Gaming
Kinguin partners with popular gaming payment solution Neosurf
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Neosurf is a popular payment solution within the gaming and esports community
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Millions of Kinguin customers in five continents can now purchase products on Kinguin.net with Neosurf
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Neosurf gives users a safe, secure and private way of making payments online
Kinguin, the world’s first digital marketplace for gamers, has today announced a partnership with Neosurf, a world-renowned payments solution provider. Through this collaboration, Kinguin will give millions of its customers in Europe, Canada, Australia, South America and Africa the option to purchase products on Kinguin.net using Neosurf’s prepaid cash vouchers.
Both brands are titans in the games industry. Neosurf is a proven, popular payment solution with the community giving all gaming fans, even those without a debit or credit card, the chance to purchase their favourite software. It has fostered numerous partnerships within esports by partnering with various esports organisations and has recently hosted its own tournament – The Neosurf Cup. The organisation is also partnered with industry experts like ESE Entertainment to create and expand its efforts in esports and games on a global scale.
Meanwhile Kinguin is a global digital marketplace for gamers that sells video games, software and in-game items to users all around the world. It opened its own Esports Performance Center – which was the first professional facility for teams in central Europe – in 2017 and also sponsors leading Polish esports teams Anonymo and devils.one. As well as continuing to dedicate resources to nurturing talent, the brands share similar core values – the ambition to promote inclusivity in gaming and giving more people access to the industry.
Founded in 2004, Neosurf gives shoppers a safer way to purchase online. It enables users to purchase goods without using a credit card or disclosing personal information. It provides significant support to developing countries by offering a variety of services to cash users that allows them to facilitate online payments, prepaid card reloads, money transfers and bill payments.
Neosurf cash vouchers are available at thousands of local convenience stores around the world and customers can pay for the vouchers using cash or card payments. After purchasing a cash voucher, customers will then receive a 10-character voucher code, which can be used to pay online at Kinguin.net with the added security and privacy of a prepaid card.
Chief Commercial Officer at Neosurf, Andrea McGeachin, commented, “The partnership we have established with Kinguin is an important step for Neosurf and one that supports our philosophy of putting the gaming community at the heart of everything we do. Whether accessing a whole suite of esports through the Kinguin Lounge, or individual offerings from the extensive Kinguin marketplace, Neosurf gamers can now benefit from amazing cash deals. We look forward to the Neosurf and Kinguin relationship going from strength to strength.”
Head of Payments at Kinguin, Faheem Bakshi, said: “Neosurf is a payment solution provider that is embedded in the gaming community, so we’re delighted to give millions of our loyal customers the opportunity to use Neosurf cash vouchers to purchase all their gaming products securely, while also protecting their identity.”
Kinguin.net currently has more than 250 payment methods available globally, including popular payment methods such as global wallets, credit and debit card payments as well as country specific local payment options. Kinguin is among the first game trading platforms to offer BitCoin, Mobile payments and cash payments. Merchants on Kinguin are able to withdraw their earnings using BitCoin. Recently Kinguin expanded crypto payments by Ethereum, Litecoin and Rippl and it is continually working on expanding its list of accepted payment methods to enhance its user experience.
Gaming
The mobile gaming market is growing and attracting new companies. GAMIVO is the latest example
Usually, consoles and PCs come to mind when discussing the gaming industry. The mobile sector is often treated as a child of a lesser god, even though it generates almost as much revenue as console and PC combined. Some companies can see this potential. For instance, the e-commerce platform GAMIVO has recently entered the mobile market, allowing players to buy in-game items cheaper.
Back on course
The entire video game industry has evolved incredibly, but the most spectacular has been the growth of the mobile sector. It expanded from 36.9 million dollars in 2016 to 93.2 billion in 2021. Unfortunately, the gaming market suffered from a decline that stemmed from the overoptimism of the pandemic era. As a result, the mobile gaming industry revenues dropped to 92.2 billion in 2022 and to 90.5 billion in 2023. Recent information has indicated this was a necessary correction rather than a long-term trend.
The latest Newzoo report, issued in August 2024, shows that the industry is on the right track again. According to analysts, the mobile sector will generate revenues of $92.6 billion, representing +3.0% growth year-on-year. It’s nearly half of the entire gaming industry.
Billions of players
Revenues are crucial, but they only show part of the story. To fully understand the size and potential of mobile gaming, it’s necessary to consider the number of players, which constantly grew even when revenues dropped. Newzoo estimates that it will reach 2.8 billion in 2024. It means that almost twice as many people play on mobile devices than on PCs and consoles combined. Currently, every third person on Earth plays on mobile devices, and there’s still space for further growth.
“There are emerging markets where smartphones and mobile networks can expand, providing new potential players. Furthermore, this type of entertainment has a low entry barrier because most popular games are free and don’t require high-end devices,” explains Mateusz ĆmieĆŒewski, the CEO at GAMIVO.
One hobby, different habits
GAMIVO is an example of a company that has recently joined the party to get a piece of the mobile pie. “We examined the mobile market for a very long time, trying to find a suitable place for us. It’s essential to understand that mobile gaming and mobile gamers differ from their PC or console counterparts. You can’t do the same things you do with PC and consoles and hope to replicate your success,” said Mateusz ĆmieĆŒewski.
