In-game advertising platform, Adverty, has announced a collaboration with Oracle Moat, to provide enhanced measurement and verification for in-game ad traffic and impressions. 

Oracle Moat’s verification solution will give publishers, agencies and advertisers access to trusted third-party measurement for in-game ad campaigns.

Adverty’s mission is to deliver seamless advertising which connects brands and audiences through its revolutionary technology, built specifically for gaming, at a time when more than three billion people around the world play video games regularly.

Tobias Knutsson, CEO of Adverty, commented: “We are delighted to announce this collaboration with Oracle Moat at a time when third-party measurement is more essential than ever for building effective media strategies, growing industry confidence, and fostering trust and understanding when it comes to burgeoning in-game media environments. Oracle Moat is a world leader in measurement and by working together we can help ensure that our solutions give advertisers the confidence they need to invest in this increasingly important channel.”

Mark Kopera, Head of Product for Oracle Moat, added: “As in-game advertising expands across the media mix, so does the need for advertisers to understand key indicators of media quality and detect any fraudulent activity inside games. We’re excited to join efforts with Adverty to give advertisers the tools they need to make more informed, data-driven decisions, and reach valuable audiences across this increasingly important media channel.”

Staying with Adverty, last week the company announced an exclusive partnership with hyper-casual publisher Lucky Kat Studios.

Cloud gaming solution provider RemoteMyApp (RMA) has announced a licensing deal with multi-platform game publisher 505 Games, providing access to several of its titles. 

Poland-based RMA will offer a selection of the Italian publisher’s titles – Control (Remedy Entertainment), Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons (Starbreeze Studios) and Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night (ArtPlay) – to its B2B partners. 

RMA licensed the first triple-A titles for MagentaGaming, Deutsche Telekom’s cloud gaming service. The German platform, which was built with the support of RMA’s streaming technology, will further expand its appeal with the addition of Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, and Control. The latter title is the critically-acclaimed action-adventure game developed by Remedy Entertainment. Released in August 2019, Control has been played by millions of players around the world and received more than 80 gaming awards. Other additions to the MagentaGaming game catalog will be revealed throughout the year.

RemoteMyApp is a cloud gaming B2B solution provider that offers seamless streaming technology and the most advanced technological solutions around the globe. The company can assist in establishing infrastructure optimized for cloud gaming and in reaching dedicated servers’ distributors. 

Additionally, RMA’s holistic vision encompasses securing an excellent content offer for all present and future partners. Being a one-stop-shop, RMA is a perfect partner not only for the entities that would like to offer cloud gaming platforms to their end-users but also publishers that believe in the potential of cloud gaming.

Founded in 2007 in Milan, Italy, the publisher 505 Games, is a daughter company of Digital Bros. Digital Bros itself has four development studios under its brand, namely DR Studios, Kunos Simulazioni, Infinity Plus 2 and Avantgarden. The publisher launches premium games like the previously mentioned cinematic 3rd person action game Control, Journey to the Savage Planet, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, Terraria, the Assetto Corsa franchise, Indivisible, PAYDAY 2, and free-to-play games, including Gems of War and Puzzle Quest 3.

Regarding the news, Andreas Hestbeck, CEO of RemoteMyApp, said: “Getting the first AAA titles licensed for our cloud gaming service is a very big dream that finally came true. RMA is now able to supply top-notch content to current and future B2B partners. This makes our cloud gaming offer even more lucrative by significantly raising its attractiveness for the subscribers who appreciate high-end games. 505 Games titles are unique, involving, and fast-paced. I am proud and delighted that such important publishers start to acknowledge cloud gaming as a new way to monetize their games.” 

Dominik Lauf, Program Lead and Chief Product Officer at MagentaGaming from Deutsche Telekom, added: “We are very happy that with this partnership we can not only expand our list of AAA titles but also have the possibility to have great titles on our platform from the first release day on in future.”

RemoteMyApp founded in 2014 in Szczecin, Poland, is now in advanced negotiations with many known publishers. More partnerships will be announced later this year. The company that got a capital injection from Deutsche Telekom’s strategic investment fund, Telekom Innovation Pool GmbH, in June 2020, has become one of the most-recognized cloud gaming solution providers available.

