Gaming
Anzu Becomes Exclusive In-Game AdTech Provider for Saber Interactive’s Upcoming Dakar Desert Rally
Anzu and Saber Interactive partner to bring advertisers into the highly anticipated Dakar Desert Rally when it launches this year on PC and consoles
In-game advertising company Anzu has secured an exclusive deal with Saber Interactive, the global game publisher and developer, to offer advertisers a chance to communicate with their audiences via the highly anticipated upcoming racer Dakar Desert Rally.
The new AAA title is the official game of Dakar Rally, the largest rally race on the planet, hosted by the Amaury Sport Organisation and broadcast each year across 70 TV channels in 190 countries. 1,065 drivers and 578 vehicles took part in 2021’s race, and clips of the rally have been viewed online by over 59.8M people, with an additional 76.8M Facebook and Instagram story views.
Fans worldwide have been anticipating news of a new official Dakar rally video game title. This past December, Saber Interactive revealed that the title would launch in 2022 and feature an enhanced Dakar rally experience with over 30 stages of full rally racing, an immense open world with seasons and dynamic weather, official road books to navigate, and a garage stocked with licensed vehicles, including motorcycles, cars, trucks, quads, and SSVs.
The game’s development team is committed to creating an immersive game experience that faithfully brings the Dakar Rally to gamers. Anzu is helping the team replicate that; advertisers will be able to run their banner and video ads within Anzu’s in-game ad placements, which will take the form of 3D objects like roadside billboards and banners. They will also be able to take advantage of a variety of custom integration options, including custom vehicles which can be painted with brand colors, logos, and even have the driver wear a custom uniform. There are also options for roadside flags that can be branded with a product logo and different colors, and garage takeovers, where brands can add custom wall banners and items to decorate the building.
The non-disruptive nature and expert optimization of Anzu’s ad placements also mean brands will benefit from extremely high engagement rates without disrupting the player experience. Advertisers will also benefit from the low fraud rates associated with in-game advertising. HUMAN reports that Anzu’s IVT score for mobile is 0.16% and for PC is 0.47%. Comscore also reports a 0.39% score for video and 0.44% for display campaigns, compared to a 6% benchmark. Anzu also works with other industry leaders to measure ad viewability, fraud levels, and brand impact.
Alex Yerukhimovich, VP Games, Anzu, said: “We’ve been working closely with Saber Interactive to ensure our ad placements are perfectly positioned to enhance both the player and advertising experience. This is a great opportunity for advertisers to showcase their campaigns in a visually stunning AAA title, and for players to experience races with real ads that are relevant to the setting alongside the track. Just like they would expect to see if they were watching a real race, making the experience all the more authentic.
More and more advertisers are making in-game advertising a larger part of their digital ad strategies. As the anticipation continues to grow around this title, we’re looking forward to bringing many into the Dakar experience to reach its millions of diverse and dedicated fans who stretch across the entire globe.”
Our Saber Porto team has been passionately working on Dakar Desert Rally and is focused on making this one of the biggest and most authentic rally racing games ever,” said Todd Hollenshead, Head of Publishing at Saber Interactive. “Our goal is to bring Dakar to life in a realistic and fun way, and it’s been great to see that passion mirrored by the talented team at Anzu through their industry-leading technology and expertise. We’re working closely together to ensure these ads are implemented in a way that is immersive and serve to help faithfully recreate the real-life rally experience.”
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Eastern Europe
Amazon Games Expands Global Footprint with New Development Studio in Europe
Amazon Games announced it has opened a new game development studio in Europe, based in Bucharest, Romania. The studio expands Amazon’s commitment to developing and publishing games as it joins the ranks of the existing development teams in Orange County, Montreal, San Diego, and Seattle. The new studio will focus on supporting Amazon Games’ diverse portfolio of games now and in the future. Amazon Games is actively hiring to build out the talented team, with many active roles open now.
“Amazon Games is focused on developing and publishing great games, and we have an ambitious long-term roadmap in front of us,” said Christoph Hartmann, VP of Amazon Games. “Expanding our internal development teams into Europe was a natural next step for us as we tackle our broad portfolio. Bucharest is known as one of the top emerging European cities for game development and we look forward to tapping into the rich talent pool.”
Amazon Games has hired industry veteran Cristian Pana to lead the studio. Cristian brings more than 20 years of experience building video games, most recently serving as the Managing Director at Ubisoft Bucharest. Cristian’s experience spans some of video games’ biggest games and franchises, including Tom Clancy’s The Division, The Crew, Far Cry, and Avatar and diverse genres, from driving games, action adventure open world games to shooter RPGs.
“I’m thrilled to join Amazon Games at a time when the team is actively building across an exciting roadmap,” said Cristian Pana, Studio Head for Amazon Games Bucharest. “I’ve built and led outstanding teams in the past and I know this area of Europe is a hot spot for some of the very best talent in gaming.”
The new studio supports Amazon Games’ vision of developing and publishing games that foster community in and around its games. The expanding portfolio from Amazon Games includes two launched live-service games, New World and Lost Ark, announced projects including Tomb Raider, The Lord of the Rings, and Throne and Liberty, as well as unannounced projects from our San Diego and Montreal studios, and the independent studio Glowmade in the UK.
The post Amazon Games Expands Global Footprint with New Development Studio in Europe appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Gaming
KuCoin Ventures Announces Strategic Investment in FantaGoal
KuCoin Ventures, the investment arm of the global cryptocurrency exchange KuCoin, has announced a strategic investment in FantaGoal, an eagerly anticipated Web3 game for this summer. This collaboration marks a significant milestone in the evolution of the Web3 gaming market, emphasising the strategic partnership between KuCoin Ventures and FantaGoal.
FantaGoal is poised to capture the attention of football fans worldwide by integrating elements of the Euro Cup, Copa America, Fantasy sports and AI, delivering the most exhilarating football gaming experience. With the aim of building the world’s largest football ecosystem, FantaGoal has secured partnerships with many football stars as well as numerous football clubs and large football communities. Leveraging its innovative one-stop custody wallet solution, FantaGoal enables Web2 football fans to seamlessly transition into Web3 gaming.
The strategic partnership between KuCoin Ventures and FantaGoal is expected to unlock new opportunities for both parties. By leveraging KuCoin Ventures’ industry insights, FantaGoal is set to achieve substantial growth. Conversely, FantaGoal’s innovative gaming solutions will diversify the services offered by KuCoin Ventures. Key highlights of the partnership include enhanced user engagement for FantaGoal, advancements in seamless user integration from Web2 to Web3, and innovations in game economics and ecosystem design.
“KuCoin Ventures is thrilled to partner with FantaGoal, a platform that shares our vision for an open and accessible financial future. This investment is not just financial; it’s a strategic move to integrate FantaGoal’s innovative gaming solutions into our ecosystem,” Johnny Lyu, CEO of KuCoin, said.
KuCoin Ventures has been actively seeking out and investing in promising blockchain and cryptocurrency projects that align with its vision of a decentralised and inclusive financial ecosystem. The investment in FantaGoal is a testament to KuCoin Venture’s commitment to supporting projects that bring transformative solutions to the market.
The post KuCoin Ventures Announces Strategic Investment in FantaGoal appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Gaming
Galaxsys Launches Cosmic Game Themes
The post Galaxsys Launches Cosmic Game Themes appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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