Gaming
“World Class Games” is the Theme of Gamescom 2023
Video games connect some 3 billion people worldwide. People play together across all borders, share stories and adventures. Games have long since become a world culture medium, shaping whole generations around the globe. The games industry is not only setting the cultural trends, but also the technological trends, for example in virtual reality, 3D technologies or artificial intelligence. Games innovations are defining more and more industries. This outstanding cultural and technological importance of games makes them world class.
“As the world’s largest games event, gamescom brings together the global video games community and industry. Every year at the end of August, Germany is the heart of gaming. This is even more true for this year. However, it must be our aim to ensure that the international games industry does not just look to Germany once a year, but also during the rest of the year. In order for games from Germany to be world class, we need the reliable support of politics. That’s why I’m very pleased that numerous major politicians will visit gamescom again this year to talk about the right way forward,” said Felix Falk, Managing Director of game – The German Games Industry Association and co-organiser of gamescom.
Gamescom Trend: “Upgrade for reality”
Whether it’s Artificial Intelligence or the Metaverse: The expertise of the gaming industry is becoming crucial for more and more sectors of the economy. The best example of this is AI. Everyone is currently talking about it because of chatbots, but it has already been used successfully in the games industry for many years: Within video games, to enable believable behaviour of the game characters, in development, to create entire galaxies or to be able to detect errors in a complex code. The 3D technologies used to create games have also made it possible to replace entire movie sets or modernise education programmes.
Gamescom Trend: “Games studios are the new dream factories”
Video games tell the epic stories of our time. This requires teams of highly creative people. Their expertise – whether in programming, interface design or the creation of story universes – is in demand across all sectors of the economy. Anyone who wants to inspire people around the world with stories today should start in the gaming industry. After all, games are not only played all over the world, but they are also understood everywhere.
Major Political Figures Attending Gamescom
Not only the international games community and industry meet at gamescom in Cologne, but also more and more politicians from Germany, Europe and the rest of the world. With the gamescom congress, the Political Opening and the Debatt(l)e Royale, there are multiple political events. This year, the official Political Opening of gamescom on 23 August will be attended by, among others, Vice Chancellor and Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Robert Habeck and Hendrik Wüst, Minister President of North Rhine-Westphalia. The political talk Debatt(l)e Royale will follow on 24 August. Participants will include Franziska Giffey (SPD Berlin Senator for Economic Affairs, Energy and Industry and SPD state party chair), Nathanael Liminski (Minister for Federal, European and International Affairs and the Media of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and Head of the State Chancellery), Emily Büning (Federal Executive Director, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) and Bijan Djir-Sarai (Secretary General, FDP). As part of the gamescom congress, Lisa Paus, Federal Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, will also take part in a discussion on the contemporary protection of minors in games.
Gaming
Soft2Bet Introduces MEGA11, a Football Manager Experience Designed to Elevate Sportsbook Activity
Soft2Bet has revealed the debut of MEGA11, a football management game aimed at enhancing sportsbook interaction and improving player loyalty. Acknowledging that football manager and fantasy games rank among the most favored genres with the longest typical gameplay durations, MEGA11 provides a progression-oriented and captivating football manager experience focusing on fantasy league team construction, allowing players to tactically oversee their own teams and make important choices while competing in leagues and matches.
Users of sportsbooks are inherently used to waiting before making their next wager. That inactivity naturally leads to a decrease in daily engagement, even among bettors who are very focused on football. MEGA11 addresses this issue by providing users with a football management game seamlessly connected to the sportsbook experience. Rather than waiting for the upcoming kickoff, players can remain engaged by forming their team, modifying lineups, and battling in their personal matchups or leagues. This establishes a distinctive two-way interaction cycle, effortlessly integrating real-money wagering with social, engaging gameplay, transforming these calmer times into organized activity with defined objectives, advancement, and a motivation to come back.
MEGA11 is developed as an independent game featuring its own soft-currency system, without any direct links to sportsbook deposits or casino operations. The main experience is free-to-play, enabling players to advance at their own speed. For players seeking to advance quickly or enhance their team, MEGA11 provides optional purchases, such as more powerful player cards and boosters that speed up progress and offer a strategic advantage.
