Gaming
Trailblazing creators’ platform Ludo launches iconic new function for game developers and designers
Ludo.ai unveils icon search feature and makes its platform accessible to all with new free tier
Ludo.ai has announced the launch of a groundbreaking icon search feature, a tool that uses cutting edge AI technology to enable users to quickly source and review all mobile game icons. With the new addition of a free tier, Ludo’s icon search is now available to everyone, providing fresh inspiration for game developers to design their own icon.
The new icon search feature is facilitated by Ludo’s AI – giving users a detailed view of each icon, what filters are in place, and cross-referencing this across multiple online game storefronts. Expertly created to support users, whether game developers beginning their journey or independent studios looking for inspiration on iconography, the icon search feature pulls from Ludo’s impressive database of over a million different published apps that are live on the Apple App Store, Google Play and Itch.io. Searches can be refined even more with seven unique filters, offering a look at games of a specific genre, by release date, art style, platforms it’s available on, stores it’s available on, colours used and even top-performing apps.
As well as the new icon search, Ludo uses state of the art machine learning and natural language processing to instantly suggest game ideas and mechanics, review gaming trends, and more, on-demand – helping to inspire developers and creators. Users set parameters by providing keywords, natural language descriptions, game mechanics, or imagery and Ludo quickly returns multiple written game concepts, artwork and images, by analyzing its growing database of 1.2 million games and over four million images. Following the introduction of a new free tier, Ludo’s platform is now accessible for free, with paid tiers being available to help businesses to expand the toolset and its functionality.
Arguably the front cover of a game, players judge an icon’s appearance and often decide whether to play a game because of it. The main purpose of a game icon is to not only appeal to potential users but to give an accurate representation of a title, drawing players in and alluding to the experience on offer. With roughly one in five apps being games on the Apple App Store alone, there is an expansive market to compete within. First impressions count more than ever, as games can be published and lost within the flurry of the market.
Tom Pigott, CEO and Founder of Ludo says “Our exciting new icon search feature came as an addition to our image search, following feedback from our users. We are excited to now be able to help facilitate icon design on Ludo. We found that the relevancy and impact that an icon can have for a game is just as important as the game itself – it gives those searching an idea of what’s in store if they choose to play.
“Ludo is offering our icon search function, as well as other key tools including the latest trends, gamestorming and image search, within our new free tier. We’re helping to create a centralised toolbox for game design and ideation, adding another string to the bows of our users.”
With the launch of the icon search feature, Ludo aims to support developers to create unique icons for games. Those who work in smaller studios, or even independently, may not have the resources or time for professional icon design that is available to larger studios. Ludo’s toolkit provides many tools that can benefit these studios and indie developers, supporting them to deliver hit games to a high standard.
Ludo combines a non-bias search engine, a library of over 1.2 million games and ways to collate research and inspiration, all in one place. Ludo offers a free subscription tier including the icon search feature, alongside many excellent features for game development, design and research. You can find out more at ludo.ai or contact Ludo on Twitter.
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Gaming
Getting ready for Xmas: SplitMetrics partnership with Wargaming helps World of Warships app sail to new heights with 15% uplift in organic conversions
The post Getting ready for Xmas: SplitMetrics partnership with Wargaming helps World of Warships app sail to new heights with 15% uplift in organic conversions appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Gaming
Nolimit City revisits the brutal factory life in Outsourced: Slash Game
Nolimit City takes you back to the grind with its latest release, Outsourced: Slash Game. For those who thought their consumerist cravings were a safe indulgence, think again. Following in the footsteps of Outsourced, this new addition pulls back the curtain on the sweat and sacrifice lurking behind those everyday luxuries—this time with a dash of danger. Outsourced: Slash Game is the studio’s second venture into crash-style gameplay, the first being xCrash™ in Skate or Die – but this time it’s a standalone crash game!
In Slash Game, players have to make some cutthroat decisions as a laser traces the outline of their hand, increasing the multiplier with every pass. Players hit “stop” to cash out, locking in the multiplier when they feel the timing is right. After which, they will be shown the potential winnings if they wouldn’t have stopped. But here’s the catch: if players hesitate a second too long and the laser slips, all the winnings are lost. A live scoreboard displays the Top Win, Top Miss and Last Round, so that players can keep track of their previous rounds.
Outsourced: Slash Game is not a familiar Nolimit City slot to some players but could cause some excitement with an increasing multiplier and a maximum payout of 1,500x the base bet. Outsourced: Slash Game, unlike Nolimit City’s high-volatility slots, is rated as ‘Medium Volatility’ but don’t let that fool you as it still includes the risk of losing your hand.