AYO.NEWS says:

Getting AAA titles like Control on its platform is going to be, if you’ll forgive the pun, a real game changer for RemoteMyApp, enabling its offering to compete with the biggest in the industry. The rise of cloud-based gaming offerings is really opening up the gaming space, which will likely further fuel the boom in video game consumption, which can only be good for both developers and consumers. 

Staying with cloud gaming, last month Blacknut announced a new deal with French video game publisher NACON, covering titles including WRC 9, Tennis World Tour 2, Blood Bowl 2, and AO Tennis 2.

Warsaw-based live streaming sponsorships platform inSTREAMLY has raised €1.1M in a seed funding round led by Supernode Global. 

Founded in 2019 by a team of live streaming and marketing professionals, the platform is designed to enable all streamers to grow and monetise their passion, and to allow brands to work with streamers to reach the hard to engage Gen Z audience. 

Colopl Next and PKO TFI also participated in the latest funding round, while SMOK VC – a firm run by Niantic, Unity, Uber and Stripe investor Paul Bragiel – previously made a pre-seed investment. 

Wiktoria Wójcik, co-founder, inSTREAMLY, said: “I personally know how life-changing it can be for a small streamer to get their first revenue from streaming. It makes you believe that you can turn your passion into a career. With the new funds, we will be accelerating our expansion to new markets and aim to deliver the best opportunities to streamers worldwide.”

Phoebe Arkell, Supernode Global, commented: “We see massive potential in how inSTREAMLY is democratising sponsorship opportunities for the live streaming ecosystem and believe the team’s deep understanding of the market and passion for streaming will be a key component to their success. We’re incredibly excited to lead this round and look forward to supporting inSTREAMLY as they expand their platform into new markets.” 

Krzysztof Tokarski, Managing Director at PKO VC, added: “Media agencies and large brands are currently facing difficulties in building a sales message that would be engaging for the Generation Z. inSTREAMLY fills this gap. The value of the Company is built for all current shareholders, and we believe it will be a part of inSTREAMLY global success.”

UK-based Semper Fortis Esports has announced plans to float on the Aquis Stock Exchange in London, with the goal of raising £2.5M GBP. 

The company, which is based in the northern English city of Sheffield, says it plans to create esports teams, sign sponsorship deals with brands, and offer consultancy services. 

Semper Fortis Esports’ first team, the three-man Top Blokes, has been recruited and will be competing in the Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS). The company says it will also be seeking to form partnerships with pro footballers and influencers. 

Kevin Soltani, Chief Executive of Semper Fortis, said: “We see a significant opportunity to become a leading force in esports and associated technology development and consultancy services as we develop our business into the multiple vertical markets that serve esports and the wider gaming industry.” 

AYO.NEWS says:

It’s great to see another British esports organisation setting up outside of London, but these plans could seem a little too ambitious considering the tiny footprint of the company so far. Nevertheless, we’ll be watching and wishing the Semper Fortis team the best of luck.

US-based video games publisher Epic Games has announced the closing of a $1 billion USD funding round. 

Led by Sony Group Corporation which contributed $200M, the round brings Epic’s equity valuation to a staggering $28.7B. 

The round also attracted participation from Appaloosa, Baillie Gifford, Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC, GIC, funds and accounts advised by T. Rowe Price Associates, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board, funds and accounts managed by BlackRock, Park West, KKR, AllianceBernstein, Altimeter, Franklin Templeton and Luxor Capital.

Tim Sweeney, CEO and Founder, Epic Games, commented: “We are grateful to our new and existing investors who support our vision for Epic and the Metaverse. Their investment will help accelerate our work around building connected social experiences in Fortnite, Rocket League and Fall Guys while empowering game developers and creators with Unreal Engine, Epic Online Services, and the Epic Games Store.”

Kenichiro Yoshida, Chairman, President and CEO of Sony Group Corporation, added: “Epic continues to deliver revolutionary experiences through their array of cutting edge technologies that support creators in gaming and across the digital entertainment industry. We are excited to strengthen our collaboration to bring new entertainment experiences to people around the world.

“I strongly believe that this aligns with our purpose to fill the world with emotion, through the power of creativity and technology.”

