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VIRTUAL REALITY AND GAMBLING: WHAT’S IN STORE FOR THE FUTURE OF GAMING?

Published

7 years ago

October 12, 2017

emerging trends and challenges facing the future of the games industry

Reading Time: 3 minutes

With games such as Destiny and Overwatch, along with sleek new models of consoles being released every other day, it seems as though gaming has finally come into its own. In recent years, the entire gaming culture has prospered, and we seem to be living in the golden age of gaming and possibly gambling.

So many of the pillars that hold up gaming as a phenomenon have grown comfortable over the years. Developers churn out first-person shooters like Battlefield between free roaming RPGs such as Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare as though they’re on a conveyor belt. This has led to gamers bemoaning the “sameness” of this year’s blockbusters, with the likes of For Honor earning mere moments in the spotlight before being quickly cast aside. What gaming needs is the “next big thing” to hit the market and shake up a landscape that’s grown stagnant over the last few months. The question is: what?

“THOSE OF US LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE EXPERIENCED VIRTUAL REALITY AT SOME STAGE IN OUR LIVES WILL RECOGNISE THE “WOW” FACTOR ATTACHED TO HEADGEAR SUCH AS THE OCULUS AND HTC VIVE AND THE AMAZEMENT OF STEPPING INTO AN ALTERNATE REALITY.”

There’s no avoiding the fact that virtual reality (VR) has arrived and it’s here for its fair share of the market. Those of us lucky enough to have experienced VR at some stage in our lives will recognise the “wow” factor attached to headgear such as the Oculus and HTC Vive and the amazement of stepping into an alternate reality. Imagine the thrill of a zombie horror, where you look around to see nothing but faint darkness around you while looking down at your own hands you find yourself carrying a gun and flashlight. This is the level of immersion VR can provide, taking gamers one step closer into the shoes of our on-screen heroes.

Fortunately, the fall in price of these systems, the creation of wearable controllers and the recognition by developers that VR is the future, have allowed games of true substance to emerge. The Lab, for example, started as a Valve Corporation play-pen and grew to become one of Steam’s few games with “overwhelmingly positive” reviews.

Of course, there’s much more to the gaming than just technological advancements. Consider developments within the games themselves: in particular, one of the most disappointing aspects of highly-rated games today, microtransactions. These are low cost add-ons that are optional for a player to purchase. Typically in the range of 50c to 5 euro, they often unlock new levels or features on mobile games, or more cosmetic features such as a new colour of armour in larger games. Candy Crush infamously thrived on these so called “microtransactions” offering defeated players another chance to play after waiting one hour or immediately at the low-low cost of 99c.

Some prefer a one-off payment for your games, while others like how microtransactions offer the opportunity to play a game after multiple smaller payments. What we can all agree is that certainty surrounding exactly what you’re purchasing is vital to the experience. Or at least, it was. Nowadays however, microtransactions serve as an innocent placeholder for one of the most toxic aspects of modern gaming, and one of the greatest challenges facing its future: gambling.

Fifa: Ultimate Team has created its own subculture surrounding gambling in recent years. Players are offered the opportunity to part with their hard-earned cash in exchange for “points,” which can then be used to purchase player packs, akin to the booster-pack style of beloved trading card games. While seeming innocent on the surface, digging deeper reveals many of the problems models such as this instigate.

The random chance aspect of purchasing packs creates a pay-to-win culture, one not usually found in games with a 60+ euro price tag. While a fraction of the player base will pay for packs, an even smaller fraction will try again if they’re disappointed with the outcome. In essence, players with deep pockets are that bit more likely to come across a Ronaldo or Messi just by throwing money at the system. It’s the monumental issue with this ever-growing trend which is really concerning: this is gambling in an environment rated ‘E for Everyone’. Children are playing these games completely unsupervised, with mammy or daddy’s credit card in hand. While that itself is a failure on the part of the parents, any system that thrives from underage gambling will need to change soon.

In the past 20 years, changing technology has completely changed the world around us, including the gaming experience and the next 20 years hold even more possibilities for change. With both exciting tech developments and fresh challenges to overcome, the games industry is certainly set for an interesting future ahead.

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Expanse Studios (GMGI) Secures ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Certification

Published

5 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Peter Tolan

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Expanse Studios, the iGaming division of Golden Matrix Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: GMGI), proudly announces its recent certification to the ISO/IEC 27001:2022 standard, which demonstrates globally leading data security standards.

This globally recognized certification reinforces the Group’s dedication to safeguarding confidential information, client trust, and strengthening its competitive position in the iGaming industry.

The ISO/IEC 27001:2022 standard establishes a rigorous framework for managing and protecting information security across all operations. By attaining this certification, Expanse Studios has implemented a comprehensive Information Security Management System (ISMS) that ensures the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data. This certification goes beyond compliance and assures our clients and partners of our stringent security protocols, protecting against cyber threats and unauthorized access.

“Achieving the ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification marks a significant milestone in Expanse Studios’ journey. This certification not only reinforces our security framework but also highlights our commitment to upholding the highest standards of trust and integrity for our clients and players worldwide.”, said Damjan Stamenkovic, CEO of Expanse Studios.

