Latest News
Opera buys owner of GameMaker and starts a Gaming division
Opera, the browser developer and consumer internet brand, announced its acquisition of YoYo Games, creator of the world’s leading 2D game engine, GameMaker Studio 2, for approximately $10 million. The tuck-in acquisition represents the second building block in the foundation of Opera Gaming, a new division within Opera with global ambitions and follows the creation and rapid growth of Opera’s innovative Opera GX browser, the world’s first browser built specifically for gamers.
Krystian Kolondra, EVP Browsers at Opera, said: “With Opera GX, Opera had adapted its proven, innovative browser tech platform to dramatically expand its footprint in gaming. We’re at the brink of a shift, when more and more people start not only playing, but also creating and publishing games. GameMaker Studio2 is best-in-class game development software, and lowers the barrier to entry for anyone to start making their games and offer them across a wide range of web-supported platforms, from PCs, to, mobile iOS/Android devices, to consoles.
Annette De Freitas, Head of Business Development & Strategic Partnerships, Opera Gaming, added: “Gaming is a growth area for Opera and the acquisition of YoYo Games reflects significant, sustained momentum across both of our businesses over the past year. Our new Opera GX browser hit 7 million MAUs in December, 2020, up 350% year over year, while YoYo Games’ GameMaker engine achieved 400K new registered creators in 2020. We’re tremendously excited by the opportunities the combination creates not only for our combined users, but also for the expansion of Opera’s gaming community.”
Stuart Poole, GM at YoYo Games who will remain with the business alongside technical lead Russell Kay stated, “For over twenty years, the vision behind the GameMaker engine was to not just create more games, but expand development within and beyond the game studio. We think the transaction with Opera – whose products are known, trusted and used worldwide by millions of people every month- represents a massive opportunity to accelerate fulfilment of that founding vision, during a period of exceptional growth for both companies.”
“We are very excited to start working with the team at YoYo Games,” said Krystian Kolondra, EVP Browsers at Opera. “We see the Game Maker Studio platform as being an ideal acquisition to complement our global ambitions in gaming, and to help drive awareness and traffic to our Opera GX gaming browser.”
Opera GX, YoYo Games and GameMaker will unite under Opera Gaming, focusing on innovating across the gaming, game development, and browser experience. “We look forward to further growing Opera GX and driving the growth of GameMaker as part of a broader ecosystem, making it more accessible to novice users and developing it into the world’s leading 2D game engine used by commercial studios,” continued Krystian Kolondra. “Opera Gaming will be focusing on accelerating the growth of this emerging ecosystem, combining the 7+ million highly engaged gamers using Opera GX with millions of GameMaker creators. We are also thrilled to continue realizing synergies between YoYo Games’ products and Opera GX.”
GameMakerStudio is an integrated game development software, performance-tuned 2/2.5D engine that fuels many games, including multi-million hits like Risk of Rain, Undertale, or Hyper Light Drifter on an extensive range of mainstream platforms. Starting to build games with Game Maker Studio requires little to zero coding skills. Due to its extensive functionalities and ease of use Game Maker Studio lowers the barriers to entry and empowers a variety of creative people to make their games come alive and share them with the world.
Kolondra explained further: “Performance is essential to even 2D gaming, and sustaining that performance across mobile devices and laptops as well as variable bandwidth and connectivity requires thinking outside of traditional application silos. The line between building good games and good browsers has been eroding for years – with gaming interactivity across internet connections ramping up and browsers growing more multi-function and sophisticated. Traditionally the two types of technology compete for hardware and bandwidth resources. But as Opera GX proved, there was a better way to address that competition and improve the experience across both functionalities. YoYo Games’ team, development expertise and studio relationships lay the groundwork for turning the Opera GX vertical into a new kind of horizontal. This horizontal opportunity is why we’re building Opera Gaming and its infrastructure – so that we can further integrate gaming and browsing in ways beneficial to both in terms of not only monetization, but also experience.”
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FairPlay’s betting technology and AI-powered predictive content drive deeper fan engagement and deliver media opportunities and revenue
FOX Sports Digital and FairPlay Sports Media, the fan-focused and AI-powered global sports media network, have announced a strategic betting tech, affiliate and sports media agreement.
Under the multi-year agreement, FairPlay will serve as the exclusive sports betting affiliate technology provider of FOX Sports Digital, deploying its market-leading odds components, advanced AI-powered predictive data and analytics, and cutting-edge technology solutions on FOXSports.com and the FOX Sports mobile application.
The new relationship powers the newly released FOX Sports Betting Hub which integrates FairPlay’s innovative sports betting-related content enhanced with bespoke, value-added experiences derived from FairPlay’s deep relationships with global sportsbook operators.
