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Emotions test reveals: The online purchases making us 67% happier!

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  • On average, online purchases are found to raise our positive feelings by 56%
  • Participants reported the biggest increase in happiness when purchasing houseplants – positive emotions soared by 67%
  • Gaming console purchases saw the second highest increase in positive feelings (+66%)
  • Trainers and fiction books are also among the purchases raising positive emotions most
  • Holidays abroad came in last; participants noted high levels of excitement but also reported an increase in concern due to its uncertainty

Thanks to ‘doom shopping’, it was revealed that the UK spends three times more when online shopping compared to the global average, costing the average person a whooping £1,382 per year! Clearly these purchases keep us coming back for more, but how do we enjoy splashing our cash the most?
Interested in online shopping, money.co.uk conducted an emotions test among 2,560 participants to discover which online purchases bring us the most joy!

Participants were asked to complete a variation* of the BMIS test (Brief Mood Intensity Scale) and record the intensity of 10 different emotions after making an online purchase. The intensity of each emotion was allocated a score based on its positivity, with a maximum score of 500 points per item – the higher the score, the better. Participants were also asked to complete the same test before making any purchases to uncover the percentage increase in positive emotions when shopping.

Which online purchases make us happiest?

Money.co.uk can reveal that a houseplant purchase increases our intensity of positive emotions more than any other transaction!
Collecting 478 points out of a potential 500, moods improved by 67% after making a plant purchase. Plants are proven to invoke feelings of vitality by improving the state of mind and lifting spirits – no wonder it scores highly!
With the PS5 still proving hard to get, purchasing a gaming console is the second online transaction that makes us happiest.

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As many gamers are left on the edge of their seats waiting to snatch the latest console, it accumulated 475 points out of 500, and purchasing a console was found to raise positive feelings by 66% on average.
In third position are trainer purchases. With the demand for sneakers like Jordan 1s only increasing, those who purchased new trainers reported a 64% increase in happiness, and purchases racked up 472 points.
With bookworms reported to be happier than those who don’t read, the transaction that makes us fourth happiest is a fiction book, improving positive emotions by 64% and collecting 470 points.
Due to the huge surge in personal fitness and wellbeing during lockdown, home gym equipment purchases are found to make us fifth happiest! This transaction led to a 63% increase in positive emotions and scored a healthy 468 points.

To complete the top 10 purchases that increase our intensity of positive emotions:
6. Video game: 466 points, +62%
7. Eyeshadow palette: 465 points, +62%
8. Scented candle: 463 points, +61%
9. Exercise clothing: 461 points, +61%
10. Fashion jewellery: 459, +60%

Coming in last is a holiday abroad with 393 points out of 500 (+37%). Those who plan on jet-setting this year reported high levels of excitement and happiness but were pushed down the table as feelings of worry and nerves due to its current uncertainty.
Interested in the reasons behind our vast improvement in positive feelings, money.co.uk spoke exclusively to Lee Chambers, psychologist and wellbeing consultant, to uncover why shopping makes us happy.
“Online shopping has the ability to make us happy through several different mechanisms. Firstly, even in a world of plenty, we are still evolutionarily designed to consider scarcity. Because of this, acquiring new items, especially when discounted or limited, tends to make us happy, the feeling we have satisfied a need and potentially averted a future threat.

Shopping is also an exercise in control. We select from millions of items precisely what we want, and especially in the uncertain times we live in, we know we will get exactly what we have purchased, and it will be delivered straight to us. This control of selection and guarantee of receipt is powerful, as it becomes a defined event. We also build a level of expectation and anticipation from the moment we press the purchase button, as we believe we now have ownership over the item but have a delay until it is with us physically.

From a cultural perspective, we have been conditioned to see shopping as a reward, either an investment in ourselves or for the satisfaction of others. Shopping is likely to activate the nucleus accumbens in our brain, releasing dopamine and motivating us to repeat the behaviour. Buying printed media taps into our desire to better ourselves, gain knowledge, understand the world around us and provide stories and entertainment that can take us on a journey. And let’s not forget how lovely they look on your bookshelf on a video call, as books have become a decorative symbol over the past year.

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And why do we keep buying? Our brain is adaptive, and shopping can relieve stress, provide entertainment when bored and give us a hit of dopamine. The rewarding feeling will keep us finding new things to purchase, especially since our excitement and anticipation fade once we’ve received the item.”

Catherine Hilley, mobiles expert at money.co.uk, said: “Our research reveals how small purchases can increase customers’ emotions in a positive way, something we all need after the past 12 months. With an average 63% increase in positive emotions noted across all top 10 purchases, it seems that shopping online for items such as houseplants, trainers and candles are sparking a lot more joy at the moment, than booking a holiday, which comes with a lot of added uncertainty.”

