Latest News

NSoft story: Passion and motivation behind Virtual Penalty Shootout

Published

5 years ago

October 5, 2021

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Virtual Penalty Shootout celebrated its first birthday. Officially, the game was released on September 30, 2020, and instantly captured the attention of both – operators and players.

The expert community has also recognized the uniqueness and the beauty of the game by shortlisting it for the Global Gaming Award 2021 in the category Product Launch of the Year. Recently NSoft received seven nominations for the SBC Awards Latinoamerica 2021. Among others, we are shortlisted in the category Virtual Sports Supplier. The application for this award has leaned heavily on the Virtual Penalty Shootout game.

To celebrate all those milestones, we decided to tell a different story about Virtual Penalty Shootout game. We will not talk about the RNG, betting markets, how-to-play but let people who created the game say a word or two about passion, excitement and dedication.

By Amela Dedić and Biljana Haljevac, Senior 3D Artists/Animators

The team

Great teams and great ideas are all about people and the working atmosphere. We at NSoft’s former 3D Games Team, now 3D Creative Team were lucky to found each and we just can’t start this story without saying thank-you to former and current team members: Jasmin Ličina – Senior 3D artist/Team lead, Dragan Grbavac – Senior 3D artist, Dejan Boras – Senior Unity dev, Zlatko Vukšić – Senior Unity dev, Adnan Mujkić – Unity Dev, Dragan Rezo – Senior 3D Artist, Stojan Cvitković – Senior 3D Artist, Toni Matej Radoš – Senior 3D Artist. In this story, “we” are Biljana Haljevac – Senior 3D Animator and Amela Dedić – Senior 3D Animator. We are the one who will take you behind the scene of Virtual Penalty Shootout.

Our Team’s job is to develop Virtual betting games such as Virtual greyhound and horse races, Motorcycle Speedway, etc.

New Project – Virtual Penalty Shootout

The virtual penalty shootout was the most challenging project we’ve worked on. It allowed us to learn and try new things such as Motion capture. Our first job was to figure out the best way for our small team to make such a big virtual game. The biggest challenge was the animation process. We needed a large number of highly realistic animations, and the best solution for that problem was a Motion Capture system. Our choice was a company from Sweden named Rokoko and their WiFi motion capture suit – The Smartsuit Pro.

After we placed our order for the suit, the waiting time was used to go “back to school” and research making of other elements of the game such as character and venue design and creation, MoCap animation recording and cleanup, new software, and game rules. Our best friends were Pluralsight and LinkedIn Learning.

The Arrival- Smartsuit Pro is in the town

The arrival of the Smartsuit Pro was the most joyful occasion. Also, the day when our colleague Toni officially became the resident MoCap test talent.

Since our open office was not suited for a proper MoCap test, our first pick was local park. Awesome place, beautiful weather, but just one problem: electricity was really hard to find. A better-suited place was found for proper test and future motion capture sessions. The Local Futsal field had everything we needed.

MoCap Time!

Following initial tests, we felt confident enough to start official motion capture sessions. The first step was planning and creating MoCap sheets for each motion capture session.

Our motion capture crew was small but efficient: Toni Matej Radoš – Test talent & Talent Manager, Biljana Haljevac – Reference Cameras and Amela Dedić – Rokoko Studio, MoCap Sheet. And our Talents, real-life football players, who without this would not be possible: Fedja Kulenić (goalkeeper) and Ivan Arapović (player).

Since we have only one suit, Goalkeeper and Player animations were recorded separately. Because of that, we had to be very careful during the planning process so the respective animations could match. We were a bit worried about the Goalkeeper’s recording sessions, taking into consideration the nature of football goalkeeping movements. To make everything easier we relocated Goalkeeper’s MoCap sessions to the local Judo club with a soft tatami mat surface. We had 3 recording sessions and each was 3 hours long. That gave us 137 raw animations. We were aware that not every MoCap take will be successful or 100% accurate, we made sure that every take was also recorded with our reference cameras.

Animation Cleanup

The entire process of cleanup was done in Maya and Motionbuilder using the HumanIK system. Most of the work was root motion corrections, foot slides, and arms fixes. The final part of the cleanup was merging the animations of Player and Goalkeeper into one take and making sure that the timing fits perfectly for each take.

The ball movement was a mix of keyframed animation and Unity physics.