The engagement of the sportsbook is fueled by a straightforward, quantifiable mechanism. Each wager allows players to accumulate points that enhance their advancement in the football manager game. This advancement, consequently, activates sportsbook bonuses, actively encouraging ongoing involvement and strengthening consistent engagement. Advancement is organized via a five-level loyalty and gamification framework that reflects a football career trajectory: Beginner, Amateur, Professional, World Class, and Legend. The tiering aims to maintain motivation over time, providing a consistent feeling of progress that fosters longer-term retention instead of brief spurts of engagement.
The new engine enhances Soft2Bet’s larger MEGA portfolio, which currently features mechanics like MEGA Chance, MEGA Round, and MEGA Clawee. It further enhances Soft2Bet’s sportsbook offering with instant payouts, 24/7 support, and over 200 pre-match football markets, by introducing a perpetual football format designed to maintain fan engagement beyond the live match calendar.
The design of the product continues to prioritize player protection and compliance. MEGA11’s soft-currency, non-deposit model promotes secure and compliant interactions, emphasizing entertainment and advancement while adhering to responsible gaming standards in regulated regions.
Yoel Zuckerberg, CPO at Soft2Bet, stated: “MEGA11 is built to keep football fans engaged between matchdays, pairing a manager-style progression loop with a soft-currency model that supports compliant, long-term sportsbook loyalty. Football manager games are renowned for having the highest player immersion and longest session times in the industry. By bringing this experience to our partners, we are combining real betting with social gameplay to deliver authentic player experiences that resonate with fans and drive sustainable engagement.”
The introduction of MEGA11 enhances Soft2Bet’s emphasis on product-driven engagement, merging game design, loyalty strategies, and a robust regulatory framework to assist operators in achieving more reliable retention during the football season. The technology has received significant industry awards and is eliciting a strong positive reaction from players, confirming its influence on engagement and long-term value generation.
The post Soft2Bet Introduces MEGA11, a Football Manager Experience Designed to Elevate Sportsbook Activity appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Gaming
58% of respondents like the“warmy” archetype. Rocket Match by RocketPlay became “ Valentine’s Tinder in Gaming”.
This Valentine’s, RocketPlay tested a playful idea: players who seek thrills in gaming don’t necessarily want intensity in everything — including relationships. Instead of asking users to pick a “perfect partner,” RocketPlay launched Rocket Match, a fast, flirty quiz that matches players with a vibe: Bold, Sunny, Dreamy, or Adventurous.
Early Results Flip the Stereotype
Around 58% of participants matched with the Sunny archetype — defined by warmth, charm, and easy-going fun. The experiment suggests that when it comes to Valentine’s, RocketPlay’s community prefers light-hearted connection over drama or high stakes.
What Rocket Match Is
Rocket Match is a Valentine’s matchmaking quiz built inside the RocketPlay Universe. Players answer five simple, no-wrong-answer questions and instantly discover their match vibe.
The goal: move away from typical Valentine’s content that swings between overly serious romance or clichéd tropes. Rocket Match keeps it flirty, playful, and moment-focused, letting players discover a vibe rather than a label.
The four vibes include:
-
Bold – confident, high-energy, loves bigger sparks
-
Sunny – easy-going, playful, social, effortlessly charming
-
Dreamy – soft, romantic, focused on atmosphere and emotion
-
Adventurous – playful risk-taker, spontaneous, curious
Community Insights from Rocket Match
The quiz quickly gained traction, with 7,000+ completions, revealing a strong preference: Sunny, the archetype defined by warmth, lightness, and charm.
Alex Martin, PR Lead at RocketPlay, said:
“What we liked most about Rocket Match is how clearly it captured the mood people actually want on Valentine’s. It wasn’t about labels or big statements — it was about light energy, easy chemistry, and a feel-good kind of connection. That’s the vibe we try to build across the brand: simple to join, fun in the moment, and positive without the drama.”
