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Second Chamber, Greg Ciach’s new studio, will specialize in creating AA games of a new genre

Published

2 years ago

April 13, 2023

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Greg Ciach and Krzysztof Czulec established Second Chamber, a studio dedicated to creating double-A games in the genre of Wanderer Adventure Game (WAG), which allows you to experience adventures in a world that lives independently of the player. WAGs will be constructed modularly, which will allow optimization of the production costs of subsequent titles. Ultimately, the company will be listed on NewConnect instead of Pixel Crow Games.

Second Chamber will be a company operating in the area of AA games. Grzegorz Ciach and Krzysztof Czulec, who run the company, are experienced specialists, previously associated with Techland, Amber Studio, and Platige Image, among others. The project is co-created by triple-A game developers who have worked on world-class hits (The Division, The Division 2, Frostpunk, Frostpunk 2, Pure Farming 2018, Motorstorm, Torment: Tides of Numenera, Mortal Kombat 11, Gamedec, Sniper Contracts 2, Medal of Honor, The Sims and FIFA). Other key players in the project will be revealed after their binding contracts expire.

As the result of the review of strategic options, Movie Games together with the president of Pixel Crow Games Damian Gasiński, and the chairman of the Supervisory Board of Pixel Crow Games Maciej Miąsik, decided, for the benefit of the cooperation, upon the sale of shares in the daughter company to the new managers of Second Chamber.

The new entity will receive support from Movie Games in the form of opportunities to use Pixel Crow Games for the development of the studio. The creators of Second Chamber will become the owners of Pixel Crow Games. Following the closing of the transaction, Movie Games will hold a 12.5% stake in the new entity.

“As a result of the current review of strategic options, Pixel Crow Games’ debts have been discharged, and thus significant funds will return to the Movie Games capital group. Subsequently, Movie Games will no longer consolidate the losses of Pixel Crow Games resulting from the reverse acquisition, which will have a significant impact on the consolidated result of the capital group,” comments Mateusz Wcześniak, president of the Movie Games capital group. “Most importantly, we will have shares in a large project, which will include world-renowned specialists. Movie Games will not only play an advisory role but will also be a beneficiary of the know-how that will appear in the capital group,” Wcześniak adds.

On behalf of Movie Games, Mateusz Wcześniak (new Chairman), Dr. Kamil Gemra, and Piotr Gnyp will sit on the Supervisory Board of Second Chamber.

Legendary gaming journalist Dariusz Michalski, or “Sir Haszak,” will also join the Supervisory Board. He was associated with cult Polish gaming magazines such as “Bajtek”, “Top Secret” and “Gambler”.

“The involvement of top Movie Games managers in the supervisory body is a reflection of the high faith in the long-term effects of the appearance of such an experienced project in the capital group,” explains Dr. Kamil Gemra, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Movie Games.

Second Chamber has created a three-stage development plan for approx. 5 years, modeled on such specialized developers as Paradox Development Studio, which became the pioneer and leader of the grand strategy genre. Second Chamber will operate in the area of the genre it has identified.

“There is an as-yet-unnamed type of game on the market that attracts millions of players. It is represented, for example, by Mount&Blade 2: Bannerlord or Sid Meier’s Pirates. These titles have more in common than just loyal fans and great reviews. The set of genre features that connect them allows you to experience a great adventure in a vibrant, multi-layered world. However, these games are still described with a set of generalities: RPG, survival, open world, simulation, etc. Second Chamber has its own name for the genre: Wanderer Adventure Game,” says Greg Ciach, CEO of Second Chamber. “Using a strategically planned modular production process, we plan to define its features, iteratively produce larger and larger titles and dominate the genre in less than a decade, so that every new title released in this area will be compared to our games.”

The main features of Wanderer Adventure Game titles are:

a committed gaming community, producing many mods and ensuring the long life of games;
open world cheaper to produce than competing solutions thanks to the symbolic representation of the journey on a visual map instead of a fully modeled world;
emergent gameplay and narrative, i.e. scenarios and situations that naturally result from the actions of the player and the game’s NPCs living their own lives;
the sandbox nature of the game, allowing you to play dozens of unique campaigns lasting hundreds of hours;
a narrative mode that supports the sandbox, in which the player receives a compact, several-hour story that uses the same systems.

Initially, the studio is going to have 40 employees. Then, within three years, it will develop a second team and increase the staff to approx. 100, in order to lead three teams with a total of about 150 people within five years. The first game will be a test of the modular approach to the production of games in the genre. It will be followed by a game that will serve to develop and polish the tools. The third title is to define the genre and to establish Second Chamber as its dominant force.

Movie Games will provide support through its managers in the field of marketing, production, and quality control. Cooperation will be carried out as early as the concept stage to ensure full synergy and coordination of activities in every area.

“For Movie Games, this is another step on the path of implementing the strategy of moving the company towards the AA area, which was announced some time ago. This, apart from the huge monetization potential of such titles, will ultimately significantly distinguish us on a market rich in companies creating indie games,” says Mateusz Wcześniak, President of the Management Board of Movie Games.