Visuals & Final Render

Cleanup done. Next: Dressing up. The entire time of animation cleanup our player and goalkeeper rigs were dressed in nothing but their birthday suit. That caused a lot of funny looks from our other coworkers. But fear not! Our 3D artist Dragan Rezo was on the task of dressing them up for their final render.

Visuals & Final Render

Every visual element of the game can be easily changed. Character appearance, jerseys, crowd, banners. All this can be altered according to the client’s requirements. We had a test client request just to see how much time would be needed for all the changes and rendering.

Lions on background video banners
Goalkeeper jersey with leopard pattern and panther head as front logo
Penalty taker with a red jersey and white sun on blue background (Taiwanese flag) as a front logo. Number 88 on the back and name “Tigers” above it
Additional but not requested, all resolve screens translated to mandarin

Final words

Almost nobody was injured during the making of the game. Our Goalkeeper had some bruises from the suit’s sensors, and we almost had a heart attack when our suit had a minor malfunction.

All jokes aside, our small team is very proud to have managed to complete such a large project, learn a bunch of new things in the process, and use Motion capture technology. It was an awesome experience from start to finish.

In the end, we would like you to take a look at our little video presentation of the Motion capture animation process.

Compliance Updates

KSA Completes Its Investigation Into How Minors Could Still Gamble Online Despite Age Restrictions

Published

2 hours ago

April 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

ksa-completes-its-investigation-into-how-minors-could-still-gamble-online-despite-age-restrictions

The Dutch Gambling Authority (KSA) has completed its investigation into how minors could still gamble online despite age restrictions. The investigation shows that it is virtually impossible for minors to gamble with legal gambling providers.

Minors are not allowed to gamble in the Netherlands. When age verification is circumvented, it is primarily done via accounts belonging to adult family members and friends. However, the KSA received reports that it was possible for minors to create accounts with legal online gambling providers and launched an investigation in 2025 as a result.

The study examined the registration process at online gambling providers, with a specific focus on identity verification and bank account verification. Transaction data requested from banks allowed for a more in-depth investigation into potential shortcomings.

The investigation shows that there are virtually no serious irregularities. However, in a very limited number of cases, players were able to use another person’s bank accounts or link their own bank account to another player’s account. This could occur almost exclusively in situations where people have exactly the same initials.

Discussions with online gambling providers revealed that they did not have an immediate solution for this. The KSA notes that such a solution is now available and will engage in a technical session with the online providers to discuss what the KSA expects from the sector in this regard. The KSA will also share its recommendations with the online gambling providers at a later date, and these guidelines will be incorporated into the Wwft guidance.

Michel Groothuizen, Chairman of the Board of the Dutch Gaming Authority, said: “The KSA is deeply concerned about minors gambling. Fortunately, it appears that this hardly ever occurs among licensed providers, but we do have clear indications that it is happening nonetheless. This is likely on the illegal market. Illegal providers often apply no or low standards for age verification and advertise specifically targeting this young demographic, for example via TikTok. This is extremely harmful, and the KSA is therefore working hard to combat the illegal supply. We are also placing a stronger focus on educating minors to make them aware of the risks of gambling.”

The post KSA Completes Its Investigation Into How Minors Could Still Gamble Online Despite Age Restrictions appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Aigars Jurgelans

Amusnet Announces Strategic Partnership with Concorde Casino Group

Published

2 hours ago

April 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

amusnet-announces-strategic-partnership-with-concorde-casino-group

Amusnet, a leading provider of next-generation gaming solutions, has announced a new strategic partnership with the Concorde casino group, which operates three casinos in Cyprus: Concorde Tower Casino in Nicosia, Concorde Luxury Casino in Bafra and Concorde Aria Casino in Kyrenia. This collaboration marks a significant step in Amusnet’s strategy to expand its gaming portfolio into the vibrant Cyprus Land-based casino market.

The partnership’s initial phase includes installing 16 of Amusnet’s state-of-the-art Type S 32 slot cabinets across the two locations. Manufactured to the highest standards of the global casino industry, Amusnet’s premium slot machines combine cutting-edge technology, sleek design and exceptional player engagement. The game selection features some of Amusnet’s most popular titles, including Crazy Red, Candy Palace,100 Extra Crown, Art of Gold, Extra Crown, Vampire Beast and Phoenix Star.

