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NSoft story: Passion and motivation behind Virtual Penalty Shootout

Published

4 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.

ADM

ENJOY gains Italian approval amid advancing regulated expansion strategy

Published

58 minutes ago

March 24, 2026

Wladimir P.

enjoy-gains-italian-approval-amid-advancing-regulated-expansion-strategy

Approval clears the path for future operator collaborations in one of Europe’s fiercest markets.

ENJOY, the vibrant iGaming content creator, has received official certification to provide its content in the Italian market, signaling an important achievement in the company’s European growth strategy.

After receiving approval from Italy’s regulatory body, Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli (ADM), ENJOY is now permitted to provide its range of slot games, live casino, and hybrid live experiences to licensed operators in one of Europe’s most prominent and competitive iGaming markets.

The certification marks an important milestone in ENJOY’s long-term expansion strategy, allowing the company to penetrate the Italian market via several forthcoming collaborations with prominent local operators. These collaborations will present Italian gamers to ENJOY’s unique combination of captivating game mechanics and superior production quality.

The provider’s catalog features an array of successful slot games centered on established mechanics like Bison Strike and newer entries such as Hotfire Diamonds XXL. It also features an expanding range of live game show experiences like Enchanted Forest and the soon-to-debut Energy Roulette Hold & Win, created at its cutting-edge studio.

Italy’s well-established regulatory system and competitive environment position it as a crucial market for suppliers aiming to secure a solid foothold in Europe, closely aligning with ENJOY’s emphasis on regulated expansion and sustainable market entry.

Christos Zoulianitis, Chief Commercial Officer at ENJOY, said: “Securing certification for the Italian market represents a key milestone in ENJOY’s European expansion. Italy is one of the most established and competitive regulated markets, and gaining approval to supply our content here reflects both the quality of our portfolio and our commitment to meeting the highest regulatory standards.

“This certification allows us to move forward with a number of exciting operator partnerships, ensuring our games are introduced to Italian players in a way that supports long-term growth and strong engagement.”

The post ENJOY gains Italian approval amid advancing regulated expansion strategy appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Big Time Gaming

Megaways Casino Is Back: Built to Play the Mega Way

Published

58 minutes ago

March 24, 2026

Wladimir P.

megaways-casino-is-back:-built-to-play-the-mega-way

The legendary Megaways home is now active and eager to greet a new wave of players.

The official Megaways Casino has returned! SkillOnNet has reintroduced MegawaysCasino.com, reaffirming its position as the ultimate destination for the Megaways mechanic with an innovative new platform, a revitalized identity, and a brand centered entirely on a single commitment: ‘Play the Mega Way.’

Megaways changed online gaming dramatically when it was launched in 2016. The original casino focused on the mechanic is now reimagined as a vibrant, entertainment-driven venue crafted for contemporary players.

Megaways Casino debuts featuring hundreds of Megaways titles, such as Monopoly Megaways, Rasputin Megaways, Extra Chilli Megaways, and Bonanza — the original game that brought Megaways to the public.

Alongside its extensive Megaways collection, the platform offers more than 8,000 games, encompassing top-tier slots, crash games, table games, and live casino — providing a wide range of options.

Created by Big Time Gaming, Megaways transformed slot design by unveiling a flexible reel-modifier system that provides as many as 117,649 winning combinations on each spin. The breakthrough transformed the trajectory of the online gaming sector and evolved into one of the most identifiable and extensively licensed mechanics in contemporary iGaming.

Megaways Casino is currently the sole official online casino brand entirely focused on honoring that heritage.

Within the SkillOnNet framework, the brand re-emerges with a contemporary, performance-enhanced platform, unique content, a striking visual identity, and a commitment to long-term investment in the UK market.

Giordana Anticoli Kalifa, Country Manager Emerging Markets at SkillOnNet, said: “Play the Mega Way” is more than a tagline. It captures the DNA of Megaways — the high-energy pace, thrilling variety and unpredictability of the mechanic — and injects it into the entire brand world.Megaways has always been one of the most powerful and recognizable mechanics in online gaming. With this relaunch, we’re not just bringing back a brand, we’re building an entire entertainment ecosystem around it.

“‘Play the Mega Way’ reflects our ambition to transform the energy, scale and unpredictability of the Megaways mechanic into a full brand experience. We are made for players who expect more.”

The post Megaways Casino Is Back: Built to Play the Mega Way appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Barbie Nerz Head of Online Games at Staatliche Toto-Lotto GmbH Baden-Württemberg

Peter & Sons Partners with Staatliche Toto-Lotto GmbH Baden-Württemberg for German Market Entry

Published

2 hours ago

March 24, 2026

Wladimir P.

peter-&-sons-partners-with-staatliche-toto-lotto-gmbh-baden-wurttemberg-for-german-market-entry

The innovative iGaming studio Peter & Sons, based in Barcelona, has enhanced its presence in Europe by entering a new partnership with erwin, the virtual slot platform of Staatliche Toto-Lotto GmbH Baden-Württemberg, a prominent and well-established gaming operator in Germany.

Established in 1948, Staatliche Toto-Lotto GmbH Baden-Württemberg has earned a solid reputation for dependability, integrity, and creativity in Germany’s regulated gaming industry. The operator is key to the nation’s lottery landscape and is enhancing its digital entertainment services with authorized online gaming products. Since 2023, Staatliche Toto-Lotto GmbH Baden-Württemberg provides virtual slot games at www.lotto-bw.de/erwin. Here, you can explore a diverse range of fun and appealing slots that are refreshed frequently.

Additionally, Staatliche Toto-Lotto GmbH Baden-Württemberg seeks to provide gambling products in its range that cater to the changing requirements of its customers. By doing so, the organization emphasizes trust and safety. Ensuring adherence to measures for the protection of youth and players is consequently a foremost concern.

Famous for its collection of art-focused games, unique characters, and captivating game environments, Peter & Sons has gained global acclaim for advancing the limits of creativity in slot design.

Yann Bautista, Founder and Commercial Director at Peter & Sons, said: “We are delighted to partner with Lotto Baden-Württemberg, an operator that has earned enormous trust within the German gaming community. Germany represents an important regulated market for us, and working with such a respected partner allows us to introduce our games to a broad audience of players who appreciate high-quality entertainment and distinctive design.”

Barbie Nerz, Head of Online Games at Staatliche Toto-Lotto GmbH Baden-Württemberg: “Peter & Sons has developed a reputation for producing visually striking and highly engaging games, and we are excited to welcome their portfolio to our platform. Our goal is always to provide players with diverse, high-quality content, and this partnership represents another step forward in expanding the entertainment experiences we offer.”

The post Peter & Sons Partners with Staatliche Toto-Lotto GmbH Baden-Württemberg for German Market Entry appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.