In our latest Q&A, we sat down with Thunderkick’s Key Account Manager, Andrea Brioschi, to discuss the importance of localisation and the intricacies of the Italian market.

Although Thunderkick is an established provider in Italy, how important is it having a native speaker to build and maintain strong partner relations in the market?

A localised approach is key in any market, but it is particularly important in Italy, where the natives are typically very traditional people. Italians like to communicate in their own language, and it is far easier to forge relationships when you share traditions and can understand cultural references relating to a specific way of life.

Certain marketing strategies that work in other European jurisdictions won’t necessarily be effective in Italy, so having a native managing client relationships is pivotal in enhancing operational efficiency. Like any industry, iGaming is about building and maintaining relationships, and a targeted approach will not only help establish connections, but can also aid in delivering country-bespoke content and marketing campaigns.

In your position working across multiple jurisdictions, what are the differences in how the Italian market operates?

The Italian market is incredibly unique and comes with its own challenges. The strict regulatory guidelines make marketing new products tricky, with various game approval processes in place and numerous certificates required. As a result, the process can sometimes take up to a month, meaning a huge amount of prior planning is necessary in order to meet deadlines.

This is why it’s essential to have someone in place who works within the market, day in, day out. You can no longer navigate the Italian market as a salesperson. Instead, you must have a broad spectrum of knowledge and experience within sales, compliance, and legislation.

How has your position as a native Italian speaker helped resolve previously encountered issues?

Thunderkick’s approach in Italy has allowed us to build relationships with a host of reliable partners, which are crucial when it comes to launching games. Previously, due to the processes in place, games would often be released days, sometimes even weeks later in Italy. With the right coordination and planning, as well as optimised communication, we can work ahead of schedule to obtain certification early, streamlining the product launch process so that games can be released on the same day in Italy as they are across the rest of Europe.

Effective communication is the most important aspect. Having a native speaker means nothing gets lost in translation and the correct message can be relayed from our Italian partners back to the Thunderkick tech and compliance teams, in turn allowing for rapid and efficient problem-solving.

What are the key benefits of adopting a tailored approach to commercial activities in a market and what impact has this had on revenue?

At Thunderkick, we strive to provide the best possible service to our customers. Something which may seem inconsequential, such as having similar experiences growing up, can be more significant than you think in fostering strong relationships. I have the opportunity to really get to know our partners, allowing us to tailor our approach according to their preferences.

It is also necessary to understand what resonates with players in a specific market, paving the way for bespoke content and targeted communications. We can now make predictions about which games will be more successful in Italy and create a marketing campaign across the relevant channels to appeal to the target audience. Ultimately, this tailored strategy is a key factor in amplifying player acquisition, enhancing player experiences, and driving commercial revenue growth. This has been apparent, with Thunderkick’s Italian operations thriving alongside the expansion of the market.

Do you think the success of Thunderkick’s localised approach in Italy will impact future decisions to employ native speakers in targeted markets?

Having seen the impact of our localised operations in Italy, Thunderkick has already taken steps to replicate this strategy. With the emergence of the promising Latin American markets, of which we have recently launched in Mexico with Rushbet and Colombia with Luckia, Thunderkick has taken steps to appoint a Spanish-speaking Account Manager, Ariadna Ölund.

Ariadna will contribute to forming relationships and tailoring our approach in the established Spanish market, as well as across the Atlantic in Latin America. It is difficult to predict where the next hub of iGaming will be, and therefore it is vital to remain flexible and build a diverse team with expertise across global markets.

Let’s start with a quick introduction of yourself and the company – what is your background and what is the story behind MixRift?

Bobby Voicu: As the CEO and Founder of MixRift, a pioneering mixed-reality gaming studio, I bring a wealth of experience as a serial entrepreneur and industry visionary in the XR space. My journey in the gaming industry began with the successful launch of Mavenhut, a mobile games studio. MixRift was born from a collaboration with my co-founders: David Pripas, an official Meta AR Partner who serves as our CPO, and Andrei Vaduva, our CTO.

The genesis of MixRift stems from our collective expertise in the gaming industry and our keen foresight into the burgeoning potential of mixed-reality gaming.

