Aimed at production companies in need of experienced teams with a deep understanding of remote production technologies and systems, Virtualis Studios provides proprietary, state-of-the-art, scalable solutions for video, television, and branded content. 

Virtualis Studios was born from cloud-based esports broadcast solutions designed to enable thousands of simultaneous gameplay and player cam feeds to be live streamed across dozens of endpoints. It specialises in integrating multiple technology solutions to ensure any project can be produced and monitored on a partially or fully remote basis. 

Discussing the venture Chief Commercial Officer at Super League, Matt Edelman, said:

“We created Virtualis Studios based on the rapidly increasing demand for premium video across the pandemic-beleaguered production landscape.

“While there are individual off-the-shelf software products that address certain aspects of remote production quite well, we have found that production companies need a solution that can do everything well, with flexibility and creativity that applies across production types. 

“That’s what we’ve built – our expertise is as important as our technology systems, and both will bring immense value to our partners for years to come.”

Leading commercial production agency, The Woo, recently tapped Virtualis Studios to support an upcoming national campaign for a well-known household brand.

Regarding the project, Head of Production at The Woo, Lorna Paul, said:

“The Virtualis Studios solution went beyond our expectations for remote monitoring of an important commercial shoot. Our client was able to provide real-time input throughout the production with ease, which helped ensure we were meeting their core objectives.”

And, Head of Virtualis Studios and SuperLeagueTV, Brian Gramo, added:

“Virtualis Studios already had a vast amount of experience evaluating, testing, and integrating dozens of technologies for both traditional and REMI workflows well before COVID-19 hit.

“Our success has come from designing the right mix of solutions for each project, and building proprietary workflows that inspire confidence among every member of the production crew, any executive who needs oversight via our remote multi-views, and all on-camera talent, from wherever they may be located.”

AYO.NEWS says:

We often comment about how the video games and esports industries have been able to weather the COVID-19 storm better than most, and how the various forms of digital entertainment, including television, movies, and music, are rapidly merging with gaming, but Super League are really taking things to the next level with this. But, it makes perfect sense, and we’re sure it will inspire other companies to explore new opportunities too.

Staying with esports and gaming merging with the wider entertainment industry, earlier this week New York-based ESPAT TV announced the launch of the Creative Collective, with involvement from the Ridley Scott Creative Group, PRG, Esports Locker, Unbridled Media, and Movers and Shakers. 

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020.

The Flutter Entertainment-owned betting brand is no stranger to controversial marketing, although its recent series of “Fan Denial” videos has played it fairly safe until now. 

The offending video, which has now been removed, was shared on social media following Arsenal’s FA Cup final win over Chelsea, and featured a fan saying “salty rent boy.”

Before Paddy Power removed the video, it attracted criticism from fan groups including Chelsea Pride, Gay Gooners, Proud Baggies, and anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out, whose chairman, Sanjay Bhandari, said:

“An advert like this is designed to provoke and does nothing to further inclusion in football. All it will do is encourage people to keep using this hideous language, not just on social media but in matches too.”

Responding to the incident, Paddy Power said “it does not condone the use of such derogatory terms.” 

Our statement regarding the homophobic video posted by @paddypower. Following the response from @kickitout and many other members for the #lgbtq football community. pic.twitter.com/BPAvNxueed

— Chelsea Pride (@ChelseaPride_) August 5, 2020

Yesterday, following @paddypower’s FA Cup fan denial video, we sent an email to CEO Peter Jackson. We highlighted continued actions & thought are needed more than one-off campaigns & our role to #CallItOut.

We’re glad to see the video has been removed & hope PP learn from this. pic.twitter.com/aLH52LikGv

— Gay Gooners – Arsenal’s LGBT+ fans (@gaygooners) August 5, 2020

AYO.NEWS says:

What is it with Paddy Power’s marketing team? It’s almost like they do things like this just to get attention…

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020

We’ve put together a shortened video, but if you have time check out the full uncut version for some real insights from one of today’s most successful esports entrepreneurs. 

Here’s a short overview of our chat:

For those who aren’t familiar with Unikrn, can you tell us what differentiates it from other esports betting operators?

