Gaming
Heinz Maps Out “Hidden Spots” In Call of Duty®: WarzoneTM Pacific’s New Caldera Map to Highlight Snack-Safe Zones For Players
Hungry in the middle of the Warzone? Heinz has a solution. Gamers know that eating while playing games is one big hurdle, even more so on a map that has just released.
In fact, gamers spend roughly eight hours and 27 minutes each week playing games – so when it comes to Call of Duty, one of the world’s biggest video game franchises, it’s nearly impossible to take a snack break during gameplay.
To help gamers find more magic in mealtime while playing their favorite video game, Heinz, the World’s #1 Ketchup brand, teamed up with Call of Duty: Warzone Pacific to identify hidden spots in its latest map Caldera to safely enjoy a well-deserved break and eat a delicious burger with Heinz in real life.
Fans and gamers can tune into Twitch and YouTube this weekend (Friday 17th – Sunday 19th December) to watch top Call of Duty: Warzone Pacific streamers reveal Heinz Hidden Spots in-game and enjoy a burger break as they explore the new map.
“80% of gamers eat and drink while playing, but it’s much harder to do this in multiplayer online games like Call of Duty, where an ill-timed break can cost you the match,” says Isabella Rizzo, VP of Marketing at Kraft Heinz.
“Heinz brings the magic to mealtime, whether you’re sitting around the dinner table or enjoying a quick bite mid-game, and now we’re helping Call of Duty gamers safely recharge with a burger break in one of the new points of interest on Caldera. Here at Heinz, we say just eat. No Defeat.”
Top streamers from the UK, US and other brand markets across the globe have joined forces with Call of Duty to map out safe, quiet spots in the new Warzone Pacific Caldera game to ensure that players can take a break to eat a burger and fries without the fear of getting sent to the Gulag.
“The launch of Caldera is a unique opportunity for Call of Duty and Heinz to bring our audiences together in new and exciting ways,” said Tyler Bahl, Vice President and Head of Marketing, Call of Duty.
“As the community explores and discovers the new map, Heinz is giving them a chance to experience the new Warzone offering in a fun and engaging way.”
With Hidden Spots, Heinz is making its debut with an ever-growing audience of gamers. But instead of just saying something to them, Heinz and independent creative agency GUT São Paulo partnered with Activision to connect with them directly where they are – inside the game.
Since Activision’s Call of Duty: Warzone Pacific’s Caldera map was launching, it was the perfect moment for Heinz to partner with one of the biggest gaming franchises ever to help hungry gamers find where to stop to eat while they played instead of having to hide.
“Heinz is an iconic brand that is used to doing so many incredible things in advertising, so with its debut in gaming, Hidden Spots is yet another way the brand is doing just that,” says Murilo Melo, Executive Creative Director at GUT São Paulo.
“Gamers usually say that campers are cowards for hiding to ambush other players, but with the world’s favorite ketchup brand partnering with the world’s favorite gaming franchise, Heinz is here to help gamers eat in peace as they fight in the warzone. We’re excited for hungry gamers to find these Hidden Spots and hope they’re now able to pass the Heinz without the risk of passing away in the game.”
With this initiative, Heinz hopes to get closer to the vast gaming community by giving a little help to them around the world and offering a solution to a real issue that many in the community face on a daily basis.
‘Hidden Spots’ is part of the brand’s masterbrand campaign, “It doesn’t matter the time or place,” which also highlights Heinz flavored ketchups, mayonnaise and barbecue sauce.
Call of Duty: Warzone is a free-to-play, free-for-everyone battle royale experience that more than 100 million players around the world have jumped into play. Call of Duty: Warzone is integrated with Call of Duty: Vanguard, Call of Duty®: Black Ops Cold War, and Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare®. Call of Duty and its titles are published by Activision, a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI) and developed by studios (in alphabetical order) Activision Shanghai, Beenox, Demonware, High Moon Studios, Infinity Ward, Raven Software, Treyarch and Sledgehammer Games.