In an industry where information security is paramount, ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification demonstrates Expanse Studios’ proactive stance on cyber risk management and adherence to international best practices. The certification process included comprehensive evaluations, audits, and stringent checks, all contributing to a secure environment that benefits our clients, players, and business partners.

ISO certification assures the clients that Expanse Studios operates with top-tier security mechanisms, solidifying the role of the GMGI entity as one of the most trusted and compliant partners in the iGaming sector.

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Almedia Hires 17 New Staff Fuelling Exponential Growth

Published

5 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Peter Tolan

Reading Time: 2 minutes

– Powering the next generation of rewarded user acquisition –

Almedia, the data-driven platform engineering the future of mobile gaming user acquisition – today proudly announces a major hiring wave which includes over 17 people from leading global tech and gaming brands. The new hires are essential to Almedia’s ambitious strategy for achieving exponential growth across Europe and Northern America over the next 12 months.

The new team members will join an already established team, based in Berlin, with a current headcount of 80, supporting a global client base of mobile game developers and publishers. The expanded team joins established departments including product development, marketing, account management, fraud, and talent acquisition. The 17 new hires will drive Almedia’s core mission: elevating user acquisition to new heights and engineering the future of intelligent engagement.

Moritz Holländer, Chief Executive Officer and Founder at Almedia, commented: “Since 2020, we’ve been at the forefront of rewarded user acquisition, and our services and results are being embraced by the global mobile gaming industry, by companies such as Playtika, SuperPlay, Plarium, and Monopoly Go. Team Almedia is witnessing real-time exponential demand for its rewarded UA services, hence we have a robust scaleup roadmap in place to help us manage demand.”

He added: “What we’ve proudly achieved in four years is quite remarkable. With zero funding, a highly profitable organisation, we are humbled to be assembling a true dream team for the global mobile gaming industry. We are thrilled to welcome the latest waves of new hires to the team, which will help us to further establish our brand as the most credible, data-driven rewarded user acquisition company in the world.”

The new hires include

Andrey Shilin, Lead Product Manager
Holly Pickerell, Workplace and Culture Manager
Sabina Halilovic, Fraud Analyst
Alexander Rasch, Senior Finance Manager
Alisson Paschoal Hausmann, Senior Mobile Developer
Anthony Clement, SEO Manager
April Chen, Senior Customer Success Manager;
Benedikt Roth, Lead User Acquisition Google Ads Manager
Caroline Sobkow, Talent Acquisition Partner
Federica Stiscia, Senior Gaming Partnership Manager
Marc Hammes, SEO Manager
Mapa Vega, Senior Talent Acquisition Partner
Pablo Herranz, Senior Talent Acquisition Partne
Ravisankar Chinnam, Senior Frontend Developer
Kutay Akalin, Data Scientist
Aleksei Smagin, Junior Affiliate Specialist UA
Neil Laverty, Senior Customer Success Manager

Almedia currently has a range of positions open across operations, talent, product, marketing and more. To learn more about careers at Almedia, visit the jobs section on the website.

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Huge Jackpot at King Billy Casino: C$3,658,306!

Published

8 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Zoltan Tundik

This amazing six-digit number was the result of a player going on a safari in her (and millions of other players) beloved Mega Moolah progressive slot from Games Global

Reading Time: 2 minutes

King Billy Casino, launched in 2017, has had some impressive players wins during the “reign of King Billy”. A few of them include Live Game winnings of €135,223, daily winnings from 2 or more slots of $164,000, and €250,000 won on a single spin. However, the latest win by a King Billy Casino player dwarfs every big win that has come before this. Actually, it’s bigger than all previous big wins combined for the operator!

Because, we are talking about C$3,658,306.

This amazing six-digit number was the result of a player going on a safari in her (and millions of other players) beloved Mega Moolah progressive slot from Games Global. In an autumn, the player stepped into eternal summer by wagering a small C$6,25 bet and winning 562.816 times her bet! This is the power of Mega Moolah, as evidenced at King Billy.

King Billy people had only warm words for the occasion. A representative of the casino has stated: “We are elated, for this huge big win. We can never forget that our first big win, many years back, was more than 200,000 Canadian dollars, so we have special ties with the region. And it’s now amazing to see our VIP-player making such a cashback and echoing that big win! Congratulations to our player”.

A few words about Mega Moolah. It was an Internet sensation when it was launched with its beautiful graphics and sounds, and immersive gameplay and it is a sensation today, still going strong after almost 20 years. The slot, which has spawned more than 20 variations, and has given millions in cash to players all over the world (including 5 millionaires in 2024 alone) features 4 types of jackpots that make it stand out from the competition.

About Games Global

Games Global is a supplier of the online gaming industry delivering force and direction to gaming with more than 1,300 top class games. The company has made a commitment to deliver the industry’s more disruptive ideas and compelling data-driven gaming experiences. Games Global features a total of 40+ partnered and in-house studios, services 600+ branded websites and boasts record-breaking jackpots with its worldwide network.

About King Billy Casino

Established on St Patrick’s Day in 2017, King Billy is a renowned new generation casino with more than 26 awards and accolades. The casino is available in English, German, French and Finnish, and created a unique user experience, building on the theme of King Billy and his Kingdom. King Billy ensures that all its players, “Citizens” in the casino language, receive the care and attention they deserve.