Unikrn was awarded EGR’s Esports Betting Operator of the Year in 2019 because we’re different. Not only does Unikrn esports betting provide endemic odds for dozens of titles with thousands of markets, but we have also developed new tech to underpin a wide variety of betting opportunities. At Unikrn you can bet in real time on Twitch streamers, powered by proprietary technology. We developed 24/7 virtual matches featuring real, exclusive gameplay with all-star quality players including Justin Wong. You can even bet on yourself in public matchmaking games or private lobbies, a skill-based betting experience which is available even in the United States.

Unikrn offers a much wider range of betting than most bookmakers, including betting on your own gameplay, which obviously drives engagement to an unprecedented degree. Do you think this is key to the future, and are there other exciting innovations coming?

Variety is what keeps games fresh, but also what keeps a betting platform interesting. Not only do I think betting on yourself in video games is going to revolutionize the way we see today’s young adults engage with betting, but I also think it will revolutionize the way today’s gamers play. The first publishers to openly participate in skill-based gaming is going to have unprecedented tools for amping up adrenaline, focus, variety and interest in their games. A lot of gamers who review our platform or contact us in Discord have mentioned how betting on something like Fortnite has totally reinvigorated their interest in playing the game. Gamers have more fun watching, playing or streaming with something on the line, which creates increased user retention for the games themselves, ultimately leading to bigger esports audiences and more interest in esports betting.

Unikrn UMode is a full-circle strategy which helps everybody in the industry: publishers, fans, gamers, and of course us.

And, yes, we’re working on other exciting innovations in this space, but I’m not ready to make any announcements for upcoming expansions right now!

Unikrn’s UnikoinGold cryptocurrency was the world’s first gaming utility token and is now well established, but when were you first introduced to the world of blockchain and cryptos, and where do you see it developing in the future?

UnikoinGold was a big push in the right direction for crypto, which desperately needs more utility before it can really go mainstream. For us, UnikoinGold has been a tremendous success in allowing us to provide betting, rewards and other activities without needing to worry about process slowdowns such as cross-national banking transfers. This ultimately makes it less expensive to run our books and allows us to push the limits, offering better odds than our competitors and a more streamlined experience for our crypto-savvy users.

We’re in the process of securing the next stage of partner development for the UnikoinGold ecosystem, which is going to come with another batch of utility and widen UKG’s appeal beyond just our active, crypto-savvy bettors.

Can you tell us about Unikrn Casino and partnerships with casinos, and how you see esports relating to the traditional gaming space?

Esports is either an unprecedented threat or an unprecedented opportunity for land-based casinos. Which is really up to them.

We’ve worked with several Vegas casinos on gaming-related partnerships, initiatives or consulting, and we’ve seen some success bringing younger audiences into places like the MGM Grand using gamer appeal.

Right now, casinos are still trying to figure out how reliable esports performance is and how big the audience is. With COVID-19 shutting down real sports, I think we’re going to see a lot of casinos and sports media companies come back to operation with a greater understanding of esports’ significance. In the coming years and decades, the casinos that lean into gaming and work with strong partners like Unikrn are going to be the ones that have an enormous advantage for the lifetime of Millenials and Gen Z.

The COVID-19 crisis has significantly boosted the profile of esports around the world, as people look for digital entertainment alternatives. Is Unikrn managing to attract new customers from the traditional sports betting space, and do you see this effect lasting beyond the crisis?

We’re seeing an enormous uptick as people look for safe, fun ways to keep themselves engaged without sports or traditional betting options. I think COVID-19 accelerated esports betting, both because operators are being forced to take a serious look at what esports offers and bettors are starting to rediscover video games as a hobby. Gaming and esports are there to support these new fans through the most difficult period of our lives, and I think it’s unlikely that they lose interest once COVID-19 is defeated.

We’ve heard you’re a League of Legends fan and player, but what title are you most excited about in terms of the future, especially from a betting point of view?

Valorant, a tactical shooter from the makers of League of Legends,  is the hot new thing in the esports world. I’m extremely interested to see what we can do with a Riot Games title with a third-party esports ecosystem. CS:GO is one of the most successful esports betting cultures, and Valorant attracts many of that same audience, so I think there will be a lot of interest. The complexity of the game makes for very interesting exotic markets and the format makes it much easier for bettors to enjoy than Battle Royal titles like Fortnite.

