing innovative solutions for the iGaming industry. SOFTSWISS holds a number of gaming licences and provides comprehensive software for managing iGaming projects. The company’s product portfolio includes the Online Casino Platform, the Game Aggregator with over 23,500 casino games, the Affilka affiliate Platform, the Sportsbook Software and the Jackpot Aggregator. In 2013, SOFTSWISS revolutionised the industry by introducing the world’s first Bitcoin-optimised online casino solution. The expert team, based in Malta, Poland, and Georgia, counts over 2,000 employees.
The post SOFTSWISS Launches Bug Bounty Program to “Hack the System” appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Cutting-edge game studio Peter & Sons is about to unleash hell. The Barcelona-based outfit’s diabolical new slot, Evil Devil, will be released globally on 19th September, and it comes packed with wickedly innovative mechanics, such as sticky respins, power splits, increasing multipliers, and a thrilling Free Spins Game with a possible buy option.
This 6×7 high-volatility video slot with up to 117,649 ways to win immerses players in a cartoonish hellscape presided over by the fiery lord Satan Sama. With a devilish surf guitar soundtrack and chaotic but gripping gameplay, there’s nothing else quite like it on the market.
Winning combinations in the base game trigger the sticky respin feature, causing winning symbols to stick in place while the non-winning symbols respin. Wild symbols can appear on reels 2 to 6, increasing the chances of forming winning combinations.
But all hell breaks loose when 4 to 6 scatter symbols land on the reels, awarding 15 to 20 Free Spins. Here, winning symbols stick to their positions, triggering a respin of the non-winning symbols.
Collecting three or more skull symbols during Free Spins triggers a random multiplier. Meanwhile, power splits can randomly occur during the first respin, converting winning symbols into wilds, enhancing the chances for some big payouts.
Can’t wait to hit the bonus feature? The good news is you can buy straight into the Free Spins game for 100x the bet, instantly accessing 15 to 20 random free spins and the game’s most thrilling features.
Yann Bautista, Commercial Director and Founder at Peter & Sons said: “We’re always looking to push boundaries in everything we do, and we like to let our artists’ imaginations run wild. Too often with online slots you see the same tired themes and clichés. We think Evil Devil is an avant garde masterpiece – but it’s underpinned by solid mechanics and brilliant features.”
The post Peter & Sons’ Unleashes ‘Evil Devil’ Slot appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Signing Day Sports Signs Binding Term Sheet to Acquire Majority Equity Interest in High Growth Sports Gaming Technology Company Swifty Global
SOFTSWISS Launches Bug Bounty Program to “Hack the System”
Peter & Sons’ Unleashes ‘Evil Devil’ Slot
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