No WiFi? No problem! Created in GameMaker Studio 2, Operius has won the Game Jam to become the Opera GX Browser’s first offline mode game and is playable starting now

We’ve all experienced the unexplainable horror of having to deal with some flakey internet connections. In those moments where the WiFi is gone, Operius will help take your mind off your frustration with its fast-paced arcade gameplay. Created in the game creation suite GameMaker Studio 2, Operius is playable in the Opera GX browser today. The game will appear whenever your network crashes. Those with a stable connection who really want to try Operius, can simply type opera://operius in Opera GX’s address bar.

Designed by Mors, Operius is set in a world where all of the world’s computers simultaneously lose their connection to the internet, with a strange UFO that is hovering in the sky appearing to be the cause of the outage. The only way to restore the planet’s internet is to navigate through the inner workings of the UFO and take it down from the inside, a task that involves shooting hordes of alien invaders and dodging obstacles to advance to the next level.

In July, Opera GX launched its “No Internet” Game Jam to find the game that would keep its audience of more than 10 million gamers entertained whenever they lose their connection. With more than 900 entries, all created in GameMaker Studio 2, the competition was ferocious. But one game, Operius, elevated itself above the rest and emerged triumphant after topping the public polls that saw eight hand-picked games garner over 100,000 votes from the Opera GX and GameMaker communities.

Operius features razor-sharp, retro-inspired vector graphics which pay homage to the great space-based arcade shooters of the eighties with a pulsating high-adrenaline soundtrack written by Catonator. Being offline doesn’t mean you can’t play together: Operius features an offline two player mode: all you need to do is share your keyboard with another person and enter the two player mode.

‘We believe gamers deserve a better game than jumping dinosaurs or surfers. That’s why we started the Opera GX game jam and found Operius. Operius is a highly addictive ultimate offline game to rule them all,” said Maciej Kocemba, Head of Opera GX.

“With Operius, I wanted to make a fun arcade-inspired shooter to take the players’ minds off being offline and perhaps even make them forget they were supposed to get back online in the first place,” said Mors.

‘In creating the shortlist, we were looking for a game that’s fun to play, looks and sounds fun and, most importantly, that you want to play over and over again,’ added Kocemba.

Alongside becoming the new offline game in Opera GX and saving many a gamer from what is otherwise an incredibly frustrating experience, Operius developer Mors, also receives a $10k cash prize. Two runners up Aliens Stole My WiFi and Nettie & Settie Save the Internet also each receive cash prizes of $7k and $3k respectively.

Luckily, users won’t have to rip out their router to play Operius, as it is available to play when you don’t have connection issues in GXC. GXC is Opera’s upcoming self-publishing platform and will allow indie game makers to publish their GameMaker Studio creations directly to the platform and for free – for other users to enjoy and give instant feedback. Operius, as well as Aliens Stole My WiFi and Nettie & Settie Save the Internet will be available in GXC.

Flutter Entertainment’s new £15m UK technology and innovation hub in Leeds is now officially open to colleagues from across its UK and Ireland and International divisions.

Designed by MEPC, the state-of-the-art workspace is home to 1700 colleagues and comprises 136,000 sq. ft of flexible space across eight floors at 4 Wellington Place in Leeds Dock – a thriving community for the media, technology, and creative industries. It has been built to the highest environmental standard, achieving a BREEAM Excellent rating on completion and includes a range of accessibility and sustainable features, meeting the WELL building standard, which aims to make the work environment healthier for colleagues.

The hub will act as a centre of excellence in technology and innovation for Flutter brands operating in the UK and Ireland, helping to drive innovation across the Group through the development of industry-leading digital products for consumers across the world, while providing highly-skilled jobs and a sizeable local investment in Leeds and the surrounding Yorkshire region.

The new site will be home to more than 800 technology professionals working in key functions such as its Global Sports Trading Platform, Digital Infrastructure, Platform Services, and Information Security. It will also include several unique attributes, including:

• Seventh and eight floors dedicated solely for social activities between teams;
• IT ‘vending machines’ for certain equipment to free up resource and time for IT colleagues;
• £1m investment in VC and AV equipment to promote inclusive meetings between those working remotely and in the office;
• Six electric car charging points in the basement;
• And break-out furniture items all made from recycled Coca-Cola bottles.

The hub will continue to promote SBG’s ‘Skills Academy’, which offers selected graduates a fully funded MSc in Digital and Technology Solutions from Sheffield Hallam University while they gain in-house experience working with technology teams across the business. To better represent the communities it operates in, SBG has also launched a self-funded version of the government’s Kickstart scheme, creating 13 new roles for young people at risk of long-term unemployment. These are spread across business areas and functions including marketing, finance, people, tech and design.