AYO.NEWS says:

Well, that funding round certainly lives up to the company’s name! It really goes to show just how healthy the digital entertainment industry is, especially video gaming, despite the unprecedented global crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. Staying with Epic Games, last month the company acquired Tonic Games Group, the parent company of Fall Guys developer Mediatonic Games, for an undisclosed sum.

Gamer-focused fintech company Zytara has expanded its reach in the crypto industry by entering the NFT market. 

The company, whose mission is to provide Gen Z and Millennial esports fans and gaming enthusiasts with financial services to meet their needs, recently unveiled the Zytara dollar (ZUSD), launched in partnership with Prime Trust.  ZUSD is programmable money for the gaming industry and beyond, which is redeemable on a 1:1 basis for US dollars.

Originally launched on the Ethereum network, Zytara is now also introducing ZUSD onto the DigitalBits blockchain. The company is now also intending to further leverage this blockchain network with this latest expansion into NFTs. 

Blockchain gas/transaction fees and transaction processing speeds (TPS) if not optimized, have the ability to add friction and disrupt the opportunity for NFTs to drive fan engagement. Founded by Al Burgio in 2017, the DigitalBits blockchain network supports low-cost transactions and high throughput, allowing for the seamless transfer of digital assets.

NFTs have been present in the crypto community for years but hit the mainstream in recent weeks fueled by a series of NFTs drops from an array of celebrities and other artists. In the games industry, NFTs are also gaining momentum and, as the industry increases in mainstream popularity, the appetite for this specific crypto asset is expected to grow.

“The leading digital financial institutions of tomorrow will not only hold cash and traditional investments, they’ll custody digital assets, including cryptocurrencies and NFTs,” said Al Burgio, founder & CEO of Zytara. “Our latest expansion enables Zytara to also support strategic partners including esports teams, gamers, musical artists, actors, and other brands with the creation, sales and marketing of NFTs.”  

Zytara has also announced the appointment of Tracy Leparulo as Head of Marketing, bringing with her years of marketing experience in the fintech industry, including with cryptocurrencies and NFT platforms. Since 2013, Tracy Leparulo has been at the forefront of building communities for leading blockchain projects, including Ethereum, Bitcoin, and Polymath.

Tracy has been contributing to the growth of the NFT ecosystem since its inception. In 2017, she organized Ethereum’s largest Hackathon ETH Waterloo, where Cryptokitties launched while also witnessing their NFTs crash the Ethereum Network. In 2014, Tracy organized Canada’s first Bitcoin Expo which included the world’s first Bitcoin Art Exhibit. Since then she has hosted dozens of artists to showcase and auction their artwork both physically and digitally as NFTs.  

“I’ve experienced first-hand the importance of ensuring NFTs are built on the best infrastructure, to make them accessible to everyone without large transaction fees or harming the network.” stated Tracy. “At Zytara we work with brands to select a combination of blockchains, marketplaces, and technology solutions for their NFTs.”

Tracy is also no stranger to NFTs in Gaming and esports. Her experience ranges from NFT in-game skins, NFT gaming tournaments, NFT metaverses like Decentraland, and implementing creative NFT marketing campaigns for giveaways, tickets, and access passes.

Tracy states “NFTs were born out of the gaming industry, and we’ve only scratched the surface of their impact.  This is what I’m most excited about at Zytara, to bring the future of digital banking to gamers. We are building a banking platform and payments network that supports all digital assets including cash, crypto, NFTs, and branded stablecoins including ZUSD.”

In the coming weeks, Zytara will announce several new partnerships, all of which have been strategically chosen with their target market in mind.  

AYO.NEWS says:

Compared to cryptocurrencies, NFTs tend to be more relatable to people, so they have the potential to be the glue which finally connects the mainstream ‘real world’ to the rapidly growing blockchain-based, decentralised metaverse. Few companies are helping connect real-world services and needs to the power of decentralised tech like Zytara, so it’s fantastic to see them jump into the NFT market. 

Earlier this year, Zytara teamed up with North American esports organisation Dignitas, launching Digntas-branded Zytara debit cards and app skins, and collaborating on content to increase awareness of financial solutions for gamers.