Gaming
Neobank ZELF Expands Into Gaming: Launches Banking in Discord
![Neobank ZELF Expands Into Gaming: Launches Banking in Discord](https://europeangaming.eu/portal/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/zelf.png)
ZELF releases banking functionality in the popular gaming messenger Discord
Fintech will enable the trade of in-game assets in a safe and a fiscally compliant way for players to earn real money
Powering the Play-to-Earn revolution, positioning ZELF as the first neobank of the metaverse
Discord currently has 140 million users with 70% of those using the chat server to game
Today, ZELF, the leading Gen Z neobank embedded in popular social messengers, is releasing a banking integration for Discord, the leading chat server for gamers. The new functionality enables a world-first: a way for gamers to do their banking within Discord, their “always-on” messenger and the possibility to trade virtual assets (skins, in-game cosmetics, weapons etc.) in their favorite games, through real money transactions. From this month, users will be able to order their ZELF gaming card straight from Discord.
As Play-to-Earn gains momentum, traditional game manufacturers are coming under increased pressure from players who need a way to capitalize on their skills and in-game investments. At the same time, Play-to-Earn NFT game publishers are facing demands from regulators to implement controlled, fiscally regulated solutions to combat money laundering, assure taxation and anti-terrorism financing compliance.
ZELF has already begun integrating with several leading game manufacturers to help them curb illegal trade of in-game assets. According to BNP Paribas, the size of this market is currently $19bn. With ZELF, game operators will be able to share in the revenue of out-of-the-game exchanges, sales and even loans, while providing more transparency and fairness to the market and much needed transaction guarantees for the buyers and sellers. Until now, game manufacturers could only tackle this by banning it in their terms and conditions, suing marketplaces and shutting down players linked to such transactions.
Elliot Goykhman CEO & Founder of ZELF stated: “We are really excited that our technology will allow players worldwide to capitalize on their gaming skills, while providing a safe environment for buyers and sellers to trade virtual assets outside of their favorite games. ZELF in Discord will bring much needed security and transparency for the P2P transactions of skins, weaponry, characters, in-game cosmetics and much more, enabling the future of metaverse banking.”
“The economic models of NFT-based play-to-earn games have garnered much speculation, which is why we’re excited to extend play-to-earn functionality to popular non-crypto games. In providing these kinds of controlled financial services to the gaming industry, we are helping to ensure the sustainability of the gaming economies. We believe our tech is coming at the right time to position ZELF as the bank for the gaming generations and the first neobank of the metaverse,” he concluded.
This latest move from the neobank represents a horizontal expansion of its existing messenger base, but also a vertical expansion into the gaming industry, where it aims to achieve first mover advantage in banking for games and virtual worlds. Launched in 2020, ZELF has already gained more than one million registered users and plans to grow to five million by the end of 2022.
Gaming
More players, more revenue: mobile games are very popular among Germans
![More players, more revenue â mobile games are very popular among Germans](https://europeangaming.eu/portal/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/image002.jpg)
- Revenues from games apps grow in Germany by 4 per cent to over 2.9 billion euros
- Smartphones and tablets attract 300,000 additional players in twelve months
- âMobile games often attract people with little or no experience of playing video gamesâ
Games apps for smartphones and tablets continue to do well in Germany: revenues from mobile games grew by another 4 per cent to 2.9 billion euros within a year. This part of the games market has almost doubled since 2018, when revenues amounted to 1.49 billion euros. These are the figures released today by game â The German Games Industry Association, based on data collected by the market research company data.ai. Not only were games app revenues up, but the number of mobile game players also grew by 300,000 to 24.6 million in the space of a year. The average age of people who play video games on their smartphone in Germany is 40. Women tend to play more on smartphones and tablets (52%) compared to men (48%).
âGames apps for smartphones and tablets are very popular among Germans,â says Felix Falk, Managing Director of game. âAlthough weâve been witnessing the unstoppable rise of the smartphone for almost a decade and a half, this is still an area of the game market that continues to grow. Mobile games often attract people with little or no experience of playing video games. The mobile gaming market has grown hugely over recent years: alongside classic casual games for spare moments, complex games and even esports titles are now also firmly established. This variety is unique and one of the strengths of games apps.â
A closer look at the mobile gaming market in Germany highlights the distinctive features of the sector: around 5 million euros â significantly below 1 per cent of total revenues â is generated by the sale of individual mobile games. Revenues from online gaming services on smartphones and tablets are significantly higher, amounting to 43 million euros or around 1 per cent. 98 per cent and therefore almost the entire revenue from games apps â 2.9 billion euros â is generated with in-app purchases. These include cosmetic enhancements for playersâ own avatars along with virtual currencies and loot boxes or large story expansions.
Strong development of the German game market in 2023
The German games market showed significant overall growth again in 2023, with revenues from games, gaming hardware and online gaming services increasing by 6 per cent, to some 9.97 billion euros. This considerable rise follows a revenue increase of just 1 per cent in the preceding year. The largest drivers of this growth include game consoles and related accessories, as well as in-game and in-app purchases. At the same time, sales of gaming PCs and laptops saw clear declines in some areas.
Gaming
Games Lift 2024: These five developer teams will receive the Hamburg incubator funding
![Games Lift 2024: These five developer teams will receive the Hamburg incubator funding](https://europeangaming.eu/portal/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/240723_Games_Lift_Funded_Projects_PM_EN.png)
Five teams have won over the Games Lift awarding committee with their game projects. On September 9, the Games Lift Incubator will start for them as a unique support program in Germany. Included is a one-year workshop and mentoring program with international industry experts and 15,000 euros in financial support, as well as room for collaboration and exchange with the other participating teams. More than 30 experts in game design, product development, pitching, business development, press relations and marketing from the Games Lift network will share their experience with the teams to give their projects a professional start. Starting this year, the program also offers participating teams a joint trip to an international industry event. The Games Lift Incubator is organized and implemented by Gamecity Hamburg on behalf of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg.