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Gaming
UK Gaming Charity SpecialEffect to Receive Special Award at 20th BAFTA Games Awards
BAFTA has announced that UK gaming charity SpecialEffect, will receive the prestigious Special Award at the 20th BAFTA Games Awards. The award, which recognises outstanding contributions to games, film and television, is one of the highest accolades bestowed by BAFTA. Dr Mick Donegan MBE, founder and CEO of SpecialEffect, will pick up the Special Award at the annual BAFTA Games Awards ceremony on Thursday 11 April.
In 2007, Mick Donegan founded SpecialEffect to help people with even the most severe physical challenges to access video games. The organisation uses specialised technology to enhance access to video games and creative self-expression for people with a wide range of Disabilities.
SpecialEffect’s success began as a result of the collaboration between Mick, a specialist in assistive technology and his son Bill, a keen gamer with a background in product design. Since its creation, the charity has grown to thirty employees, raising all their own funds, and has provided specialist one-to-one assessments and support to severely disabled people throughout the UK and beyond.
Dr Mick Donegan MBE, SpecialEffect founder and CEO, said: “With a background in special education, I realised how much people with severe physical disabilities were missing out by not being able to play. I started SpecialEffect not only to help individuals to play video games but also to collaborate with the games industry to make their games more accessible ‘at source’. Since then, we have been privileged to be invited to share our ideas with more and more developers all over the world. Now, 17 years since SpecialEffect began, it’s an absolute honour for SpecialEffect’s work to be recognised by BAFTA.”
Emma Baehr, BAFTA executive director of awards and content, said: “SpecialEffect’s work is essential to the games world and is hugely deserving of a BAFTA Special Award. Their innovative and supportive approach to making games accessible drives progress within the industry, collaborating with developers and studios on new technologies to make games within reach to more people. We look forward to honouring their contribution to games at the ceremony on Thursday 11 April.”
Throughout the years, SpecialEffect has been involved in collaborating with Xbox, Sony and Logitech, to help design accessible controllers and a switch kit, enabling thousands more severely disabled players to access their games using a wide range of control devices. They have also worked with games studios and developers to help make their games more accessible. The organisation also developed EyeMine, a freely downloadable gaze-controlled interface to enable players to enjoy Minecraft through gaze-control alone.
Later this year will see the rollout of their EyeGaze Games (currently available on PC only) onto Android and iOS, games designed to be fully accessible for people with physical disabilities, whether they use gaze control, joysticks, switches or gamepads.
The post UK Gaming Charity SpecialEffect to Receive Special Award at 20th BAFTA Games Awards appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
DPS
Industry heavyweights all set for biggest ever Indian Gaming Tradeshow
This year’s Indian Gaming Tradeshow, featuring the Digital Play Summit (DPS), will showcase more of the industry’s most high-profile operators than ever before, alongside a formidable line-up of its major providers.
Stand-out performers like iGT, Everi, Konami, Playtech, Chalkline, Continent 8, and GBank, as well as other stakeholders such as DraftKings and Fanduel, will be exhibiting at the Anaheim Convention Center, California, from April 8-11.
For the first time the 2024 event will also demonstrate tribal gaming’s adherence to player protection with the launch of a Sustainable Gambling Zone (SGZ).
The SGZ will be a focal point for collaboration where companies can discuss best practices, learn about the latest research and discover innovations in the area of harm prevention and long-term business and industry sustainability.
Presented as a physical area on the DPS show floor, it will feature kiosks where organizations committed to responsible gambling and players’ health will exhibit their services, products and tools.
The SGZ is supported by IGT and endorsed by the National Council on Problem Gambling, Massachusetts Council on Gaming and Health and The International Center for Responsible Gaming who were also among the first groups to confirm their presence with a kiosk.
The initiative, previously known as the Consumer Protection Zone at ICE London but unique for a North American gaming event, invites other organizations that put responsible gambling at the core of their practice to show their support.
Further exhibitors, sponsors and supporters of this key event in the industry calendar are expected in the next two weeks, all set to explore the incredible opportunities for growth in tribal gaming.