Studies confirm this observation. Average PC and console players spend about 2.1 hours a day in virtual worlds. It’s half an hour more than mobile gamers. However, things get interesting when we take a look at playtime per week, which is the same for mobile and console (5.4 hours) and slightly longer for PC (5.7 hours). Moreover, typical PC and console owners play 2.6 and 2.7 days a week, respectively, while mobile players play 3.4 days per week.
Those statistics prove that PC and console players are more dedicated, spending more time in games’ worlds once they enter them. However, mobile gamers prefer shorter but more frequent sessions. They play while commuting or have a short amount of free time.
“Mobile players are more willing to uninstall games and give another title a chance. Hence, the gameplay has to be captivating and designed to provide quick but intense sessions.
Furthermore, even though the average weekly playtime is identical to PC players, many mobile players don’t think of themselves as gamers,” clarifies Mateusz ĆmieĆŒewski.
Another major difference regards the way in which revenue is generated. PC and console games traditionally represent the premium model, where players buy the game. Most popular mobile releases are free and generate revenue with microtransactions. Almost all titles allow players to spend their real money on virtual coins, crystals, and other items that can be used to unlock additional content or reduce cooldowns.
Entering the mobile market
Those contrasts and nuances scare most companies from the mobile market. Let’s see how GAMIVO has coped with this.
“We decided to launch a new product category dedicated to mobile gamers. Our model allows them to top up in-game accounts cheaply. As a result, they can save up to 30% on buying virtual items, upgrades, and other content. The GAMIVO offer includes the most popular mobile titles, such as Genshin Impact and PUBG Mobile, and still extends,” describes Mateusz ĆmieĆŒewski.
“We dedicated a lot of time to research and analyses. Also, the development process required a lot of work to provide GAMIVO customers with safe transactions and a user-friendly environment. The first reactions are very positive, confirming our belief that our decision was right and there is still more space in the mobile game market,” concludes the GAMIVO CEO.
Gaming
AI Gives Horses for Courses True Meaning in ‘Owners Club’ Racing Game
Invincible GG, a groundbreaking competitive gaming platform and technology company, has outlined the latest AI developments of its interactive mobile horse racing game, Owners Club, which is set to provide a new injection of interest into the ancient sports of kings.
Following a successful game launch in Q3 2024 and activations at the Doncaster St. Leger and York Ebor festivals, thousands of Owners Club players have started to formulate an expansive game world that gives the masses the true feeling of horse ownership, breeding, and racing experiences.Â
Being founded on the latest in AI and Web3 technologies allows the game to evolve with more nuance over time, with the former being implemented to enhance usersâ strategic horse development and create developing traits and performance benefits that can lead to further self-training opportunities in-game.
Each horse has its own unique, nuanced genetics and racing traits. These can be trained via evolving in-game activityâwhich will include collaborative intelligence in future releases and passed on to future colts and fillies to create racing dynasties that will stand the test of time while also bringing in lucrative in-game winnings and potential syndicate stud earnings.
Further features include an AI-powered event simulation engine (instead of predetermined RNGs), and sophisticated algorithms that factor in horse health, jockey decisions, and environmental factors that ensure Owners Club races maintain tension and excitement throughout, just as racing fans in the real world would experience from the grandstand.
Jonathan Strause, Invincible GG CEO, said: âGamers of today want more than static, insular game worlds. Theyâre looking for immersive experiences in evolving ecosystems, multiplayer competition, and the feeling that theyâre fully integrated into the game. Owners Club is offering just that for both current racing enthusiasts and the next generation of racing fans.
âWith unrivaled AI integration into the theoretically unlimited stable of in-game horses, combined with back-end Web3 technology that empowers players to easily realize what true thoroughbred ownership and training feels like, Owners Club players can forge their own relationship with horse racing via the gamification of training, racing, and trading in the app, which can only help the future engagement of this ancient pastime.â
Owners Club will be showcased to its biggest live audience yet at the QIPCO British Champions Day on 19th October, 2024, with live races broadcasted as-live to screens around Ascot, with various prizes on offer for the winning owners.
Gaming
Evoplay introduces action-packed skill-based title Adrenaline Rush to wider operator network
Evoplay, the award-winning game development studio, is expanding the availability of its flagship 3D racing title Adrenaline Rush to all of its operator partners, following a successful exclusive release.
Adrenaline Rush combines the thrill of high-speed racing skill-based gaming mechanics, providing an immersive experience for players who enjoy a strategic and competitive edge in their gameplay. Players can engage in intense races where success is determined by both speed and skill, making it a standout title in Evoplayâs diverse portfolio.
Following its main global release on October 8th, Evoplay is set to launch two additional versions of the game, slot title Adrenaline Rush: Super Boost on October 22nd, and crash game Adrenaline Rush: XCrash on November 5th, creating an expanded offering that caters to a variety of player preferences.
Released initially as an exclusive, Adrenaline Rush has already garnered attention for its innovative mechanics and immersive gameplay, earning the Skill Games Supplier award at the prestigious EGR B2B Awards. With this wider release, Evoplayâs global operator network will now be able to offer the title to an even broader audience.
Ivan Kravchuk, CEO at Evoplay, said: âAdrenaline Rush is a one-of-a-kind experience that perfectly blends competitive racing with skill-based gaming. Since its launch, it has resonated strongly with players, and weâre thrilled to now offer this exciting title to all of our operator partners globally.â
âThe upcoming releases of the equally popular slot and crash versions will ensure that Adrenaline Rush remains a fan favourite across multiple formats.â
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