Unikrn has invested in and acquired several other companies over the last few years – which has been the most interesting for you, and are there any more moves on the horizon?

I don’t pick favorites, every company we’ve bought has integrated into Unikrn and allowed major innovations behind the scenes. Lots of our tech, offerings and patent applications have been made possible by the people or groundwork provided by the companies we’ve acquired.

As a college dropout who has gone on to phenomenal success, what do you think is wrong with the education system, and what would your advice be to young entrepreneurs?

Everybody needs to be educated to run a successful business. My education came through successes and failures in the real world. There’s no academic replacement for that, but that doesn’t mean academics are useless. Like any other decision in business, getting a degree or an apprenticeship is a cost/benefit analysis.

Look, for me, college wasn’t a fit, that doesn’t mean I would unilaterally prescribe dropping out to other people. My businesses are operated by people of mixed educational backgrounds, which means they come in with a variety of strengths and weaknesses.

If you’re a young entrepreneur, you really need to assess what kind of business you want to make and what kind of education is a fit for those goals. If you want to create a new medical technology, you’re unlikely to do that without a background in medicine, right? If you want to start a new entertainment business, it’s probably more important for you to understand entertainment, network and innovate a product or service that fills a gap.

Either way, the most important thing is to know what your own blind spots are and hire accordingly. If you didn’t go to college, chances are good you’ll want to hire some people who did. You’ll each help cover each other’s weaknesses.

Times certainly are a changin’ and Unikrn is definitely out there in front, driving progress on both the esports betting and tokenisation fronts. 

We’ll be sure to keep you up-to-speed with developments at Unikrn, and in the meantime it’s a massive “thank you” to Rahul for taking the time to talk with us. 

Oliver explains why traditional banks don’t want to serve what they consider to be ‘high-risk’ clients, and how Globiance has partnered directly with the national bank of Lithuania to offer an innovative solution that seamlessly combines access to cryptocurrencies and multiple fiat currencies.

You can find out more about Globiance at https://globiance.com/

Watch this space for the next episode of ‘Simona &’…

The first VR network built specifically for the blockchain industry, it will feature in-depth and engaging VR programming from top blockchain industry influencers including Bad Crypto Podcast, Crypto Trader, Boxmining, BLOCKTV and CoinCentral.com – all shot with the revolutionary Live Planet VR system.

It will be the first application to use VideoCoin Network technology – a decentralised video encoding, storage and content distribution system.

Using the ground-breaking end-to-end Live Planet VR System, content producers will be able to stream their podcasts and videocasts in full 360 degrees stereoscopic video, either live or recorded.

The Blockchain Virtual Reality Network (BVRN) currently supports streaming on Samsung VR, Oculus, Daydream on the web at LivePlanet.live and YouTube.

Talking about the system, Co-Host at Bad Crypto Podcast, Joel Comm, said:

“This is an opportunity to revolutionize how listeners learn about blockchain and experience our podcast. We are thrilled to be among the first to bring The Bad Crypto Podcast into the realm of virtual reality by joining the Blockchain VR Network.”

While Founder and CEO at Live Planet and Strategic Technology Partner to the VideoCoin Network, Halsey Minor, said:

“We’re so excited about this new Network and all of the possibilities it presents. Live Planet and VideoCoin have each worked tirelessly pursuing the vision of converging VR with blockchain technology — a match made in heaven,

“The Blockchain VR Network actualizes that vision and we’re thrilled to partner with the highest-quality influencers and commentators in the industry for its debut.”

AYO.NEWS says:

We’ve been following Live Planet and VideoCoin for some time now, and to say its exciting is an understatement! This is one of the best use cases for emerging technology we’ve yet seen – something with the power to truly change the way we consume information and entertainment by literally immersing the viewer in the experience.  

Want to find out more about Live Planet and the visionary behind it? Read out exclusive interview with Halsey Minor (see EXCLUSIVE: HALSEY MINOR FORGES THE FUTURE WITH LIVE PLANET & VIDEOCOIN).

Check out a video filmed with Live Planet VR below – move around with the cursor. Now imagine that viewed with a VR device! 

AYO.NEWS says features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited.