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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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Midnite appoints former LiveScore Group CPO Sam Talbot as Vice President of Product
Midnite, the hyper-growth UK sportsbook and casino operator, has appointed Sam Talbot as Vice President of Product, strengthening the company’s leadership team as it accelerates its product-led strategy and pursuit of Tier 1 status in global markets.
Talbot brings more than 15 years of experience in product leadership roles across digital and consumer-facing platforms, with a proven track record of scaling product teams, defining strategic roadmaps, and building innovative user-centric solutions. Most recently Sam served as Chief Product Officer at LiveScore Group, where he led product strategy and development across high-traffic sports and entertainment products, driving engagement and growth.
He joins at a pivotal time for Midnite following its recent $35 million Series C funding round led by The Raine Group, which took total funding beyond $75 million and is being used to scale operations, accelerate development of best-in-class products and support international expansion. A key focus of the investment is expanding Midnite’s product and engineering capabilities as it pursues its ambition of becoming a tier-1 operator.
Midnite develops its entire platform in-house, with all engineering teams based in the UK. This approach enables rapid innovation and a deeply customer-centric product strategy, which has underpinned the company’s rapid growth and challenger brand positioning.
Nick Wright, Co-Founder of Midnite, said: “Midnite is product obsessed, so bringing Sam on board as VP of Product felt like a completely natural fit. He shares our DNA when it comes to building for players first, and he brings the leadership and experience we need as we scale.
“Our vision is to become a tier-1, market-leading, product-led operator, and that means continuing to raise the bar for what the betting and gaming experience should feel like. Sam will play a central role in shaping that future. With the backing we’ve secured and the team we’re building, there’s a huge amount to come from Midnite this year.”
Sam Talbot added: “Midnite’s commitment to in-house technology and genuine product innovation really stood out to me. This is a team that cares deeply about the player experience and moves quickly to deliver it. I’m excited to be joining at such an important stage of growth and to help build products that set new standards in the industry.”
Founded in 2015 by Nick Wright and Daniel Qu, Midnite has grown rapidly in recent years, expanding its product mix and team while establishing itself as one of the UK’s most exciting challenger brands. With significant new investment and an expanding leadership team, the company is focused on closing the gap with the market’s largest operators through product excellence and innovation.
The post Midnite appoints former LiveScore Group CPO Sam Talbot as Vice President of Product appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Carl Gatt Baldacchino Head of Account Management SlotMatrix
Royal Paws, Royal Payoffs: SlotMatrix’s Catsino Royale
SlotMatrix, the leading casino content aggregator globally, has enhanced its exclusive content collection with the debut of Catsino Royale, a playful slot that merges feline attitude with traditional casino excitement.
Located within a lively cat-themed casino, the game provides swift gameplay that allows players to accumulate increasing rewards and activate various bonus chances with each spin. Featuring stunning visuals, captivating characters, and intricate mechanics, the game combines enjoyable presentation with significant winning possibilities.
Central to the activity is the Coinstack function. Each coin symbol that appears increases the value of the stack, enlarging it and enhancing rewards with every spin. Players activating either the Catsino Wheel or the Stack N Spin bonus will reap the rewards of the total accumulated amount.
Landing four Bonus symbols triggers the Catsino Wheel, filled with rewards that include multipliers of Coinstack and can reach the Grand Jackpot valued at up to 500x. Landing five bonus symbols activates the Stack N Spin feature, which increases the Coinstack and provides several opportunities to re-trigger the wheel for extra rewards.
The Wild Deal feature creates Golden Frames each time Wilds appear. Wilds introduced into current frames enhance their multipliers, and when the Cat Dealer shows up, all frames transform into Wilds.
Only accessible via SlotMatrix, Catsino Royale is upgraded with EveryMatrix’s unique gamification features, such as free spins and leaderboards, and can be effortlessly incorporated with EngageSuite, the comprehensive player loyalty platform.
Carl Gatt Baldacchino, Head of Account Management, SlotMatrix, said: “Catsino Royale blends playful visuals with mechanics that continuously build value. It will be a strong performer for operators looking to add something fun, distinctive, and rewarding to their lobbies.”
The post Royal Paws, Royal Payoffs: SlotMatrix’s Catsino Royale appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Booming Games
Booming Games Strengthens Leadership with Appointment of New CFO
Booming Games has elevated Luke Sammut to the newly established position of Chief Financial Officer effective immediately.
Booming Games, a top supplier of high-quality gaming content, has today enhanced its C-suite by promoting Luke Sammut to the newly established position of Chief Financial Officer (CFO) effective immediately. This comes after a series of recent high-level promotions at Booming Games, including the announcement of a new Chief Operating Officer and Chief of Staff last month.
Luke Sammut has dedicated more than eight years to Booming Games in multiple senior finance positions, most recently as the Director of Finance and Accounting. Having a solid foundation in accountancy and a strong enthusiasm for the iGaming sector, he contributes a vast amount of experience and industry expertise to the team. Located in Malta, Luke will be accountable for steering the company’s international financial strategy and managing reporting across various jurisdictions.
The establishment of the CFO position signifies a new phase in the company’s development and highlights a strong dedication to attracting and developing exceptional talent. With the company aiming to achieve ambitious growth goals and enhance its global reach this year, the timing of the appointment is quite promising. Focusing on customers in game development, Booming Games is consistently aiming to innovate and broaden its portfolio, with intentions to substantially boost the frequency of game releases this year.
Booming Games has a solid history of investing in its workforce, with the number of employees recently exceeding 200. In the future, the expanding C-suite will guarantee that the company keeps evolving and is positioned to handle the upcoming phase of its growth.
Max Niehusen, Founder of Booming Games, said: “We are delighted to announce Luke’s promotion, in what is a landmark moment for Booming Games as we appoint our first Chief Financial Officer. Over the past eight years, he has made an immense contribution to the business, playing an important role in our success during a key growth phase.
“I look forward to continuing working closely with him as we look to break new ground this year. As CFO, Luke’s experience will be critical as we expand our operations, with the aim of being regulated in every major market within the next five years.”
Luke Sammut, Chief Financial Officer at Booming Games, said: “With ambitious growth targets, Booming Games’ rapid expansion shows no sign of slowing. I am proud to be taking up the position of CFO, helping to shape the next phase of our financial strategy, at such a pivotal moment for the business. With clear direction from a strong leadership team, Booming Games is well placed to build on its strong financial foundations and seize the opportunity to further cement its reputation for market-leading innovation.”
The post Booming Games Strengthens Leadership with Appointment of New CFO appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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