Latest News
With 50 Million Master Bakers, ‘Bake It’ Is Now Kwalee’s 2nd-Biggest Mobile Game
Kwalee’s Bake It has officially passed 50 million downloads, making it the publisher’s second most-downloaded hypercasual game to date. Its impressive download count is topped only by Draw It (95 million+ downloads).
Released in May 2020, this tactile game about baking perfect cakes and treats took the mobile game market by storm – it ranked at #1 in the ‘Simulation’ category in 20 countries, and achieved close to 10 million downloads in the first month alone!
Bake It gives the player a chance to explore their delicious itch for culinary baking. Players bake monumental cakes, dressing them with a smorgasbord of sweet toppings and icing and sprinkles and candies – based on what the customer’s sweet tooth craves, of course.
2020 was a testing time for Kwalee, as it was for everyone. The company — headquartered in Leamington Spa — faced the challenge of swapping the shared physical space of its studio with a remote, digital development environment due to the rampant COVID-19 pandemic.
Bake It, Kwalee’s first game launched under these circumstances, proved to be the standard-bearer in the firm’s impressive adaptation to remote working. Kwalee began 2020 as a developer and publisher with just over 60 staff, all firmly UK and office-based, and now finds itself with more than 160 team members, across 13 countries and three offices – Leamington Spa, Bangalore and Beijing.
CEO David Darling expressed his thoughts on the game’s success and its role in Kwalee’s development as a globally-distributed team:
“Seeing the success of Bake It along with a few other hit games of ours, like Object Hunt and Shootout 3D – it gives us confidence in remote working as the new model for our work culture. There’s a lot of potential we’re seeing in working this way to bring more hit games in the long term, especially with a globally-distributed team, so we’re excited about that.”
For an even greater insight into the making of Bake It, Kwalee’s Head of Development Simon Platt published an article soon after the game’s release that dove deep into the team’s experience of handling both development and publishing of Bake It during the pandemic.
Between opening up permanent remote opportunities for candidates globally and working alongside the overseas offices in Bangalore and Beijing, Kwalee’s teams have had to keep their work structure consistent online whilst meeting project goals simultaneously. It has ultimately paid off, with the recent remote releases skyrocketing in the charts.
Kwalee is currently running a challenge for third-party developers called Hypercasual Heroes, in which developers have the chance to get their games published by Kwalee and potentially secure a slice of that Bake It-style success – along with incredible, limited-time awards including a Tesla Model 3 car and $100,000 in advances with uncapped profit share to follow! Open for submissions until 31st August, developers can simply upload their 15-second gameplay video to Kwalee’s new publisher portal in order to be eligible.*
In the case of Bake It, the cherry on top was provided by the fact that interest in baking shot up during the first lockdown, often cited as a therapeutic and productive outlet to bust stress and anxiety. Bake It certainly hit the sweet spot in this regard but more than a year on, it’s also showed impressive longevity.
Bake It continues to receive updates from Kwalee’s dedicated team of designers and developers, who tailor the experiences for all kinds of players so anyone could become the best baker they can be. Android users and iOS users can find Bake It available for download on Google Play Store and App Store respectively.
Kwalee has been nominated in both Best Developer and Best Publisher categories at the upcoming Mobile Games Awards, and you can visit the official website for more information on joining our global team or getting your game published with us.
Aristocrat Gaming
Aristocrat Gaming and Metropolitan Gaming Partner to Open Aristocrat on the Square at Empire Casino
Metropolitan Gaming, in partnership with Aristocrat Gaming, introduced Aristocrat on the Square, a premium new gaming experience for guests at Empire Casino in London and the first dedicated Aristocrat Gaming space in the UK.
Aristocrat on the Square showcases an impressive lineup of popular Aristocrat Gaming titles tailored specifically for the UK, including popular releases like NFL Triple Score, Lightning Link, Mo Mummy and Bao Zhu Zhao Fu Link. The space is designed to elevate the player experience, highlighted by an engaging LED ceiling and upscale décor that create an inviting lounge atmosphere.
“The debut of Aristocrat on the Square at Empire Casino marks a significant milestone for Aristocrat Gaming, reinforcing our commitment to customers across EMEA and expanding our presence in the UK as we continue delivering world‑class gaming experiences to players around the globe. Our partnership with Metropolitan Gaming reflects a multi-year investment in bringing cutting‑edge games, hardware, marketing, and entertainment experiences to players across Europe,” said Craig Toner, CEO of Aristocrat Gaming.