A total of 21 teams and solo developers applied for the fourth Games Lift Incubator. The decision for the five participating teams was made by the awarding committee, consisting of Kristin von der Wense (Publishing Producer Daedalic Entertainment), Ole Schaper (Managing Director The Sandbox Hamburg (Sviper GmbH)), Heiko Gogolin (Managing Director Rocket Beans Entertainment) and Tobias Graff (Co-Founder, Programmer and CEO Mooneye Studios).
Margarete Schneider, Project Manager at Gamecity Hamburg, on the award committee’s decision: âWe are delighted with the large number of applications for our incubator and the high standard of the pitch decks submitted once again. It is particularly pleasing that we are receiving more applications from outside Hamburg, who see the city as an attractive location for starting a new business. The Games Lift Incubator provides gaming start-ups with comprehensive starting support and enables them to forge connections in Hamburg’s diverse games scene.
The five winner projects and teams for Games Lift Incubator 2024:
- ForeFeathers by Team Honeybeak
- Frisia â Cozy Villages by Rouven Cabanis
- Light of Atlantis by Duck ânâ Run Games
- Pubcrawler by Triflgard
- Tiny Garden by Tales from the Garden
ForeFeathers by Team Honeybeak is a 3D Puzzle-Platformer where players slip into the role of a penguin, who explores the sky-high ruins of an ancient civilization of birds. Traversing the flying islands with the ancient powers of flight, solving tricky puzzles and keeping the penguinâs friends away from trouble are some main aspects of the game.
In Frisia â Cozy Villages by Rouven Cabanis the player gains control over an uninhabited Northsea island and is tasked with building a functional, yet cozy and beautiful little town. Inspired by the frisian architecture of the Dutch and German Northsea coast, Frisia aims to create a cozy gameplay experience in harmony with simple town-building and strategy game mechanics.
Light of Atlantis by Duck ânâ Run Games is a 2D puzzle metroidvania in which players take on the roles of various robots with individual abilities to explore the sunken ruins of Atlantis. By draining and releasing water into the various rooms, the robots shape their environment and improve their chances against different enemies. Light of Atlantis was part of the Gamecity Hamburg prototype funding in 2023 and received in the same year the German Computer Game Award (Deutscher Computerspielpreis) in the category âBest Prototypeâ.
Pubcrawler by Triflgard is a co-op PC game in which up to four players need to work as a team, to navigate a giant, mechanic, wandering pub through an apocalyptic wasteland. In the process, they must complete a variety of challenging tasks that can only be mastered as a team. Working together efficiently, pleasing the different guests and keeping a cool head even when the giant pubcrawler faces technical issues are the key to a successful journey.
In Tiny Garden by Tales from the Garden players slip into the role of a deity who fills a deserted planet with life. Together with their servants, a group of cute leaf creatures that must be protected from evil spirits, they plant a constantly growing garden. As soon as the garden is fully grown, the evil spirits can be soothed and the player can move on to the next planet in help.
Gaming
MainStreaming Announces Appointment of Nicola Micali as Chief Customer Officer
![](https://europeangaming.eu/portal/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/9-8.jpg)
MainStreaming, an iMDP INTELLIGENT MEDIA DELIVERY COMPANY, which is redefining the CDN market with its innovative Edge Network services, announced the appointment of Nicola Micali as its new Chief Customer Officer (CCO).
With a track record of improving processes and efficiency and creating go-to-market strategies, Harvard alumnus and former Akamaite, Nicola Micali joins MainStreaming with the goal of solidifying a customer-centric organisation that prioritises long-term relationships, customer experience (CX) and satisfaction, ensuring MainStreamingâs continued business growth and market leadership.
Nicola brings a wide range of professional experience as a Leader of Customer Success & Professional Services at Akamai for over 10 years, where he was responsible for services and overall revenue. He developed the services strategy for the Americasâ media & entertainment, gaming and partners verticals exceeding all revenue targets year after year. Nicolaâs expertise in leading technical customer-facing teams has resulted in higher customer satisfaction and successful worldwide streaming events.
With a Masterâs degree in Business Administration and Management from Harvard, Micaliâs educational background further enhances his capability to lead and innovate in the Edge video technology sector. As Nicola steps in as CCO, he will play a pivotal role in guiding the entire customer lifecycle journey. His expertise in customer success positions him perfectly to lead MainStreamingâs efforts in providing world-class service to a global clientele.
MainStreamingâs CEO, Antonio G. Corrado, said: âQoS for our customers and QoE for end users are at the core of our streaming business. It is the best proxy for customer satisfaction for us. We are happy to welcome Nicola Micali, who demonstrates his expertise in customer success. Together, we are set to strengthen our commitment to being a customer satisfaction-oriented company, leveraging our world-class services directed to broadcast-quality standards that are requested by industry players.â
MainStreamingâs video delivery technology is meticulously developed in-house, offered as managed private Edge Network to help broadcasters, OTT TVs and content owners overcome the toughest challenges of live streaming at scale, addressing the limitations of classic CDN and enabling new application solutions on the Edge.
âI am honored to join a team that is on a mission to write a new chapter in video streaming delivery, setting new standards, and paving the way for the future of TV. I am ready to contribute to MainStreamingâs innovative approach and customer-centric philosophy. Together, we are set to revolutionize how the streaming industry approaches Edge Network architecture for live streaming, emphasizing a more distributed, ultra-low-latency, energy-efficient, and globally scalable design,â Nicola Micali said.
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