Per Lindheimer, Head of Product at Nolimit City, said: “Get back to work, will you? We’re bringing players back to the unrelenting factory floor of Outsourced with an all-new twist. Slash Game is a standalone take on our crash-style games, and it’s packed with plenty of heart-stopping moments (and maybe a few hand-stopping ones, too). We’re thrilled with how it turned out and we hope that our fans will be too!“
‘Outsourced: Slash Game’ will be available to all Nolimit City partners on November 5th, 2024.
The post Nolimit City revisits the brutal factory life in Outsourced: Slash Game appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Gaming
The mobile gaming market is growing and attracting new companies. GAMIVO is the latest example
Usually, consoles and PCs come to mind when discussing the gaming industry. The mobile sector is often treated as a child of a lesser god, even though it generates almost as much revenue as console and PC combined. Some companies can see this potential. For instance, the e-commerce platform GAMIVO has recently entered the mobile market, allowing players to buy in-game items cheaper.
Back on course
The entire video game industry has evolved incredibly, but the most spectacular has been the growth of the mobile sector. It expanded from 36.9 million dollars in 2016 to 93.2 billion in 2021. Unfortunately, the gaming market suffered from a decline that stemmed from the overoptimism of the pandemic era. As a result, the mobile gaming industry revenues dropped to 92.2 billion in 2022 and to 90.5 billion in 2023. Recent information has indicated this was a necessary correction rather than a long-term trend.
The latest Newzoo report, issued in August 2024, shows that the industry is on the right track again. According to analysts, the mobile sector will generate revenues of $92.6 billion, representing +3.0% growth year-on-year. It’s nearly half of the entire gaming industry.
Billions of players
Revenues are crucial, but they only show part of the story. To fully understand the size and potential of mobile gaming, it’s necessary to consider the number of players, which constantly grew even when revenues dropped. Newzoo estimates that it will reach 2.8 billion in 2024. It means that almost twice as many people play on mobile devices than on PCs and consoles combined. Currently, every third person on Earth plays on mobile devices, and there’s still space for further growth.
“There are emerging markets where smartphones and mobile networks can expand, providing new potential players. Furthermore, this type of entertainment has a low entry barrier because most popular games are free and don’t require high-end devices,” explains Mateusz Śmieżewski, the CEO at GAMIVO.
One hobby, different habits
GAMIVO is an example of a company that has recently joined the party to get a piece of the mobile pie. “We examined the mobile market for a very long time, trying to find a suitable place for us. It’s essential to understand that mobile gaming and mobile gamers differ from their PC or console counterparts. You can’t do the same things you do with PC and consoles and hope to replicate your success,” said Mateusz Śmieżewski.
Studies confirm this observation. Average PC and console players spend about 2.1 hours a day in virtual worlds. It’s half an hour more than mobile gamers. However, things get interesting when we take a look at playtime per week, which is the same for mobile and console (5.4 hours) and slightly longer for PC (5.7 hours). Moreover, typical PC and console owners play 2.6 and 2.7 days a week, respectively, while mobile players play 3.4 days per week.
Those statistics prove that PC and console players are more dedicated, spending more time in games’ worlds once they enter them. However, mobile gamers prefer shorter but more frequent sessions. They play while commuting or have a short amount of free time.
“Mobile players are more willing to uninstall games and give another title a chance. Hence, the gameplay has to be captivating and designed to provide quick but intense sessions.
Furthermore, even though the average weekly playtime is identical to PC players, many mobile players don’t think of themselves as gamers,” clarifies Mateusz Śmieżewski.
Another major difference regards the way in which revenue is generated. PC and console games traditionally represent the premium model, where players buy the game. Most popular mobile releases are free and generate revenue with microtransactions. Almost all titles allow players to spend their real money on virtual coins, crystals, and other items that can be used to unlock additional content or reduce cooldowns.
Entering the mobile market
Those contrasts and nuances scare most companies from the mobile market. Let’s see how GAMIVO has coped with this.
“We decided to launch a new product category dedicated to mobile gamers. Our model allows them to top up in-game accounts cheaply. As a result, they can save up to 30% on buying virtual items, upgrades, and other content. The GAMIVO offer includes the most popular mobile titles, such as Genshin Impact and PUBG Mobile, and still extends,” describes Mateusz Śmieżewski.
“We dedicated a lot of time to research and analyses. Also, the development process required a lot of work to provide GAMIVO customers with safe transactions and a user-friendly environment. The first reactions are very positive, confirming our belief that our decision was right and there is still more space in the mobile game market,” concludes the GAMIVO CEO.
The post The mobile gaming market is growing and attracting new companies. GAMIVO is the latest example appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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