“You can observe that the current game dev market is saturated with indie companies. Observation of listed companies, on the other hand, shows that AA studios are more frequently noticed and appreciated. Therefore, the cooperation around Second Chamber fits in with our business strategy,” comments Dr. Kamil Gemra.

“I met Greg a few years ago while working for another publishing house. We always wanted to work together, so when I heard that he was going to set up his own studio, I immediately thought of Movie Games as a capital group providing an opportunity to implement such ideas. I am glad that after several weeks of talks, this idea is becoming a reality,” says Piotr Gnyp, CMO Movie Games.

For some time now Second Chamber has been quietly recruiting for its first production.

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Expanse Studios (GMGI) Secures ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Certification

Published

12 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Peter Tolan

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Expanse Studios, the iGaming division of Golden Matrix Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: GMGI), proudly announces its recent certification to the ISO/IEC 27001:2022 standard, which demonstrates globally leading data security standards.

This globally recognized certification reinforces the Group’s dedication to safeguarding confidential information, client trust, and strengthening its competitive position in the iGaming industry.

The ISO/IEC 27001:2022 standard establishes a rigorous framework for managing and protecting information security across all operations. By attaining this certification, Expanse Studios has implemented a comprehensive Information Security Management System (ISMS) that ensures the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data. This certification goes beyond compliance and assures our clients and partners of our stringent security protocols, protecting against cyber threats and unauthorized access.

“Achieving the ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification marks a significant milestone in Expanse Studios’ journey. This certification not only reinforces our security framework but also highlights our commitment to upholding the highest standards of trust and integrity for our clients and players worldwide.”, said Damjan Stamenkovic, CEO of Expanse Studios.

In an industry where information security is paramount, ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification demonstrates Expanse Studios’ proactive stance on cyber risk management and adherence to international best practices. The certification process included comprehensive evaluations, audits, and stringent checks, all contributing to a secure environment that benefits our clients, players, and business partners.

ISO certification assures the clients that Expanse Studios operates with top-tier security mechanisms, solidifying the role of the GMGI entity as one of the most trusted and compliant partners in the iGaming sector.

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Almedia Hires 17 New Staff Fuelling Exponential Growth

Published

13 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Peter Tolan

Reading Time: 2 minutes

– Powering the next generation of rewarded user acquisition –

Almedia, the data-driven platform engineering the future of mobile gaming user acquisition – today proudly announces a major hiring wave which includes over 17 people from leading global tech and gaming brands. The new hires are essential to Almedia’s ambitious strategy for achieving exponential growth across Europe and Northern America over the next 12 months.

The new team members will join an already established team, based in Berlin, with a current headcount of 80, supporting a global client base of mobile game developers and publishers. The expanded team joins established departments including product development, marketing, account management, fraud, and talent acquisition. The 17 new hires will drive Almedia’s core mission: elevating user acquisition to new heights and engineering the future of intelligent engagement.

Moritz Holländer, Chief Executive Officer and Founder at Almedia, commented: “Since 2020, we’ve been at the forefront of rewarded user acquisition, and our services and results are being embraced by the global mobile gaming industry, by companies such as Playtika, SuperPlay, Plarium, and Monopoly Go. Team Almedia is witnessing real-time exponential demand for its rewarded UA services, hence we have a robust scaleup roadmap in place to help us manage demand.”

He added: “What we’ve proudly achieved in four years is quite remarkable. With zero funding, a highly profitable organisation, we are humbled to be assembling a true dream team for the global mobile gaming industry. We are thrilled to welcome the latest waves of new hires to the team, which will help us to further establish our brand as the most credible, data-driven rewarded user acquisition company in the world.”

The new hires include

Andrey Shilin, Lead Product Manager
Holly Pickerell, Workplace and Culture Manager
Sabina Halilovic, Fraud Analyst
Alexander Rasch, Senior Finance Manager
Alisson Paschoal Hausmann, Senior Mobile Developer
Anthony Clement, SEO Manager
April Chen, Senior Customer Success Manager;
Benedikt Roth, Lead User Acquisition Google Ads Manager
Caroline Sobkow, Talent Acquisition Partner
Federica Stiscia, Senior Gaming Partnership Manager
Marc Hammes, SEO Manager
Mapa Vega, Senior Talent Acquisition Partner
Pablo Herranz, Senior Talent Acquisition Partne
Ravisankar Chinnam, Senior Frontend Developer
Kutay Akalin, Data Scientist
Aleksei Smagin, Junior Affiliate Specialist UA
Neil Laverty, Senior Customer Success Manager

Almedia currently has a range of positions open across operations, talent, product, marketing and more. To learn more about careers at Almedia, visit the jobs section on the website.

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Huge Jackpot at King Billy Casino: C$3,658,306!

Published

15 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Zoltan Tundik

This amazing six-digit number was the result of a player going on a safari in her (and millions of other players) beloved Mega Moolah progressive slot from Games Global

Reading Time: 2 minutes

King Billy Casino, launched in 2017, has had some impressive players wins during the “reign of King Billy”. A few of them include Live Game winnings of €135,223, daily winnings from 2 or more slots of $164,000, and €250,000 won on a single spin. However, the latest win by a King Billy Casino player dwarfs every big win that has come before this. Actually, it’s bigger than all previous big wins combined for the operator!

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