For more information, please see the blog post for the full rankings and a breakdown by sex, and age: https://www.money.co.uk/mobiles/online-shopping-joy

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Nolimit City revisits the brutal factory life in Outsourced: Slash Game

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Nolimit City takes you back to the grind with its latest release, Outsourced: Slash Game. For those who thought their consumerist cravings were a safe indulgence, think again. Following in the footsteps of Outsourced, this new addition pulls back the curtain on the sweat and sacrifice lurking behind those everyday luxuries—this time with a dash of danger. Outsourced: Slash Game is the studio’s second venture into crash-style gameplay, the first being xCrash™ in Skate or Die – but this time it’s a standalone crash game!

In Slash Game, players have to make some cutthroat decisions as a laser traces the outline of their hand, increasing the multiplier with every pass. Players hit “stop” to cash out, locking in the multiplier when they feel the timing is right. After which, they will be shown the potential winnings if they wouldn’t have stopped. But here’s the catch: if players hesitate a second too long and the laser slips, all the winnings are lost. A live scoreboard displays the Top Win, Top Miss and Last Round, so that players can keep track of their previous rounds.

Outsourced: Slash Game is not a familiar Nolimit City slot to some players but could cause some excitement with an increasing multiplier and a maximum payout of 1,500x the base bet. Outsourced: Slash Game, unlike Nolimit City’s high-volatility slots, is rated as ‘Medium Volatility’ but don’t let that fool you as it still includes the risk of losing your hand.

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Per Lindheimer, Head of Product at Nolimit City, said: “Get back to work, will you? We’re bringing players back to the unrelenting factory floor of Outsourced with an all-new twist. Slash Game is a standalone take on our crash-style games, and it’s packed with plenty of heart-stopping moments (and maybe a few hand-stopping ones, too). We’re thrilled with how it turned out and we hope that our fans will be too!“

‘Outsourced: Slash Game’ will be available to all Nolimit City partners on November 5th, 2024.

The post Nolimit City revisits the brutal factory life in Outsourced: Slash Game appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Compliance Updates

Aviatrix flying in Italy following certificate approval

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Aviatrix, the groundbreaking crash game renowned for its unique engagement mechanics, is building new partnerships in Italy following the granting of a certificate in the country.

The Italian certificate enables Aviatrix to collaborate with operators regulated by the Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli, introducing casinos fans in Italy to the award-winning game for the first time.

Players at many of the biggest brands in Italy will soon be enjoying Aviatrix.

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Anastasia Rimskaya, Chief Account Officer at Aviatrix, said: “We are excited to be bringing Aviatrix to players in Italy for the first time. This is a market where innovation and player engagement are highly valued, so we’re certain our product will be a great fit. And more than that, we have an opportunity to play a central role in one of Europe’s most vibrant online gaming cultures. We can’t wait to get started with operators in the country.”

Aviatrix is fast establishing itself as an important game in regulated jurisdictions, as it already is in emerging ones.

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Set sail on a pirate quest with Belatra’s Tortuga Codex

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Belatra Games, the specialist online slots developer, has launched its pirate-themed title, Tortuga Codex. This 5×4 slot casts players on a journey on the hunt for untold riches buried on a mysterious island.

A Skull symbol acts as the Wild and will substitute for any other symbol to increase the chances of a win. An intriguing element to the game lies in the Additional Reel feature which sits above the main frame. It’s in sync with the main reels, displaying Wild symbols, special pirate icons, and numbers from one to nine. When three or more bomb Scatters come in, numbers on the Additional Reel become active multipliers in the bonus game. The more Scatters appear, the higher each multiplier value, amplifying the potential winnings.

In the main game, the Wild scatters a random number of Wild symbols onto the reels if there is a Scatter underneath it. When the Bonus Game is hit, the Wild symbol will be replaced by the number 9. Pirate Bob, Pirate Patrick and Pirate Girl symbols replace all minor symbols if there is a Scatter symbol underneath them. These symbols will be replaced by the numbers 8, 7 and 6 respectively.

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The Treasure Chest symbol awards players with a random win ranging from 5 to 1000 bets  if there is a Scatter symbol under it. This symbol is replaced by the number 5 when the Bonus game begins. A Coin gives the player a win of 10 bets on the game if there is a Scatter symbol underneath it – transforming into the number 4 for the Bonus. All numbers on the Additional Reel that fall out or appear in place of symbols will go into the Bonus Game when three or more Scatters appear on the reels. Hitting four Scatters will increase each number by one, landing five Scatters will increase each number by three – the maximum is nine.

Players trigger the Bonus Game with three or more bomb Scatters. Before it begins, the first and second cells open up on the Additional Reel at the top, then players must choose a chest that contains either a Plus, Multiplier, or a noose, which concludes the round. As players move down through the levels, the multipliers can increase depending on the chest’s bounty – the maximum is 59049x.

Sergey Chernyavski, Belatra Games’ CCO, said: “Tortuga Codex takes players deep into the perilous seas filled with hidden mysteries, legendary treasures, and ancient artefacts waiting to be uncovered on the reels. The Bonus feature gives players the perfect opportunity to chart a course to winnings.”

The post Set sail on a pirate quest with Belatra’s Tortuga Codex appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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