“FOX Sports is one of the largest sports rights holders in the world, with incredible access to live games and global events,” said Stuart Simms, Group CEO of FairPlay Sports Media. “FairPlay is excited to work with the FOX Sports Digital team, and we’re honored to serve their millions of users with more engaging, insightful sports media experiences that have proven to drive loyalty, engagement and deliver on brand differentiation.”
FairPlay’s advanced AI technology and robust odds components are already delivering real-time, data-driven insights to help FOX Sports fans and bettors, while monetization frameworks being deployed create revenue opportunities for operators, sportsbooks and digital media buyers.
The agreement enhances and elevates fan engagement by bringing FairPlay’s betting information technology and AI-powered tools to FOX Sports’ digital platforms. FairPlay’s approach enables FOX Sports digital users and fans to access personalized, data-driven betting analytics that deepen their connection and engagement with sports content. As the sports media and betting landscapes continue to evolve, the FOX Sports and FairPlay agreement delivers pioneering, scalable digital experiences for fans and operators alike.
The post FairPlay Sports Media and FOX Sports Digital Launch New Betting Hub appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.
Latest News
Betfred Launches Checkd Dev’s Automated Betting System to Strengthen Football Betting Offering
Checkd Dev, part of the award-winning Checkd Group and a leading iGaming technology provider, has signed a multi-year agreement to supply its Automated Betting System (ABS) to UK bookmaker Betfred, introducing new levels of efficiency and engagement to pre-match football accumulator betting.
Through the partnership, Betfred has launched a suite of pre-configured, one-click accumulator bets, powered by Checkd Dev’s ABS technology and seamlessly integrated with Betfred’s proprietary pricing.
The solution enhances the customer betting journey while equipping Betfred’s trading team with a robust backend platform to streamline bet creation, management, and settlement. Customers benefit from football bets that are dynamically assigned probabilities based on historic form, providing greater insight and confidence in their selections.
The launch of ABS reinforces Betfred’s reputation as an industry innovator, offering customers smarter, faster, and more engaging betting experiences.
Checkd Dev has refined its ABS user interface through deployments with multiple tier-one operators. Betfred has further strengthened the proposition by integrating its competitive Acca Flex bonus offer, available from launch. Customers can access additional bonuses if their bet wins, while also benefiting from a money-back guarantee if a single leg loses.
Since its introduction two years ago, Checkd Dev’s ABS has evolved from a statistics-driven tool to increase operator conversion rates into a comprehensive system designed to meet the growing demand for automated, pre-configured betting products, powered by the company’s proprietary BRUNO platform.
This agreement extends Checkd Dev’s recent growth trajectory, following high-profile partnerships with William Hill on a fully automated, stats-powered Bet Builder, and a three-year deal with OpenBet to launch a new Trending BetBuilder to market.
Andrew Grimshaw, Commercial Director at Checkd Dev, commented: “We are delighted to be working with fellow Mancunians Betfred on our Trending Bets product. More and more major bookmakers are recognising the tangible value of our automated betting solutions, and it is especially gratifying to collaborate with a local partner on this launch.”
Mark Hartley, Head of Product at Betfred, added: “Since moving onto our propriety platform, we’ve been able to bring new ideas to market much faster. This partnership with Checkd Dev is a great example, helping us solve a simple problem for football fans: researching and building an accumulator can sometimes feel like hard work!
“With one-click, data-driven selections we’ve made the process quicker and easier, while still giving customers the choice and depth they want. Accas are already one of our most compelling propositions, thanks to our popular promotion Acca Flex, and this launch makes them even more engaging. We’re also looking forward to exploring further opportunities to work with Checkd Dev in the future.”
The post Betfred Launches Checkd Dev’s Automated Betting System to Strengthen Football Betting Offering appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.
Legendary Title Reborn for a New Generation of Fortune Seekers with Freebies and Bonuses until December 28th
Slotland Entertainment has ceremoniously relaunched its legendary title, Gods of Egypt, across its casinos Slotland, Winaday and now including CryptoSlots and CryptoWins. This revered 5×4, 30-payline slot invites players into a grand temple of mythic wealth.
Wager $1.50 to $30 to awaken divine features: Ra’s Sticky Expanding Wilds, Bastet’s gem-triggered Free Spins, and a Pick Me Bonus with layered treasures. For those betting $15 or more, five Pharaoh symbols unlock the progressive jackpot.
“Gods of Egypt has always been a crown jewel in our collection,” said Michael Hilary, Manager at Slotland. “This relaunch across our entire empire allows a new generation of players to experience its timeless magic and seek its legendary rewards.”
Framed by the regal visages of Anubis and a jeweled queen, the game creates a ceremonial atmosphere of arcade spectacle. It is a call to modern seekers: enter and claim your ancient riches.
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The post Slotland’s Crown Jewel, Gods of Egypt, Resurrects with Enhanced Features appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.
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