Conor Grant, CEO of Flutter Entertainment UK and Ireland commented: “Our new office in Leeds is our vision for the future of working and we are excited to welcome our colleagues to this modern, agile and flexible workspace. The entire Flutter Group has benefited greatly from the leading technology capabilities we have developed in Leeds through our talented and highly skilled workforce, and this investment demonstrates our ongoing commitment to both the city and our colleagues. We will also continue to be a positive force in the communities we serve, with our Skills Academy and Kickstart scheme offering exciting opportunities for young people to develop their skills.”

Casino games in Canada are popular because the sites make it easy for people to safely and lawfully enjoy the experience from the comfort of their residences. The leading online gambling casino is Las Atlantis having signed up a bonus of 280% up to $14,000 and the leading casino is Jackpot City Casino. A report was done noting that the legalization of gambling generated over 16.1 billion dollars across the state.

Canada is one of the leading countries that have casinos. They have embraced it by having over 100 casinos that accept players from Canada. Development of the online casinos has also brought up an advantage as they are more user friendly and time-saving from the money that they would spend on parking and other amenities would be purely used on the casinos from wherever the players are.

Aspects You Need To Consider When Starting An Online Casino

1. Business Registration In Canada

Before establishing any business the government needs to be notified and this is through the business registration number that will be issued by the Trade Register. It’s completed at a territorial level and acknowledging with the local share capital regulations. For you to hack all this you’ll need to study and know the laws of gambling in Canada this is crucial. For each province, there are different laws. Once the company is registered the owner must apply for the casino license. For the online casinos a website has to be created and the domain name registered. Then the fun and games can begin.

2. License The Casino

For online gaming operations, there are no special licensing conditions. The Private company operating the Canadian casinos and the government are in charge of the contract conclusion. This license is important because it will allow you to conduct your business online legally. Getting this license isn’t cheap as it requires a portion of the startup capital to make this happen, choose wisely where you get your license as some places can be cheap but would not be genuine as the others.

3. Online Software Provider

This is the most important decision to make when starting an online casino. The best providers usually prefer verified operators that have a business license.

When choosing the best software provider make sure you check if it’s flexible and customizable software that you can control wholly as the owner of the business. Choose a design that suits you and can also catch the eye of guests.

4. Having A Marketing Plan

Your business solely relies on how you market it to have a huge audience and attract many customers, create a plan for your business and have a promotion plan to get the word out.

Customers need assurance that the business is not only trustworthy but of quality and is verified. A retention plan will also keep the players playing and happy. Creating pop-up ads will also help reach a lot of users.

5. Different Payment Methods

Once you are done attracting the target audience and they are now on the website the registration should be quick and when offering the different payment methods would be convenient and would be able to attract more users. Selecting a trusted payment provider will bring a certain peace to the customers by offering security to their financial transfers. This builds trust and is flexible. Types of payment options are credit cards, e-wallets, cryptocurrencies, and vouchers.

6. A Website

After being issued with a business registration number online casinos require a registered domain name to which the company’s website will be. When designing the website you should be keen on certain aspects and make it clear even to the beginners that they will be able to get from what they’ll see on the website.

7. A Range Of Exciting Games

To keep the attention of your customer you have to have different choices they can pick. Having one game might get boring and cause them to log out. To run a successful online gaming site having the best selection of high-quality games like roulette, blackjack, poker, slot machines, betting, bingo games, and lotteries. You can find a number of these games on caxinocasino.com. When they are entertained and occupied there’s a high chance they’ll come back for more.

Benefits Of Playing Online Casino Games In Canada

Canada is home to gamblers as it’s legal and has many choices to choose from.

1. Convince Of Online Gambling

Online casino players can enjoy the games from the comfort of their homes.   They just need a fast Internet, a laptop or PC and a smartphone. No more going to crowded casinos and waiting for your turn.

Online casino gambling has been growing over the years to have new features and mobile-friendly browser games.

2. Entertainment

The Internet has become a good way to pass the time and engaging in activities as gambling with the online casinos is fun. Try your luck by placing bets and winning money as a bonus. Brick and mortar casino games have more entertainment value.

3. Choice

Canadian online casinos offer a wide range of games to pick from. When the players have different games to play it keeps them interested and they can spend more time on the sites and that brings more profit to the business. The most convenient one is Betway Casino, which enables players to access it from all over Canada and uses the Canadian dollar.

The games you can choose from are roulette, poker, bingo, and many more.

Bottom line

Canada Online Casinos are the best because of the benefits stated above so try it out and you’ll be able to access the sites from your home. A survey shows that Canadians said they have gambled at least once in the previous year. Online gambling still has room to grow even more. So just sit back, relax, log in and place your bets or play a little poker and try your luck today.