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AGHANIM RESEARCH GAUGES DMA AWARENESS AND POTENTIAL IMPACT ON DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER DISTRIBUTION
Aghanim, a mobile gaming fintech company founded by the former CEO and CTO of Xsolla, today reveals fascinating new research among mobile game developers relating to the recently launched Digital Markets Act (DMA).
The research is based on interviews with 300 mobile game developers across the US, UK and Germany in the weeks leading up to the introduction of the Act. The new European Union legislation aims to ensure a higher degree of fairness and competition in European digital markets and designates a number of major tech corporations including Apple and Alphabet (Google) as “gatekeepers”.
The key findings of the study shows:
- 62% of mobile game developers are aware of the Digital Markets Act
- 82% have at least some understanding of how it will impact their business. Almost a fifth (19%) feel they have a complete understanding of the DMA’s impact
- 31% of mobile game developers feel they will have more freedom under the DMA, though just 9% are confident they’ll be able to keep more of their revenue
- Only 13% have ruled out making changes to their payment processes. A third (33%) have begun implementing them
- Awareness of the DMA is highest in Germany (70%), followed by the UK (68%). Less than half (47%) of US developers are aware of the legislation. While the DMA is a European framework, it applies to US developers operating in the EU
Constantin Andry, Co-founder and Co-CEO at Aghanim, commented: “This data shows that there’s an appetite for change among game developers. Yes, the platform holders instigated the $92 billion mobile games industry, but we need to be asking why game developers – the people who make the games – now only see about 10% of this. With direct-to-consumer distribution, there’s an opportunity to ensure a further $18 billion of annualized value remains within the video games industry, with game creators, which will help soften many ongoing issues including layoffs. Otherwise, the business of making mobile games could soon become unviable.”
Konstantin Golubitsky, Co-founder and Co-CEO at Aghanim, added: “The opportunity for game developers is to create a web-based game hub for their titles which provides added value for their most engaged and valuable users, keeping them coming back regularly. Ultimately, players spend where they see the most value, and our goal is to help developers provide them with the greatest value at the lowest cost.”
A key promise of the Digital Markets Act is to provide fairer competition and greater choice to gamers and game studios. However, Apple’s latest business terms introduced a Core Technology Fee which, for many game developers, cancels out the potential benefits of third-party distribution. Despite the game developers being surveyed before the introduction of the Core Technology fee, just 40% said Apple is a positive force for the games industry. 39% were neutral, while 21% felt Apple was having a negative impact. Since the introduction of App Tracking Transparency in 2021, game developers have increasingly explored direct-to-consumer platforms such as browser stores to supplement on-platform monetization with lower-fee options.
An online survey was conducted on behalf of Aghanim by Atomik Research among 305 mobile game developers in the UK (101), Germany (103), and the USA (101). The research fieldwork took place between 18-22 February 2024. Atomik Research is an independent creative market research agency that employs MRS-certified researchers and abides by MRS code.
Kai Botha
QTech Games continues to move fast with Playnetic integration
QTech Games, the leading game aggregator for all emerging markets, has announced its latest partnership with Playnetic, an emerging force in iGaming casino entertainment content allowing its platform clients access to another timely delivered portfolio of games focusing on immersive experiences.
Integrating games from one of the more visually stunning slots providers adds yet more variety to QTech Games’ premier platform, which is taking the widest range of online games to emerging territories with established names sitting alongside the industry’s most exciting up-and-coming providers. Playnetic’s standout titles include recent releases like Patrick vs Joker, alongside established fan favourites such as Joxer, Scarabs of Wealth and Lucky Licks.
Playnetic prides itself on creating engaging, innovative and high performing games that are suitable for all global gaming markets, delivering a personalised approach, which offers operators more flexibility in their iGaming content choices to suit specific markets. This integration also ensures QTech’s array of operator partners can leverage more innovative and high-performing content to stay ahead in a competitive marketplace.
Playnetic’s portfolio has been optimised for mobile, a cornerstone of QTech’s RNG model, which is founded on its fully-owned and customised technical platform, allowing games providers and operators the fastest integration available. With over 50 years’ management experience, QTech Games’ diverse range of gaming options is designed to provide a definitive one-stop shop. While its all-inclusive licence fee model, unified game launcher and wallet integration API mean clients can easily connect and access an all-encompassing portfolio in a few clicks. This has fast-become the “go-to” solution for worldwide operators across developing territories.
