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Industry News
AppLovin to Acquire Machine Zone to Expand Leadership Position in Mobile Gaming
Combined entity brings strong game franchises and game technologies to players and developers around the world
AppLovin, a mobile games company that fuels many of the world’s most popular mobile games through its game studios and marketing technology, today announced it has agreed to acquire Machine Zone, best known as the developer of top-grossing mobile games including Game of War: Fire Age, Mobile Strike and Final Fantasy XV: A New Empire. Terms of the acquisition are subject to approvals and were not disclosed.
AppLovin will combine talent, games and technologies with Machine Zone to bring new immersive mobile games to the market while continuing to help game developers successfully market and monetize their games. Collaboration will begin now and will eventually include AppLovin moving its headquarters a mile away to the Machine Zone office in Palo Alto.
“We have been impressed with Machine Zone’s masterful storylines and strong community of engaged players and have seen first hand the depth of their talented team,” said Adam Foroughi, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of AppLovin. “Machine Zone has amassed an enormous following for their games, and we are excited to bring together our two creative brands and market leading technology platforms to continue to entertain their millions of fans around the world.”
Machine Zone, the mobile gaming platform that pioneered bringing the free-to-play, massively multiplayer online (MMO) game genre to mobile, has a track record of delivering some of the world’s most successful mobile games. Machine Zone leverages its proprietary real-time engagement (RTE) engine to serve its diverse community of mobile gamers with highly engaging experiences.
“Machine Zone connects millions of people across the globe, providing them with a compelling gaming experience and engaged community,” said Kristen Dumont, Chief Executive Officer of Machine Zone. “Combining our expertise and unmatched success in midcore games with AppLovin’s impressively successful portfolio of casual games and leading mobile marketing platform is a win-win for both of our companies and will create an unmatched experience for players worldwide.”
The acquisition of Machine Zone represents a significant step forward for AppLovin as it continues to execute on its mission of being the leading mobile gaming company. AppLovin also recently announced a strategic investment in Redemption Games, which joined AppLovin’s global mobile gaming ecosystem of partner studios that includes PeopleFun, Belka Games, Clipwire Games, Firecraft Studios and Geewa, as well as its in-house studio, Lion Studios.
LionTree Advisors served as the exclusive financial advisor and Fenwick & West, LLP as the legal advisor for AppLovin.
Industry News
IGT Achieves Improved ESG Score from FTSE Russell
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International Game Technology PLC announced that it has achieved an environmental, social and governance (ESG) Score of 4.3 out of 5.0 from FTSE Russell, positioning IGT in the 97th percentile within the Travel and Leisure sector of FTSE Russell’s ESG Scores. This was an improvement from IGT’s previous ESG Score of 4.2 out of 5.0 in 2023, demonstrating its ongoing commitment to enhancing ESG performance.
“As a company committed to continually elevating our sustainability practices and leadership, IGT is proud to once again achieve an improved ESG score from FTSE Russell. Through our global Sustainable Play program, we execute sustainable practices and policies throughout our company and this improved score validates our ongoing efforts,” Wendy Montgomery, SVP of Marketing, Communications and Sustainability at IGT, said.
FTSE Russell’s ESG Scores and data model allows investors to understand a company’s exposure to, and management of, ESG issues in multiple dimensions. The ESG Scores are comprises an overall rating that breaks down into underlying pillar and theme exposures. Scores built on over 300 individual indicator assessments are applied to each company’s unique circumstances. The ESG Scores align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), all of which are reflected in FTSE Russell’s ESG framework.
The post IGT Achieves Improved ESG Score from FTSE Russell appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Industry News
Super Group Appoints Merrick Wolman to its Board of Directors
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Super Group has appointed Merrick Wolman to its Board of Directors, effective from February 18, 2025.
Mr. Wolman is the Chief Executive Officer of a global finance company and has worked closely with the Super Group executive team for over two decades.
Neal Menashe, Chief Executive Officer of Super Group, said: “We are very pleased to welcome Merrick to the board. His deep understanding of the gaming industry, alongside his wide range of experience in executive roles, will be of great value as we continue to pursue our global growth strategy and build on our successes to date.”
This appointment brings the total directors on Super Group’s board to nine, including five independent directors.
The post Super Group Appoints Merrick Wolman to its Board of Directors appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Industry News
Kindred Reports Decline in Revenue from High-risk Players for Q4 2024
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Kindred Group has reported decline in its share of revenue from high-risk players for the fourth quarter 2024 at 2.7% (Q3 2024 3.2%). The percentage of detected customers who exhibited improved behaviour after interventions showed an improvement at 92.2% (compared to 87.3% in Q3 2024). This positive trend is mainly the result of stricter measures across key markets, improved internal processes, as well as the exit from non-locally licensed markets as part of to the acquisition by La Française des Jeux (FDJ) in October 2024. This shift reflects Kindred’s broader commitment to maintaining high regulatory standards and fostering safer gambling practices.
“It is pleasing to see the decline in high-risk revenue during the fourth quarter of last year. We know that the share fluctuates between quarters, but the long-term trend is showing a steady decline. We remain dedicated and focused on improving our systems and processes to ensure we offer our customers a safe and fun experience,” Esther Scheepers, Head of Responsible Gambling at Kindred Group, said.
“The increased focus on responsible gambling by regulators and the industry is welcomed. From our end, we see that by combining our expertise with emerging technologies, we can further enhance detection capabilities. We are currently working on our existing detection system in combination with an additional system that will enable us to integrate more robust compliance features and optimize our overall approach to safer gambling. Furthermore, we are exploring opportunities to expand our research efforts, aiming to support data-driven discussions and looking at emerging trends in consumer protection. All these aspects are important to protect the integrity of the licence model and maintain a level playing field,” Esther Scheepers added.
The post Kindred Reports Decline in Revenue from High-risk Players for Q4 2024 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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