“The launch of Aristocrat on the Square at Empire Casino represents an exciting new chapter for Metropolitan Gaming. As the first dedicated Aristocrat Gaming space in the UK, it reflects our focus on creating distinctive, premium environments that elevate the player experience. Working closely with Aristocrat, we’ve brought together world-class gaming content and a carefully designed setting to deliver something truly special for our guests at Empire Casino,” said Alex Oswald, Managing Director of Metropolitan Gaming.
To celebrate the launch, Empire Casino hosts a month-long Home of the Hot Seats promotion throughout February, offering players the opportunity to win vouchers, free play and more.
The post Aristocrat Gaming and Metropolitan Gaming Partner to Open Aristocrat on the Square at Empire Casino appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Betfred
Betfred Expands its Partnership with Sportradar
Betfred has extended and expanded its longstanding partnership with Sportradar. As part of the agreement, Sportradar will upgrade the retail platform technology underpinning the operations of Betfred’s 1300 retail outlets nationwide, ensuring a sustainable and engaging betting offering is available on the UK high street.
The additional multi-year scope of work further strengthens a partnership built over the past decade. Sportradar’s future ready retail platform enables faster operations and effective risk control. The technology allows Betfred to handle intense data loads around big sporting moments and scale in real-time as bets are placed, ensuring bettors can engage with their sports and place a wager regardless of an event’s popularity.
Under the terms of the agreement, Sportradar will oversee continuous improvements to the Betfred retail platform to ensure ongoing operational excellence and adherence to local regulation and compliance. Furthermore, the technical framework allows Betfred to integrate a multitude of Sportradar’s next generation products and services to deliver a contemporary in-shop experience.
Duncan McDonald, Head of Corporate and Retail Support, Betfred said: “This agreement re-affirms our joint commitment to one another, to develop new products and features that enhance our customer offerings. It future proofs our retail business and secures our partnership with Betfred’s in house technology team and Sportradar for years to come.”
Paolo Personeni, EVP, Managed Betting Services, Sportradar said: “In today’s hyper-competitive marketplace Sportradar is well positioned to help Betfred achieve its long-term growth objectives. With high street operations closely watched, the technological capabilities powering the Sportradar Retail Platform will allow Betfred to deliver a sustainable and long-term retail offering that engages today’s demanding sports bettors.”
The post Betfred Expands its Partnership with Sportradar appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Compliance Updates
Dutch Regulator Urges Online Gambling Providers to Stop Using “Share Your Bet” Feature
The Dutch Gambling Regulator (KSA) has urged the online gambling providers to discontinue the “Share your bet” feature. This feature allows players to share their placed bets via social media or messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Facebook and email. The KSA investigated the functionality of this feature after receiving several signals and questions from the market.
“Share your bet” function
The “Share your bet” feature allows players to easily share their bets with others. It works like this: a player places a bet and sends it via a link to, for example, friends or family. The recipient can then immediately see the bet and, if they have an account, participate as well. This makes gambling easily shared, often via social networks.
Protection of vulnerable groups
The KSA points out that the “Share your bet” feature is a form of advertising and recruitment. It’s a way for providers to promote gambling, but indirectly through players themselves. According to the Decree on Recruitment, Advertising and Addiction Prevention in Gambling, providers must ensure that advertising does not reach vulnerable groups, such as minors, young adults and people with gambling problems.
Because players with the “Share your bet” feature decide who to send their bet to, providers have no control over who receives the shared messages. This means that gambling providers cannot guarantee that vulnerable groups will not unintentionally encounter gambling advertising. Therefore, offering features like “Share your bet” is not permitted.
In addition, the ease of sharing bets helps normalize gambling. This lowers the barrier to entry, especially among younger demographics.
Discontinue “Share your bet” functionality
The KSA is therefore calling on all online gambling providers using the “Share your bet” feature to immediately stop doing so. The KSA will continue to monitor any new developments in this area and will take enforcement action where necessary to ensure the protection of vulnerable groups.
The post Dutch Regulator Urges Online Gambling Providers to Stop Using “Share Your Bet” Feature appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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