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Videogame culture provides overlooked opportunity to engage with climate change, says new report

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Videogame culture provides overlooked opportunity to engage with climate change, says new report
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Organisations wishing to have an impact on climate change shouldn’t overlook the opportunities presented by working with the breadth of videogame culture, according to a report from the global entertainment and research charity OKRE and commissioned by UKRI.

Ahead of COP26, Iain Dodgeon, Director of OKRE, said: “Videogames are a global cultural force. Relentless technological and creative innovation alongside the core consideration of the player in the game design process has propelled the sector’s expansion. No other media exhibits quite such a mutability of form and purpose.”

And indeed as videogames have evolved, so too has how people engage with them – not just playing videogames, but playing with them in other media and in other areas of our lives.

Iain Simons, co-author of the report and curator-at-large for the National Videogame Museum, said: “Because so much of the industry marketing around them is about technology – ‘faster! more realistic! better than last year’s model!’ – it’s tempting to think that games are just hardware and software. The most interesting and important part of videogames is how we live with them. They’re a fantastically rich place for public engagement, both in the games themselves and in the cultures we build around them.”

As games such as Fortnite have become social destinations in their own right, they provide a significant and mostly untapped opportunity for public engagement. However rather than focusing on developing a single game with climate themes, the report, Playing With Videogame Culture, identifies seven broader strategic opportunities for public engagement with climate science through videogames

These opportunities include embracing the breadth of videogame culture in both digital and non-digital spaces. This culture includes streaming, fan communities, fan-fiction and cosplay, and provides a rich and collaborative space that can reach diverse audiences.
Harnessing interest in videogames to inspire engagement with a wide array of STEAM skills and careers is another area of focus, and the report says practitioners should particularly try to understand their potential applications in other sectors, such as future innovation around climate change.

Enabling a more diverse range of communities to creatively explore opportunities for climate action is also key, and one recommended way to go about this is by utilising no-code game design tools to open up participation and creative expression, removing a requirement for technical skills. Organisations should also prioritise local and hyper-local engagement, focusing on social and environmental concerns of more direct relevance to these communities who are often underrepresented in public engagement work.

One opportunity for doing this is through the creation of site and time-specific games – projects that are uniquely relevant to different communities and calendar events, and which can enable people to interact with their area in new and exciting ways.

Digital exclusion is a key concern, and OKRE’s report recommends that both digital and non-digital access points should be included in any programme, with public engagement practitioners embracing board games, card games and other physical games alongside videogames to maximise engagement and access.
Iain Dodgeon said: “By embracing the breadth of opportunities available to engage with videogame culture, organisations can create lasting impact in their public engagement work. This is an area that has been overlooked until now, and so there is really exciting potential for organisations to work in fresh ways.”

The report brings to light past and present examples of videogames engaging with climate change and work being done within the industry in a bid to mitigate its own carbon footprint. It concludes that engagement with climate change should not focus on the development of a single game with climate themes, but rather consider the opportunities available within wider videogame culture to engage diverse communities and increase impact.

OKRE is a new charity providing a global centre for collaboration and knowledge exchange across research, the entertainment industry, and the social impact sector. The charity runs the OKRE Network, which connects professionals across sectors, as well as curating events such as the OKRE Development Rooms, and providing funding and resources to catalyse the creation of entertainment that benefits from alternative insights brought via research and lived experience.

Gaming

AI Gives Horses for Courses True Meaning in ‘Owners Club’ Racing Game

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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. 

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 users’ 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 activity—which 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: “Gamers of today want more than static, insular game worlds. They’re looking for immersive experiences in evolving ecosystems, multiplayer competition, and the feeling that they’re fully integrated into the game. Owners Club is offering just that for both current racing enthusiasts and the next generation of racing fans.

“With 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.”

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.

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Gaming

Evoplay introduces action-packed skill-based title Adrenaline Rush to wider operator network

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Evoplay introduces action-packed skill-based title Adrenaline Rush to wider operator network
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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 Evoplay’s 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, Evoplay’s global operator network will now be able to offer the title to an even broader audience.

Ivan Kravchuk, CEO at Evoplay, said: Adrenaline 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 we’re thrilled to now offer this exciting title to all of our operator partners globally.”

“The upcoming releases of the equally popular slot and crash versions will ensure that Adrenaline Rush remains a fan favourite across multiple formats.”

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Asia

SuperGaming announces official launch date for Made-in-India-for-the-world battle royale Indus; epic cinematic trailer also unveiled

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SuperGaming, India’s leading game development studio, has officially announced the launch date of its highly anticipated Made-in-India-for-the-world battle royale, Indus. Set to release on October 16th, Indus will be available for download on both Android and iOS platforms, via the Google Play Store and iOS App Store respectively offering players an exciting new battle royale experience.

After recently entering open beta, mass testing amongst players across the world coupled with their invaluable feedback has been instrumental in shaping the game’s development. The immensely successful beta phase attracted players into the action-packed world of Indus, building significant momentum ahead of its release. With over 12.5 million pre-registrations on Android alone, Indus is ready to deliver a fresh, thrilling & immersive battle royale experience, setting the stage for one of the biggest game launches out of India this year.

Speaking on the announcement of the much-anticipated launch, Roby John, Co-founder and CEO of SuperGaming, said, “With the launch of Indus, we’re not just introducing a game—we’re presenting a unique take on the battle royale genre to the world. Our vision with Indus has always been to showcase Indian Art and Culture through unique characters, weapons and stories rooted in Indian heritage while also bringing our dual win condition with Cosmium and a never done before “Grudge” feature to a popular game genre. The overwhelming support from our community during the beta phase has helped us fine-tune key aspects of Indus, and we’re excited for the world to experience Indus and see what the SuperGaming team has built”

Alongside the release date announcement, SuperGaming has also unveiled an epic cinematic trailer. It offers an exciting look where players engage in high-stakes combat across a vast and dynamic battleground.

Centered around Adi, the trailer highlights his journey within the world of Virlok. As the leader of his squad, Adi enters Virlok with two goals: to collect the rare resource Cosmium and to settle a personal score with his nemesis, Pokhran. Viewers can witness Adi’s evolution—starting from a novice, training and sharpening his skills, and culminating in an epic showdown where he finally takes down Pokhran, settling his grudge.

Indus brings a fresh twist to the battle royale genre with its dual victory condition. Players can win by either being the last person standing or by strategically collecting Cosmium which spawn in the last circle of Nirvana, adding a new layer of complexity and depth to traditional gameplay.

The trailer also offers a sneak peek into the dynamics of Cosmium collection and Grudge, a unique in-game feature that allows players to settle scores with their opponents. Additionally, the Grudge system allows players to track down and face off against the opponents who defeated them.

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