Why It Matters
Rocket Match was more than a Valentine’s gimmick. It offered a snapshot of what RocketPlay’s community enjoys most: light energy, playful interaction, and feel-good connections. By turning a pop-culture moment into a small experiment, RocketPlay gained insight into player preferences, informing how the brand continues to design engaging, fun, and positive experiences.
The post 58% of respondents like the“warmy” archetype. Rocket Match by RocketPlay became “ Valentine’s Tinder in Gaming”. appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Gaming
58% of respondents like the“warmy” archetype. Rocket Match by RocketPlay became “ Valentine’s Tinder in Gaming”.
This Valentine’s, RocketPlay tested a simple idea: people who come to iGaming for thrill don’t necessarily want the same intensity in everything — including relationships. Instead of asking players to choose a “perfect partner,” we launched Rocket Match, a fast, playful quiz that matches players with a vibe — bold, sweet, dreamy, or adventurous.
Early results flipped the stereotype. Around 58% of participants matched with the same vibe — built around warmth, charm, and easy fun — suggesting that when it comes to Valentine’s, our community prefers light-hearted connection over drama or risk.
What Rocket Match is
Rocket Match is a Valentine’s matchmaking quiz built as a small cosmic adventure inside the gaming RocketPlay Universe. Players answer 5 light questions — no right or wrong answers — and instantly unlock a Rocket Match that compliments themself. The idea was simple: Valentine’s content online often swings between two extremes — overly serious romance or pure cliché. Rocket Match was created to do something different: keep it flirty, keep it playful, and let players discover a vibe that feels like a moment, not a label.
There were 4 vibes to match with:
Bold — confident, high-energy, loves a bigger spark and bolder choices.
Sunny — easy-going, lighthearted, funny, good communicator
Dreamy — softer, romantic, drawn to atmosphere and emotion.
Adventurous — playful risk-taker energy; spontaneous, curious, and always up for something new.
The lightweight Valentine’s experiment quickly gained traction, with 7,000+ players completing the quiz. The unexpected value came after: the answers revealed a clear preference in what players wanted Valentine’s to feel like — and that insight became the story.
Across responses, around 58% of participants landed on the same Rocket Match vibe — the “sunny” archetype. It’s defined by warmth, lightness, and easy charm: playful, social, and effortless to be around.
What it says about RocketPlay’s community
Rocket Match offered a clear read on the kind of Valentine’s energy players gravitate toward — and it’s lighter than the usual “high-stakes romance” stereotype. As Alex Martin, PR Lead, puts it: “What we liked most about Rocket Match is how clearly it captured the mood people actually want on Valentine’s. It wasn’t about labels or big statements — it was about light energy, easy chemistry, and a feel-good kind of connection. That’s the vibe we try to build across the brand: simple to join, fun in the moment, and positive without the drama.”
What started as a fun Valentine’s experiment quickly became a snapshot of what the community enjoys most: light energy, easy chemistry, and feel-good connection. Valentine’s was simply the right moment to test a playful, pop-culture format — and see what kind of “match” people gravitate toward.
The post 58% of respondents like the“warmy” archetype. Rocket Match by RocketPlay became “ Valentine’s Tinder in Gaming”. appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
-
Latest News7 days agoTRUEiGTECH Unveils Enterprise-Grade Prediction Market Platform for Operators
-
Canada7 days ago
Rivalry Corp. Announces Significant Reduction in Operations and Evaluation of Strategic Alternatives
-
Acquisitions/Merger7 days ago
Boonuspart Acquires Kasiino-boonus to Strengthen its Position in the Estonian iGaming Market
-
Firecracker Frenzy™ Money Toad™7 days ago
Ancient fortune explodes to life in Greentube’s Firecracker Frenzy™: Money Toad™
-
Blueprint Gaming5 days ago
Blueprint Gaming unleashes Frankenstein’s Fortune blending dynamic modifiers with multi-path bonus offering
-
Compliance Updates6 days ago
How to Apply for a Finnish iGaming License: Gaming in Finland Webinar on Application Steps and Technical Standards
-
Big Daddy Gaming6 days ago
Big Daddy Gaming® Expands European Footprint After MGA Licence Approval
-
Africa7 days ago
EveryMatrix gains South Africa licence with customer launch pipeline on the rise
