Gaming
Hutch Announces Continuation of 4 Day Working Week Following Successful Pilot
Hutch, the renowned automotive mobile game developer, has confirmed that a four-day working week will continue beyond the initial pilot period, officially becoming the latest employee benefit for the team.
In June 2022, Hutch began its trial in partnership with 4 Day Week Global, introduced across the studio’s offices and 150+ strong workforce in London, Dundee and Nova Scotia. The implementation of the policy saw productivity remain stable. Hutch also saw lower turnover of staff and higher job offer acceptance rates during the trial. As a winner of the gamesindustry.biz Best Place to Work award for the last 3 years, the wellbeing of staff was paramount to Hutch when taking part in the trial and in continuing to offer a great place to work in the gaming industry.
Testing the impact of the shorter week on productivity, team wellbeing and more, Hutch worked closely with experts to support their staff on how to make the most of a four-day week. Following the success of the trial, Hutch will be introducing a four-day working week as a rolling 12-month policy for all its staff, to be reviewed annually.
Hutch joined 4 Day Week Global’s official trial alongside 70 other companies taking part to show the value of the change to working practices. Within the trial, Hutch provided valuable data to researchers from Boston College and Oxford University, to build a definitive case for a 4-day week, set to be released in February 2023.
The business learnt a lot during the trial and adjusted as needed. This is an approach that will continue and with the four-day working week becoming an official Hutch policy, there will be adjustments to the existing programme in order to support its success longer term. These adjustments include bi-monthly team days allowing the opportunity to focus on business and social activities and working on Fridays during the weeks in which a bank holiday falls. Elements such as pro-rated holiday, a 2 hour “no meeting” slot and dedicated quiet zone created within the office will remain. An additional day of annual leave has also been awarded to staff in order to reflect the team days. With the offices set to close over the festive period, the first day of the continued four-day week programme will effectively commence on Tuesday 3rd January.
Shaun Rutland, CEO of Hutch, said: “The trial taught us a great deal about making the most of the time we have, and how to pin down what Hutch needs to build on what we do well. A key learning from the trial is that productivity should not be valued by time spent on tasks, instead we needed to ensure that we were focused on outputs. The way we work and how we spend our time day to day has improved as a result, helped by our Hutchies feeling refreshed after a three-day weekend. There are challenges we will still need to resolve and better ways of working to be tested, but we’re excited to put this into practice in the new year.”
Gaming
PopOK Gaming Unveils “First Balloon” in the Thrilling Crash Series
PopOK Gaming is excited to announce the release of “First Balloon,” the latest game in its popular Crash series. This new addition promises to take players on an exhilarating adventure, where they will soar through the skies and experience breathtaking moments and enticing rewards as their balloon ascends.
“First Balloon” offers a unique and thrilling gameplay experience that will keep players on the edge of their seats. As the game begins, players place their bets and watch as the multiplier starts increasing from 1x and continues to rise. The goal is to cash out at just the right moment to secure a multiplied payout. However, there’s a catch: if players don’t cash out in time, they risk losing their bet.
The excitement builds as players navigate the challenge of timing their cash-outs to maximize their winnings. With the potential to win up to x10,000, “First Balloon” offers the chance for massive rewards.
How does it work?
Place a bet
Watch the multiplier increase from 1x upwards
Cash out anytime to get your bet multiplied
“First Balloon” is designed to provide a thrilling and immersive gaming experience, combining the excitement of risk and reward with the beauty of a soaring balloon journey. It’s the perfect game for those seeking adventure and the thrill of high-stakes gameplay.
Don’t miss out on the latest addition to PopOK Gaming’s Crash series. Start your adventure today with “First Balloon” and experience the excitement for yourself!
Gaming
SimplePlay has launched a new Table Game: Beauty and Gorilla King !
One day, the Beauty, whom Gorilla King is deeply in love with, gets captured and locked inside a tower. To save the love of his life, Gorilla King needs to avoid the deadly hunters on every floor of the tower and make his way to the top to win his precious back!
Beauty and Gorilla King” is a mini-game where players are given a tower with rows of covered squares with either beauties or hunters. Players need to start from the bottom row. Whenever a square of beauty is unveiled, players move one floor up and the winning multiplier increases. Players can choose to continue their progress to move upwards and win more, or to leave this round and take the accumulated winnings! However, if a hunter is unveiled, all the winnings will be lost and players have to start a new round. Get to the top of the tower to unravel huge riches!
Come and experience “Beauty and Gorilla King” now!
Gaming
Big Screen Gaming Summit Joins PG Connects Helsinki, Spotlighting PC and Console Development
The Big Screen Gaming Summit, a new two-day event dedicated to PC, console, web3, VR, and AR games, will debut alongside Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki on October 1-2, 2024. One ticket, two events!
This expansion of the world’s leading independent games conference series aims to provide a comprehensive forum for the evolving landscape of multi-platform game development.
The dedicated summit will feature eight specialised tracks covering crucial industry topics, including market trends, UGC, live service games, discoverability, practical AI, and more. Each track will offer in-depth discussions, panels, and presentations from industry experts, providing attendees with valuable insights into the latest trends, technologies, and business strategies shaping the future of games. The summit will also explore emerging markets in Latin America, Asia, and MENA, which are expected to drive future player growth on PC and console platforms.
“As the games industry continues to evolve, we recognise the continuing importance of PC and console platforms alongside mobile,” said Dave Bradley, COO of Steel Media. “The Big Screen Gaming Summit represents our commitment to serving the entire games industry, offering a unique opportunity for professionals to explore the challenges and opportunities across all major platforms.”
The event will also host The Very Big Indie Pitch (PC + Console Edition), providing indie developers with a platform to showcase their projects to a panel of experts. This competition offers valuable feedback and exposure for up-and-coming developers in the PC and console space. Indie developers are encouraged to apply early, as spots are limited.
Both the Big Screen Gaming Summit and Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki will take place at Wanha Satama, Helsinki, as part of the Finnish Games Week. Finland is famous for its mobile games, but it’s also home to renowned studios like Housemarque and Remedy Entertainment, showcasing the country’s strength in PC and console game development.
Early bird tickets offering savings of over £300 are currently available, providing access to both events. Attendees will have the opportunity to network with industry professionals, gain insights from leading experts, and explore the expo area. The event will also feature a MeetToMatch online meeting platform, facilitating valuable connections among participants.
In addition to the main conference tracks, the summit will include roundtable discussions, networking events like Investor Connector and Publisher SpeedMatch, and a party in downtown Helsinki. As part of Finnish Games Week (30 September – 4 October), the Big Screen Gaming Summit and Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki will join the IGDA Leadership Day, W In Games and more activities celebrating the regional games scene.
-
Asia2 days ago
Junglee Rummy Unveils the Grand Winnings Tournament Premiere Series with a 35 Crore INR Guaranteed Prize Pool
-
Latest News1 day ago
Kindred Group extend six-year Middlesbrough FC partnership and cements long-term community commitment to supporters
-
Compliance Updates1 day ago
St8.io granted Isle of Man licence
-
Industry News17 hours ago
Clemence Dujardin, MyAffiliates Group CEO, to speak at SBC Lisbon to unveil ‘What is Next for the Gambling Industry’
-
Latest News1 day ago
Virgin Bet is Chester’s New Partner & Title Sponsor
-
Compliance Updates1 day ago
EGBA: Finland’s New Gambling Legislation: A Step Forward, With Room For Improvement
-
Latest News1 day ago
ZingBrain AI adds game promotion tool and new analytics in latest update
-
Asia17 hours ago
Jamsos Indonesia Teams Up With New Platform for Top-Notch Online Gaming