The market projections underscore our vision: the global MR market is forecast to reach $58.3 billion by 2030, with an impressive CAGR of 71.3%. This growth is largely driven by tech giants like Meta and Apple. A recent study revealed that 52% of consumers express increased interest in AR and mixed reality when associated with Apple, with 38% indicating a likelihood to purchase an Apple offering. Meanwhile, Meta has reportedly sold over 20 million Quest headsets, demonstrating that consumers are eager to embrace this technology when priced appropriately. We expect another huge spike in the conversation when the company launches the Meta Quest 3S, which is rumoured to be cheaper than the original Quest 3.

But we’ve recognised a significant gap in the market: while user demand for mixed reality experiences is surging, there’s a notable scarcity of high-quality MR games. This disparity presented an unmissable opportunity that we’re poised to address.

Our aim isn’t just to ride this wave of innovation but to shape it. Our ambition is to fill the void in the mixed-reality gaming landscape with captivating, immersive experiences that push the boundaries of what’s possible in this exciting new medium.

What inspired you to go into mixed reality gaming and how has it changed the gaming industry?

Bobby Voicu: Our venture into mixed reality gaming is the natural evolution of our passion for and expertise in the gaming industry. David and I have spent years immersed in gaming, and we recognised the transformative potential of mixed reality before it became a buzzword.

Unlike virtual reality, which creates fully immersive environments, or augmented reality, which overlays additional information onto the real world, mixed reality offers a unique hybrid experience. It blends virtual elements with the user’s physical surroundings, creating an interactive environment that feels both familiar and fantastical.

This technology addresses some of the challenges associated with VR and AR, such as motion sickness, by maintaining a connection to the user’s real-world environment. As a result, mixed reality gaming has the potential to appeal to a broader audience, including casual users who might be intimidated by fully immersive VR experiences.

Our approach at MixRift is centred on rapid prototyping and iterative development. Rather than investing years in a single title, we focus on developing and releasing games quickly, gathering user feedback, and refining our most successful concepts. This allows us to explore diverse game mechanics native to mixed reality, truly harnessing the unique capabilities of this technology.

By doing so, we’re not just creating games but pioneering new forms of interactive entertainment that bridge the gap between the digital and physical worlds. This approach could redefine not just gaming but how we interact with technology in our daily lives.

In what regions or markets does MixRift primarily operate and are there any plans for expansion into new territories?

Bobby Voicu: MixRift’s operations are currently centered in Dublin and Bucharest, drawing on their diverse talent pools and ecosystems. However, we have ambitious expansion plans, with our sights set firmly on the UK and US markets.

These territories represent not just larger consumer bases but also hotbeds of technological innovation and early adoption. By establishing a presence in these markets, we aim to tap into cutting-edge developments in mixed reality technology, collaborate with leading institutions and tech companies, and gain invaluable insights from some of the world’s most sophisticated gaming communities.

Concurrently, we’re committed to fortifying our European base. The diverse cultural landscape of Europe offers a unique testing ground for our games, allowing us to refine our offerings to appeal to a global audience. This multi-pronged expansion strategy positions MixRift at the forefront of mixed-reality gaming on an international scale.

You recently announced your pre-seed funding – what will the funding be used for?

Bobby Voicu: Primarily, the funding will be channelled into accelerating our game development pipeline. We have an ambitious roadmap for 2024 and 2025, with plans to release multiple titles that showcase the full potential of mixed-reality gaming.

This investment will allow us to expand our team of talented developers, designers, and creative minds who are passionate about pushing the boundaries of MR technology. We’ll also allocate resources to enhance our proprietary development tools and platforms, enabling us to create more sophisticated and immersive gaming experiences.

Additionally, some funding will be directed towards market research and user testing. Understanding our audience and their interactions with our games is crucial for refining our offerings and staying ahead of industry trends.

Lastly, we’ll invest in marketing and community-building efforts to ensure our games reach and resonate with our target audience. By the end of 2025, we aim to have established MixRift as a household name in mixed-reality gaming, with a portfolio of successful titles demonstrating the technology’s value.

What technologies does MixRift employ to deliver its mixed reality gaming solutions and can you highlight any proprietary technologies or platforms that differentiate your offering?

Bobby Voicu: At MixRift, we’ve adopted a revolutionary approach to game development that sets us apart in the mixed reality space. While many studios invest years in developing a single standout title, we’ve embraced a philosophy of rapid prototyping and iterative development. This agile methodology allows us to swiftly create and release games, gauging player response and market resonance in real time.

