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ODIN by 4Players: Immersive, state-of-the-art in-game audio launches into the next generation of gaming

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  • Compatible with a wide range of game engines and operating systems including Unreal Engine 5 and IOS, ODIN offers spatial audio features that developers can easily integrate into their games

Tech pioneer, 4Players, has unveiled its latest cutting-edge innovation, ODIN by 4Players, continuing its mission to revolutionise in-game experiences. ODIN offers crystal clear voice chat, 3D spatial real-time voice, and seamless integration into game development engines, including Unity, Unreal Engine 4 and Unreal Engine 5. Built with the metaverse and beyond in mind, ODIN supports immersive voice experiences for a new age.

Created by a team of developers who are truly passionate about improving user experience and understand the importance of total immersion in gaming, ODIN is 4Players’ newest product. Following the success of 4NetPlayers – the company’s high-end, low latency server hire service – ODIN is an audio SDK that can be easily integrated into the next generation of game engines. With immersive and interactive gaming being the focus, ODIN’s tech levels-up in-game multiplayer communications, with spatial audio that makes voice chat feel more real than ever before. Highly optimised, ODIN is crystal clear and lag-free, with incredibly low latency and is compatible when developing across all current platforms.

Dedicated to privacy and security, ODIN is encrypted end-to-end and fully GDPR compliant. With a generic API, ODIN is flexible in its integration and with its cutting edge SDK, the game engine does all the work. Maximising the potential of in-game environments, ODIN can be attached to any in-game object to create an audio experience unlike anything else. Truly developer-friendly and quick to integrate, the process takes under a day to complete, creating a smooth and efficient experience for developers.

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Developers are beginning to take advantage of the new tech, including the team at Combat Waffle Studios, a veteran owned game studio. This studio is using ODIN for the use of voice chat in its VR Multiplayer Survival game Ghosts of Tabor.

Reinaldo Vieira, Lead Developer at Combat Waffle Studios said: “ODIN by 4Players voice chat is the best choice for cross-play voice communication, besides having features that competitors do not. The setup is extremely easy, and having a team that supports you every step of the way to ensure you are on the right track is a relief.”

Using the same brand-new technology for game developers, 4Players has announced its own open-source chat client that is powered by ODIN. A truly feature-rich suite, this service offers a self-hosted platform for conferencing, allowing audio, video and text chat. ODIN doesn’t just level up the gaming experience, but work life too. Supported by Swift and SwiftUI, an IOS test client for ODIN is now available on GitHub. With this new advancement developers can integrate ODIN’s SDK into their games across IOS, placing the true power of spatial audio into the most popular operating system on mobile devices.

Sven Paulsen, CTO at 4Players said: “By creating ODIN by 4Players, we are giving developers the resources they need to create the most immersive gaming experience for the next generation. For us, this is important because at 4Players we understand, play and love games, and strive to have this reflected in our products.”

ODIN is deeply integrated into Unity by leveraging the native Unity AudioSource API for playback, which means that voice is part of the game engines´ scene and encourages developers to use standard Unity tools like AudioMixer. ODIN comes with custom built audio occlusion APIs that allow it to simulate the effect of thick walls and direction. The ODIN plugin for Unreal Engine is also deeply integrated into the engine by building on Unreal Engine’s Synth component, meaning that standard Unreal Engine tools can be used for audio effects and ODIN automatically uses Unreal Engine’s built in audio occlusion. These unique features allow developers to integrate realistic, immersive, 3D spatial real-time voice and sound into any Unity or Unreal Engine game in no time and with ease.

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ODIN was developed by 4Players, a company which has been shaping the games industry for over 20 years with a suite of cutting-edge products. 4Players is at the forefront of the next generation of game development and playing, with its server hire service 4NetPlayers, a favourite of developers and gamers alike. ODIN is 4Players’ latest offering, created by a team of industry experts behind the forerunning platform TeamSpeak.

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UK Gaming Charity SpecialEffect to Receive Special Award at 20th BAFTA Games Awards

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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.

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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.

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Industry heavyweights all set for biggest ever Indian Gaming Tradeshow

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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.

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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.

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“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.

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Exploring Canada’s video Game Market: Survey Insights

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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.

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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.

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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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