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NSoft story: Passion and motivation behind Virtual Penalty Shootout
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
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.
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.
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AI agents
EveryMatrix Selects Cevro AI to Provide Operators with Fully Integrated empathic AI Support Agents
Reading Time: 2 minutes
A partnership that transforms player support with cutting-edge AI agents purpose-built for iGaming, delivering faster resolutions, personalised experiences, and seamless integration into the EveryMatrix platform at scale.
EveryMatrix today announced a strategic partnership with Cevro AI, the leader in AI agents for iGaming customer support. This collaboration sets a new benchmark for player experience, as operators gain access to advanced generative AI agent systems built and fine-tuned for the iGaming industry capable of resolving complex player support issues with human-level empathy, precision, and speed.
Cevro AI’s agent platform is built on a series of domain-tuned large language models specifically trained on real iGaming workflows, player behaviours, compliance rules, and operator processes. According to the company, this domain focus allows the AI to “be best in class” and “perform like a seasoned support agent that understands players from day one,”
Kevin Furlong, Group CPO, EveryMatrix, said: “We are constantly investing in technology that helps operators grow and scale with confidence. Generative AI is now at a point where it can make a real difference. With Cevro AI, our operators gain intelligent, empathic agents that support players around the clock and drive real business value through deep integration across the EveryMatrix ecosystem.”
With native-level fluency in 100+ languages, Cevro AI autonomously connects to the EveryMatrix Player Account Management (PAM) platform and back-office to take action and instantly process requests, handling withdrawals, deposit issues, bonus requests, and account-related tickets with personalisation and a natural, conversational tone. The Cevro agents are trained with trust-layer controls, ensuring full alignment with responsible gaming (RG), GDPR and operator compliance requirements.
Chaim Heber, CEO of Cevro AI, added: “For us, partnering with EveryMatrix is a significant moment for Cevro AI. It’s proof that empathic AI is ready for the biggest operators in the industry. Our mission is to help brands deliver support that feels human at any scale, and this partnership accelerates that vision in a meaningful way.”
Nige Roberts, Founding Sales Lead at Cevro AI, commented: “Empathic AI is the future of iGaming support. EveryMatrix recognised that instantly. This partnership accelerates that future worldwide.”
The post EveryMatrix Selects Cevro AI to Provide Operators with Fully Integrated empathic AI Support Agents appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Bet It Drives
Bet It Drives Season 3 Premiere: Eman Pulis on Legacy, Risk, and Why Rome Changes Everything
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Rome wasn’t built in a day. Neither was SiGMA World.
But when Eman Pulis rolls through the Eternal City in Season 3 of Bet It Drives, he’s not just another iGaming founder with a war story. He’s the gladiator who fought COVID, broken rules, outplayed industry skeptics—and came out building schools in Ethiopia while running eight conferences across three continents.
“Now I’m free,” Eman says, quoting Hans Zimmer’s Gladiator soundtrack—his victory song for after SiGMA Central Europe wrapped and the chaos settled. Free from the rules that almost sank him. Free to build tribes, not just teams. Free to prove that legacy beats profit, every single time.
Season 3 of Bet It Drives, powered by GR8 Tech and hosted by Yevhen Krazhan, CSO, launches where champions are made: on the road, in motion, with no script and nowhere to hide. Rome sets the stage. Eman brings the empire.
In the episode, Eman reveals:
- The COVID gamble that saved SiGMA: How 14,000 people walked through doors that were supposed to stay shut—and why he’d do it again
- Why Rome, why now: The strategy behind planting the flag in Europe’s second-biggest gaming market (and why Malta stays in the picture)
- From beach in Phuket to existential crisis: The moment everything felt too perfect—two weeks before COVID hit
- 350 people, 8 offices, one tribe: How a multicultural team became SiGMA’s secret weapon across Manila, São Paulo, Cyprus, and beyond
- Business is done between people, not brands: The mantra that turned boozy Malta meetups into a global events empire
- Politics or impact? Why helping millions through the foundation beats governing 400,000 people in Malta
- The “zoom out” rule: Crisis survival advice from someone who almost became redundant overnight
“We covered a lot of ground—literally and figuratively,” said Yevhen Krazhan, CSO at GR8 Tech and host of Bet It Drives. “And Rome was the perfect place to kick off Season 3. The city represents where the industry is right now—ancient foundations, modern chaos, and endless opportunity.”
Season 3 keeps the momentum rolling with upcoming episodes featuring Valentina Diaco and Karolina Pelc—two more amazing leaders with stories worth hearing.
Watch or listen to Season 3, Episode 1 with Eman Pulis on:
The arena is open. The conversations have started. Season 3 of Bet It Drives is here—and it’s just the beginning.
The post Bet It Drives Season 3 Premiere: Eman Pulis on Legacy, Risk, and Why Rome Changes Everything appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Belatra Games, the specialist online slots developer, has rolled out the red carpet to the Frozen Barrel Tavern to celebrate the festive season. Players are warmly welcomed into a cosy winter tavern that radiates holiday cheer and buzzes with Christmas chatter.
In the standard game and free games feature, winning symbols explode and the empty positions are replaced with new symbols until no further wins occur. Big symbols that land are either 2×2 or 3×3 and act the same as 4 or 9 identical standard symbols. The large x2 and x3 barrels substitute for 4 or 9 identical standard symbols and also multiply the Global Multiplier above the reels.
During the Base Game and Bonus Games, multiplier symbols ranging from 2x to 250x can land. After each cycle, all multiplier symbols are added together, and if the Cumulative Multiplier is greater than 1, it is included. The winning total, visible at the top of the reels, is multiplied by this amount. Flying barrels have the potential to enter the fun and will replace the non-winning symbol with the multiplier symbol.
The Cumulative Multiplier begins at 1 at the start of both the base game and the Free Games round. During Free Games, any Multipliers that appear on the reels are added to the Cumulative Multiplier at the end of each spin, and the updated value carries over to the next Free Game. When the round ends, the total winnings are multiplied by the combined value of the reel Multipliers and the Cumulative Multiplier, if it is greater than 1.
Players finding four or more Scatters on the reels will be awarded with 10 Free Games. Three or more Scatters in Free Games trigger five more Free Games – the limit is capped at 100.
Tis’ the season, so the Frozen Barrel Tavern has a Happy Hour. Six Scatters appearing triggers the special Bonus game. Here the initial Cumulative Multiplier takes a value between 2 to 10, big wins appear more often, and the maximum win is 12000x.
Misha Voinich, Head of Business Development at Belatra, commented: “Frozen Barrel Tavern is the perfect place to celebrate the holidays – and hopefully land some big wins. Warm lights, fun features, and a touch of seasonal magic make this festive treat a fantastic addition to our portfolio.”
The post Belatra invites players down to the Frozen Barrel Tavern to celebrate the festive season appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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