Our proprietary development pipeline is built on cutting-edge technologies that blend the virtual and physical worlds. We use advanced spatial mapping, gesture recognition, and environmental understanding algorithms to create immersive experiences. For instance, our game “Hell Horde” uses  AR tracking to bring menacing monsters into players’ living rooms. Another title, “Fractured”, employs complex 3D rendering techniques to create floating puzzle elements that interact naturally with the user’s environment.

We’ve also developed an analytics platform that will allow us to gather and interpret user data rapidly, informing our iterative development process. This platform, combined with our agile methodology, enables us to identify successful game mechanics quickly and double down on what resonates with our audience.

Why is mixed reality going to be the future of gaming?

Bobby Voicu: Mixed reality represents a paradigm shift in gaming, offering a unique blend of immersion and real-world interaction that neither traditional gaming nor pure virtual reality can match. It’s not just an evolution of existing technologies; it’s a revolutionary new medium that has the potential to redefine how we interact with digital content.

The market projections speak volumes about the potential of mixed reality. With the global MR market expected to reach $58.3 billion by 2030, growing at an impressive CAGR of 71.3%, we’re witnessing the dawn of a new era in interactive entertainment. This growth is being catalysed by tech giants like Meta and Apple, whose market presence drives both innovation and consumer interest.

What makes mixed reality particularly compelling is its accessibility. By blending virtual elements with the user’s real environment, MR creates immersive yet grounded experiences, reducing the barriers to entry that some users might feel with fully virtual experiences. This balance makes MR appealing to a broader audience, from hardcore gamers to casual users looking for novel entertainment experiences.

However, despite the growing interest and technological advancements, what’s missing is  high-quality games native to mixed reality. This is where MixRift comes in.

What are the current trends and challenges and do you see mixed reality expanding into other areas?

Bobby Voicu: The mixed reality landscape is evolving rapidly, with several key trends shaping its trajectory. We’re seeing a push towards more sophisticated hardware, with improvements in display technology, field of view, and processing power, making experiences increasingly seamless and immersive. There’s also a growing emphasis on social experiences, allowing users to interact with each other in shared virtual spaces overlaid on the real world.

However, with these advancements come challenges. One of the primary hurdles is creating intuitive user interfaces that feel natural and accessible to a broad audience. There’s also the ongoing challenge of balancing graphical fidelity with performance, especially on mobile MR devices.

As for expansion into other areas, we’re already seeing mixed reality make inroads beyond gaming. In the workplace, the technology is being used for remote collaboration, allowing colleagues to interact as if they’re in the same room. In education, mixed reality is creating immersive learning experiences that bring abstract concepts to life. We’re also seeing applications in healthcare for surgical planning and training and in retail for virtual try-on experiences.

Looking ahead, we anticipate mixed reality will significantly shape our world creating bridges between our physical and digital lives. However, as with any transformative technology, we must remain vigilant about potential security and privacy concerns, ensuring that as mixed reality becomes more integrated into our daily lives, user data and personal spaces remain protected.

How does MixRift incorporate feedback from users into product development and improvements?

Bobby Voicu: At MixRift, we’ve cultivated a unique approach to game development that places user feedback at the core of our innovation process. Rather than investing extensive resources into a single, potentially disconnected title, we’ve embraced a philosophy of rapid prototyping and iterative improvement.

Our methodology is rooted in agile development practices, allowing us to swiftly create and release game prototypes. We then leverage sophisticated analytics and direct user feedback to identify which concepts resonate most strongly with our audience. This approach enables us to make data-driven decisions about where to focus our development efforts.

By maintaining this nimble, user-centric approach, we can rapidly iterate on successful concepts while quickly pivoting away from ideas that fail to gain traction. This strategy optimises our resource allocation and ensures that we’re consistently delivering experiences that our users genuinely desire.

Moreover, this methodology allows us to stay at the forefront of mixed-reality gaming trends. As user preferences and technologies evolve, we’re well-positioned to adapt quickly, ensuring MixRift remains a pioneer in mixed-reality gaming.

Are there any upcoming innovations or developments you can share?

Bobby Voicu: We’re thrilled to announce that we’ve recently expanded our portfolio with two exciting titles for the Meta Quest platform. “Fractured,” a mixed reality 3D puzzle game, is now available for both Quest 2 and Quest 3, offering an immersive, brain-teasing experience that seamlessly blends with the user’s environment. Additionally, we’ve launched “Hell Horde,” an adrenaline-pumping arcade shooter, which pushes the boundaries of what’s possible in mixed-reality combat games.