Ernie Stevens, Jr, Indian Gaming Association Chairman, said: “We’re delighted to have compiled such an expansive list of exhibitors as our stakeholders play a vital role in moving this industry forward, and positive progression is at the core of everything we do at the IGA.
“A key part of that is everybody working sustainably and progressively. The Sustainable Gambling Zone at Digital Play Summit is the perfect vehicle for that message and is a fantastic initiative.
“We’re excited to welcome exhibitors and visitors new and time-served to Anaheim to discover more of what we stand for and how working Indian country offers the opportunity to reap tangible rewards.”
Registration for the DigitalPlay Summit is included in all conference and tradeshow registration packages for the Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention.
BetVictor
Exploring Canada’s video Game Market: Survey Insights
Technology has become a great source of entertainment to many. Video games particularly have garnered interest from all demographics. In Canada, the gaming industry has experienced significant growth, fuelled by increased accessibility to gaming platforms and the growth of online gaming communities.
Statistics indicate that a large percentage of Canadians are engaged in gaming activities, whether it be playing console or PC games, mobile games, or online multiplayer games. The popularity of video games extends beyond leisure pastimes, with many Canadians participating in gaming competitions, attending gaming conventions, and consuming gaming-related content on platforms like Twitch and YouTube.
The number of video game users in Canada reflects how broad the sector is, from mobile games to digital video games, download games and live streaming. In 2024, the gaming sector will see millions of users in each of these categories. Statista projects 13.38 million users for digital video games and 7.35 million users for online games respectively. It estimates that revenue in the Canadian video game market is expected to reach US$3,925.00m in 2024, so it is no surprise to observe the increasing popularity of the sector.
Well-known online casino provider BetVictor has compiled some key points from major surveys detailing the video game market to give further insight into its makeup and potential. The gaming culture in Canada is growing, which means the type of games and genres will grow along with the sector. Statista recently conducted a survey of 1 576 respondents aged 18 – 64 who are avid video game players, with telling results. In December 2023, a survey about preferred video game genres in Canada revealed the top four genres as being Action, Action – adventure, Adventure and casual games accounting for 31% of respondents’ preferences.
David Winter, Marketing Manager at BetVictor notes that “We’ve seen a steady increase in the popularity of action-themed and adventure-themed slots and many providers are exploring how to expand further into this market.”
The popularity of Action games such as platform and fighting games can be attributed to various factors, such as: social interaction, accessibility and inclusivity, social appeal, and cultural influence. With such a diverse audience, all these factors are crucial to understand the appeal of Action games.
In the digital age, gaming has transcended mere entertainment to become a cornerstone of culture, and nowhere is this more evident than in Canada. From coast to coast, a diverse community of gamers is thriving, reflecting the country’s inclusive spirit and passion for technology. Whether it’s the casual gamer enjoying a quick session on their smartphone or the dedicated enthusiast meticulously building a custom gaming PC, Canada offers a welcome haven for all kinds of gamers.
Diving deeper into the Statista results, Strategy games accounted for 29%. This shows us that players have a strong interest in tactical and decision-making games. While role-playing (RPG) and sports games garnered 22% each, simulation and shooters trailed slightly behind at 21% and 20% respectively.
MMO (massively multiplayer online games), as well as MMORPGs (massively multiplayer online role-playing games) and MOBA (multi online battle arenas) came in at 13% and 8% respectively, representing a significant but niche following. With such a diverse array of preferences, the survey underscores the multifaceted nature of interests among Canadian gamers. It highlights the need for game developers to cater for a wide range of genres and gameplaying styles in the Canadian market.
From action shooter games to role-playing adventures, the industry has something for every gaming enthusiast in the Canadian market. Overall, the popularity of video games in Canada reflects a growing cultural phenomenon, where gaming has become a mainstream form of entertainment and a significant aspect of modern-day leisure activities.
Statistics anticipate a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.10% for 2022-2027, resulting in a projected market volume of US$24.52bn by 2027. Canada’s online gaming market is experiencing a surge in popularity, with a surging number of Canadian players engaging in immersive virtual reality experiences.
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