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KINETIX LAUNCHES EMOTES TECH FOR VIDEO GAMES AND VIRTUAL WORLDS
Kinetix, the AI startup powering emotes in video games and virtual worlds, launches pioneering infrastructure to enable the world’s first emotes for any avatar-driven game. Through a new SDK, games made with Unity development tools can now easily improve their monetization by integrating a vast library of high-quality emotes, and boost user experience by giving players genuine opportunities for self-expression.
Emotes are animations that express emotion in video games and virtual worlds like dances, celebrations and gestures. Rocketed into the mainstream by games like Fortnite, they’ve been used by MMOs and metaverses such as World of Warcraft and Second Life for over two decades. Powered by significant advancements in AI, emotes are fast becoming a must-have feature for people who want to express themselves in video games and virtual metaverse worlds.
Until now, creating emotes has been an expensive and time-consuming process involving trained 3D experts, and specialist software and hardware. With the free Kinetix SDK and its ready-made, fully customizable emote wheel, developers of any avatar-based Unity game can quickly integrate and unlock a vibrant and constantly growing library of emotes for players to explore and enjoy. Uniquely, users can even create their own user-generated emotes for use in-game. Unlike avatars and in-world assets like buildings, animations can fit smoothly and seamlessly into various visually contrasting environments; from the hyper-realistic to voxel styles, and everything in between.
Yassine Tahi, CEO and Co-founder of Kinetix, commented: “As lifelong gamers, we’ve been using emotes for years, without even knowing it. The lightbulb moment came when Fortnite memefied its game with emotes and introduced skins from famous IP, turning emotes into an essential conduit for users’ self-expression, and a new revenue generator for publishers. Kinetix is driving a quantum leap forward with emotes that can be utilized in any Unity game, which encompass not only valuable IP or brand-linked emotes, but also those user-generated via our easy to use no-code tools. We can’t wait to see how developers use our emotes to boost immersion, retention and revenue while giving their players richer, more human ways to express themselves in-game.”
Samir Agili, Chairman of the Board Tilting Point, commented: “User-generated content and generative AI are poised to disrupt the way we all make and experience video games. With their emotes, Kinetix is meeting massive demand for tools that help users interact and express themselves in more authentic and diverse ways. This new SDK offers a way for game developers to take part in these key trends during what looks like a seminal time for gaming, and I expect it to deliver immediate and measurable value.”
The Kinetix generative AI-powered platform and no-code editing tools empowers users, creators, video game makers, metaverse platforms, and brands to create and edit animated 3D avatar content in seconds, creating a treasure trove of emote content. In December 2022, it announced the launch of ‘Emote NFTs’, with emotes that users can create, promote and monetize for a favorable 95% revenue share.
In 2022, Kinetix raised $11 million in seed funding in a round led by Adam Ghobarah, founder of Top Harvest Capital, with participation from Sparkle Ventures, and multiple virtual world platforms and successful entrepreneurs. Kinetix already has established partnerships with leading and emerging virtual worlds including Roblox, The Sandbox, ZEPETO, Decentraland, and PolyLand.
Developing an avatar-based 3D game or virtual world? Register as a beta tester for the Kinetix emote SDK.
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Eagerly anticipated release now confirmed following a highly successful exclusivity period with Rush Street Interactive
Play’n GO has today announced the official US release of its hit title Colt Lightning Firestorm, following a three-week period of exclusivity with Rush Street Interactive brands BetRivers and SugarHouse.
Colt Lightning Firestorm was released in Europe and other jurisdictions in May 2024, and its release in the US comes with much fanfare following the game’s rave reviews in its short exclusivity period. The game is a sequel to the wildly popular Colt Lightning game which was released early last year, and indications at this stage suggest that this sequel may prove even more successful.
This announcement sees Colt Lightning Firestorm available to players in each state and operator with whom Play’n GO is licensed. Play’n GO first entered the online casino market in the US in 2022, and has reiterated its commitment to becoming active in every regulated market around the world.
Magnus Olsson, Chief Commercial Officer at Play’n GO said: “We’re excited to unveil Colt Lightning Firestorm to the wider online casino gaming community in the US, and have been very pleased to see its strong performance during its exclusivity period with Rush Street Interactive. We had high hopes for the game following the success of its predecessor, and we’re confident that these robust results will continue now that the game is available to an even bigger audience.”
Esports entertainment company BLAST has announced plans to host two popular esports events in Singapore in 2024 and 2025.
BLAST will bring both world-class Counter-Strike and Dota 2 tournaments to the heart of Southeast Asia, marking a major step in Singapore’s emergence as an esports and gaming hub. Supported by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), these high-profile events will bring the world’s best esports teams and players from all across the world to compete in Singapore.
BLAST has teamed up with AEG Presents Asia, one of the world’s largest live entertainment entities to bring these events to Singapore. The partnership forms part of BLAST’s ambition to create the best esports experiences by working closely with premier destinations and the biggest and best live entertainment partners.
More than half of global esports views (57%) are estimated to come from the Asia Pacific region, 47% more than any other region in the world with the global market valued at $1.6 billion.
By bringing the top-tier Counter-Strike and Dota 2 tournaments to Singapore, BLAST aims
to attract global esports talent, foster local growth, and elevate Singapore’s status as a destination for world-class esports entertainment.
James Woollard, Director of Market Development at BLAST, said: “We are incredibly excited to bring two of the biggest esports titles to this vibrant destination. Over the coming 18 months, Singapore will become a major hub for esports in Southeast Asia, and with the support of the Singapore Tourism Board, we look forward to delivering unforgettable experiences for fans while helping to build a thriving esports ecosystem in the region. Bringing the first BLAST arena event to Singapore is an exciting first step in this journey. The World Final will see the world’s best Counter-Strike players and teams fighting for a $1,000,000 total prize pool.”
Ms Ong Ling Lee, Executive Director, Sports and Wellness, Singapore Tourism Board, said, “We are excited to host the BLAST Premier World Final and the BLAST Dota Slam in Singapore. The Counter-Strike event marks the first BLAST-branded event in Southeast Asia and the inaugural Counter-Strike tournament series in the region, solidifying Singapore’s position as a world-class esports destination. We are confident that the international participants and their legions of fans will have a memorable experience in Singapore, immersing themselves in the diverse and dynamic offerings of our city.”
The World Final 2024 will take place from 30th October – 3rd November and will be the first BLAST event to take place in Singapore, followed by the BLAST Dota Slam in 2025. The World Final will be the biggest Counter-Strike event to take place in Singapore, where the world’s best eight Counter-Strike teams will compete for a massive prize pool of $1,000,000 and the chance to claim bragging rights as the best team around.
Qualified World Final teams: NAVI, Team Spirit, Team Vitality, FaZe Clan and G2 Esports.
Fans can sign-up for the pre-sale window by registering with BLAST.tv, where they will also receive updates and information on tickets.
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