Philip Doftvik, QTech Games’ CEO, said: “We will continue to add fresh content to the platform, prioritising suppliers who provide unique, localised content. Playnetic’s immersive and player-focussed gaming suite fits the bill perfectly. Their content brings a new level of energy and engagement which we’re excited to share across our ever-growing group of operators.
Kai Botha, Chief Commercial Officer at Playnetic, added: “Playnetic’s mission is to create innovative, thrilling, and high preforming premium quality games that connect with players across multiple markets. For us that means casino content that is informed by market insights, advances in game play features supported by robust technology and the latest gameplay trends.
This deal marks another significant stride in enhancing our delivery efficiency, accelerating markets access to our games to connect with even more players. We look forward to seeing our games portfolio being available through QTech’s network.”
The post QTech Games continues to move fast with Playnetic integration appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Andrew Cardno
SkyCity Expands its Strategic Partnership with Quick Custom Intelligence
Quick Custom Intelligence (QCI), a leading provider of casino operational intelligence software, announced the expansion of its strategic partnership with SkyCity Entertainment Group, New Zealand’s premier entertainment and gaming company.
SkyCity has successfully utilised QCI Slots for several years to enhance operational visibility, productivity and optimisation across its gaming floors. Building on that foundation, SkyCity is now expanding its engagement with QCI to support a more integrated, enterprise-wide view of customer and operational intelligence across its properties, product channels and services.
The expanded collaboration will introduce additional capabilities within the QCI Enterprise Platform, enabling SkyCity to consolidate data from across its ecosystem and transform it into actionable insight. It introduces enhanced tools to support customer engagement, segmentation and targeted decision-making, helping teams better understand customers, tailor experiences and respond more quickly to changing customer and operational needs. This is a key capability in an increasingly omni-channel environment.
“Our partnership with QCI has developed into a truly strategic collaboration, supporting how we integrate critical customer, product, and operational intelligence,” said Christina Katsibouba, Chief Digital & Transformation Officer at SkyCity.
“As we continue to develop our digital and omni-channel strategy, this expanded engagement reflects a shared goal to use connected data and insights to make better decisions, achieve stronger customer outcomes and create long-term value across the organization. Collaborating closely with QCI allows us to operate with greater agility today, while also shaping the future of how integrated entertainment and gaming businesses utilize intelligence at scale.”
QCI’s Enterprise Platform supports casino resorts worldwide by integrating data from across gaming, hospitality, and digital environments, delivering real-time intelligence that empowers teams to improve efficiency, enhance customer engagement and make faster, more informed decisions.
“SkyCity has been an outstanding partner and an innovative leader in the gaming industry. This expansion reflects the strong foundation we’ve built together and our shared commitment leveraging connected intelligence to drive stronger customer outcomes, support omni-channel strategies, and create a more agile and data-led operating model,” said Andrew Cardno, Co-Founder and CTO of Quick Custom Intelligence.
The continued collaboration between SkyCity Entertainment Group and QCI reflects both organisations’ commitment to innovation, customer excellence and the ongoing advancement of technology within the global gaming industry.
The post SkyCity Expands its Strategic Partnership with Quick Custom Intelligence appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Brooks Pierce
Inspired Entertainment Announces New SaaS Distribution Agreement with Playtech
Inspired Entertainment, a leading provider of B2B gaming content and systems, announced a new SaaS distribution agreement with Playtech, one of the world’s leading gambling technology companies.
Under the agreement, Inspired’s Virtual Sports portfolio, including its market-leading licensed content and U.S. sports offerings, will be distributed via Playtech’s Sportsbook platform to operators worldwide.
The SaaS solution features a cloud-hosted back-end integration with Playtech, allowing for modular delivery that can be adapted to customer needs. Inspired’s Virtual Sports portfolio provides operators with products designed to enhance engagement and drive player growth. This integration enables Playtech’s partners seamless access to Inspired’s Virtual Sports.
“This partnership represents a major milestone for Inspired. By becoming one of Playtech’s Virtual Sports partners, we can deliver our cutting-edge content to a wider global audience via one seamless integration,” said Brooks Pierce, President and CEO of Inspired.
“We are delighted to partner with Inspired Entertainment. This agreement extends our Virtual Sports offering and reaffirms Playtech’s commitment to providing innovative, engaging experiences to players across multiple regulated territories,” said Yori Arami, VP of Sports Commercial at Playtech.
This agreement combines Inspired’s innovative content and cloud-native delivery with Playtech’s established operator network, resulting in a more engaging virtual gaming experience for players.
The post Inspired Entertainment Announces New SaaS Distribution Agreement with Playtech appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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