To broaden our market reach, we recently released “Fractured” for Apple Vision Pro, marking our entry into Apple’s ecosystem and showcasing our commitment to cross-platform development.

Looking ahead, our recent funding will accelerate our growth trajectory. We have an ambitious roadmap for 2024 and 2025, with several innovative titles in various stages of development. While I can’t divulge specifics now, our ambition with these titles is to push the envelope of mixed reality experiences, introducing novel mechanics and narratives that we believe will captivate our growing user base.

What’s next for MixRift? How do you see the company growing over the next five years?

Bobby Voicu: The next five years represent an exciting period of expansion and innovation for MixRift.

We envision MixRift evolving from a game studio into a leading mixed-reality entertainment company. We aim to diversify our portfolio beyond gaming, exploring applications of our technology in education, professional training, and interactive media experiences.

We’re also investing heavily in R&D to stay at the forefront of mixed reality technology. This includes developing proprietary tools and engines that will enable us to create increasingly sophisticated and immersive experiences.

Partnerships will play a crucial role in our growth strategy. We’re actively seeking collaborations with hardware manufacturers, content creators, and IP holders to expand the scope and reach of our offerings.

Ultimately, our goal is to be recognised as the premier mixed reality content creator globally, driving innovation in how people interact with digital content and shaping the future of entertainment in the age of spatial computing.

What is Relax Vantage®, and why should operators and suppliers be excited about this new platform?

Relax Vantage® is a brand-new portal for all Relax Gaming’s customers, it comes after we took a deep dive into user requirements and found that we were in a position to offer smoother, non-stop access to our aggregation ecosystem. This game changing portal will cover all aspects of our business partnerships from integration support, analytics to performance reports.

For operators it will also offer a new way to access and discover our personalised library of aggregated content, tailored to each individual market. For suppliers it will offer them a new way of putting their content in front of Relax Gaming’s ever-growing network of operators around the world.

How does Relax Vantage® differ from what the studio offered operators and suppliers prior to its release?

We’ve automated the vast majority of the BAU processes which has in turn enabled the platform to be much faster and more efficient in terms of scalability. The goal of Relax Vantage® is to act as an all-in-one portal to support the business needs of every supplier and operator partner.

Our long-term aim is to also bring a level of transparency, automation and self-service on a level we’ve never been able to offer before, which we know will be a hugely attractive proposition to both current and future customers.

How has content aggregation changed over the last few years and what has does Relax Vantage® done to address those changes?

There has been an explosion of new content providers in recent years. Through Relax Gaming’s multiple integration models, Silver Bullet, Powered by Game Server and Powered by Plat-2-Plat, we are able to cater to the individual needs of many suppliers.

On one end we have our distribution Plat-2-Plat program that allows suppliers to leverage our aggregation platform to reach operators, and on the other we have our comprehensive support package, Sliver Bullet. The Silver Bullet program offers support for everything, including game concept consulting, development, certification and commercial representation.

The explosion in content makes it incredibly difficult for operators to keep track of the latest games, but we believe in choice! Our advanced filtering tools allow users to select titles based on markets, features and so much more, making the experience straight-forward and most importantly enjoyable.

Is ensuring content aggregation is functional and easy to manage key to acquiring and retaining customers?

Being agile and able to move quickly as the industry throws up new challenges is vital. In this day and age, the industry is subject to a lot of challenges, new regulations and jurisdictional requirements. We suffer information overload and constant context switching.

We aim to give our customers all the transparency and tools they need to fully manage their content. I’m confident that the level of service we provide and the level of flexibility our platform offers makes Relax Gaming a very attractive proposition for any supplier or operator out there.

What are your long-term hopes and ambitions for Relax Vantage®? 

We have an exciting roadmap that we believe will further enhance operator and supplier experiences. The industry we are working in is constantly evolving, we see Relax Vantage® as a product that will need to constantly innovate to meet the demands of the industry.

This is an exciting challenge for us at Relax. We listen closely to the customer’s feedback and plan to be able to easily react to the needs in terms how to work with an aggregator. Ultimately, we want Relax Vantage® to become an all-in-one solution to serve all the business and operational needs of our supplier and operator partners from any location and provide 24/7 support.