The partnership started with the installation of 16 of Amusnet’s state-of-the-art Type S 32 slot cabinets at the group’s first two casino locations, Concorde Tower Casino in Nicosia and Concorde Luxury Casino in Bafra. Manufactured to the highest standards of the global casino industry, Amusnet’s premium slot machines combine cutting-edge technology, sleek design and exceptional player engagement. The game selection features some of Amusnet’s most popular titles, including Crazy Red, Candy Palace, 100 Extra Crown, Art of Gold, Extra Crown, Vampire Beast and Phoenix Star. The partnership continues with the installation of 8 Type S J55 slot cabinets at the newest Concorde Aria Casino, scheduled to open in May 2026.

“Our expansion into the Cyprus Land-based market is a testament to our shared vision and commitment to quality with Concorde Casino. This partnership provides us with a strong foundation of excellence and mutual trust. The collaboration allows us to continue our mission of providing exceptional gaming experiences, seamlessly introducing the success of our online portfolio to their premium Land-based venues,” said Borislav Marinov, Head of Business Development, Land-based at Amusnet.

“At Concorde Casinos, we are always looking for ways to diversify and strengthen our product offering. In my view, Amusnet brings a product that is particularly well-suited to players who are already familiar with and enjoy online slot games, helping us connect Land-based entertainment with modern player preferences. I am impressed by Amusnet’s innovations, the quality of their products, and the high level of technical support they provide. We are pleased to have them as a partner and look forward to developing this cooperation further,” said Aigars Jurgelans, Slot Director at Concorde Casinos.

The post Amusnet Announces Strategic Partnership with Concorde Casino Group appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

ADI Predictstreet

DAZN Enters into Strategic Partnership with ADI Predictstreet

Published

2 hours ago

April 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

dazn-enters-into-strategic-partnership-with-adi-predictstreet

DAZN, the world’s leading sports entertainment platform, and ADI Predictstreet, the new dynamic prediction market, have entered into a landmark strategic partnership to deliver a new era of interactive engagement to fans around the world.

DAZN will integrate ADI Predictstreet, the Official Prediction Market Partner of the FIFA World Cup 2026, into its platform, enhancing DAZN’s ecosystem of live and on-demand sports viewing, real-time scores, news, betting, gaming and FanZone.

DAZN’s footprint provides unparalleled distribution for ADI Predictstreet’s prediction market infrastructure. Through this partnership, prediction becomes a native part of the fan experience—embedded before, during, and after live events—allowing fans to engage with market sentiment, probability, and collective insight in real time.

This collaboration brings together two FIFA partners to create a seamless ecosystem where sport and prediction converge. Embedded directly into DAZN’s live streams, ADI Predictstreet will enable interactive prompts, real-time sentiment tracking, and dynamic prediction experiences tied to the world’s biggest sporting moments.

ADI Predictstreet, powered by ADI Chain’s blockchain infrastructure, is a new forecasting market platform that is programmed and trained on FIFA’s official historic data, allowing fans to predict things such as match outcomes, tournament statistics, and breakout players throughout the competition using an educated approach.

While the FIFA World Cup 2026 will serve as a launchpad, the partnership extends across DAZN’s premium sports portfolio. ADI Predictstreet will roll out across major leagues and events, driving deeper, more continuous fan engagement.

Shay Segev, CEO of DAZN Group, said: “DAZN is redefining sports entertainment by making it more immersive, interactive and connected for every fan. Partnering with ADI Predictstreet allows us to embed real‑time prediction directly into the live viewing experience, turning insight and sentiment into a native part of how fans engage with the world’s biggest sporting moments. With the FIFA World Cup 2026 as a catalyst and our platform as the engine, this partnership is a major step forward in how fans experience sport.”

Dimitrios Psarrakis, CEO at Predictstreet, said: “This partnership marks a defining moment in how audiences will experience sport. By combining DAZN’s unmatched reach with ADI Predictstreet’s real-time participation layer, we are transforming fans from spectators into active participants. This is not just an evolution of engagement, it is the creation of a new category where technology, collective intelligence, and global events intersect at scale.”

Designed to reward insight and informed participation, and with community building and interactive engagement sentiment at its core, ADI Predictstreet offers supporters new ways to engage with iconic sporting moments across DAZN’s sporting portfolio, including the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Underpinning this ecosystem is ADI Chain, an institutional-grade digital infrastructure designed to support high-volume, real-time transactions with transparency, security, and scalability at its core. This foundation enables ADI Predictstreet to operate seamlessly at global scale, supporting millions of users across live environments while maintaining a trusted and robust digital framework.

The post DAZN Enters into Strategic Partnership with ADI Predictstreet appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.