Latest news with #GlobalGameJam
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Xsolla Partners With Defold to Enable Seamless In-game Purchases for Web Developers
New SDK Integration Simplifies Monetization for Defold Developers Publishing on CrazyGames Ahead of Global Game Jam LOS ANGELES, June 12, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Xsolla, a leading global video game commerce company, announces a new strategic partnership with Defold, the cross-platform game engine trusted by professionals and indie developers worldwide. This collaboration introduces a seamless integration between Xsolla and Defold-built web games on CrazyGames, enabling developers to easily monetize their titles just in time for the CrazyGames x Defold Game Jam running June 13–15. To address the complexity of in-game monetization, Xsolla and Defold have developed a new SDK that allows Defold developers to implement in-game purchasing functionality without the complex manual API setup required. With Xsolla's sponsorship and support, this integration removes friction from the monetization journey, allowing developers to focus on building engaging games, not commerce infrastructure. This SDK connects three key players in the expanding browser games space: Xsolla, Defold, and CrazyGames, offering a smooth path from gameplay to purchase. The launch coincides with the Game Jam, allowing participants to integrate in-game purchases easily, extend their reach, and scale monetization beyond traditional app stores. Developers using Defold's flexible, Lua-based engine can now implement end-to-end monetization flows directly within their browser games, thanks to the powerful toolset provided by Xsolla. This partnership marks a notable advancement for browser-first development and reinforces Xsolla's role as an innovator in cross-platform game commerce. "Xsolla has always focused on simplifying the path to monetization, especially for developers looking to reach players across platforms," said Chris Hewish, Chief Strategy and Communications Officer at Xsolla. "Our partnership with Defold opens new doors for browser game developers, especially as the CrazyGames community continues to expand. We're excited to deliver a fast, intuitive, and well-designed solution with developers in mind." "Helping developers do more with less is core to Defold's mission," said Björn Ritzl, Product Owner at Defold. "By working with Xsolla, we're giving our community tools to monetize games more easily, particularly in the rapidly growing web gaming space. This is a huge win for our developers heading into the Game Jam." This initiative aligns with Xsolla's broader vision of ecosystem collaboration, alternative distribution channels, and sustainable revenue models for developers of all sizes. With over 500 successful web shops launched and a growing suite of monetization solutions, Xsolla continues to bring opportunities together for the global developer community. To access the new Xsolla SDK or learn more about Defold, visit: About Xsolla Xsolla is a leading global video game commerce company with a robust and powerful set of tools and services designed specifically for the industry. Since its founding in 2005, Xsolla has helped thousands of game developers and publishers of all sizes fund, market, launch, and monetize their games globally and across multiple platforms. As an innovative leader in game commerce, Xsolla's mission is to solve the inherent complexities of global distribution, marketing, and monetization to help our partners reach more geographies, generate more revenue, and create relationships with gamers worldwide. Headquartered and incorporated in Los Angeles, California, with offices in London, Berlin, Seoul, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, Raleigh, Tokyo, Montreal, and cities around the world. For more information, visit About Defold Defold is a free to use, source available, cross platform game engine with a developer-friendly license. Defold is used by professionals and indie developers worldwide to create commercial games. Defold is also frequently used in games for game jams and as a tool to teach game development. Defold is developed by the Defold Foundation, a Swedish software foundation established in May 2020. The Defold Foundation works together with industry partners to provide free and open software and services to game developers across the globe. For more information, visit About CrazyGames CrazyGames is a leading browser games platform that offers instant play to over 40 million monthly users across the globe. With thousands of high-quality games across every genre, CrazyGames helps developers reach a massive, engaged audience without app store friction. The platform supports direct web publishing, fast feedback loops, and modern monetization tools - empowering game creators to thrive in the browser-first era. For more information, visit View source version on Contacts Media Contact Derrick StembridgeVice President of Global Public Relations,
Arab News
12-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Arab News
Leveling Up: Abu Dhabi's video game scene powering the knowledge economy
ABU DHABI: In a dynamic landscape where innovation is paramount, Abu Dhabi is staking its claim. As the emirate navigates the shifting tides of the knowledge economy, the video game industry is emerging as a transformative force, proving to be a powerful catalyst for progress and innovation. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport With the potential to redefine entertainment, education, and technology, gaming presents a unique opportunity for Abu Dhabi to thrive in an increasingly interconnected and digitized world. To put it bluntly, gaming is the future and Abu Dhabi has a major role to play in making this future a reality. By staying ahead of the curve, we will attract global talent to the emirate whilst creating new career paths for aspiring local talent to realize their dreams. Next phase of the knowledge economy As the global gaming industry became mainstream, Abu Dhabi was right there beside it. This growth dates to Ubisoft's arrival in the UAE capital in 2010. As data began to show the speed at which the Middle East's gaming market was growing, more companies took advantage of this growth by settling in Abu Dhabi. The industry is now thriving and growing at pace, with highly skilled jobs being created that encompass the latest trends in game development technology such as AI, machine learning and game analytics. Each year, we push the boundaries of learning and development even further. We have started 2025 strong by hosting Global Game Jam, the world's largest game jam event, which takes place simultaneously around the globe. One of the locations this year was Berklee in Manarat Al Saadiyat hosted by Abu Dhabi Gaming, where game developers and enthusiast had 48 hours to develop and showcase their projects in a safe and welcoming environment. Every initiative matters, as Abu Dhabi leads the way in driving forward the growth of the knowledge-based economy. With revenues forecast to rise from $455 billion in 2024 to $625 billion by 2028, the global gaming industry continues to grow at a healthy rate, with the UAE and its legions of tech-savvy gamers now accounting for 30 percent of revenue in the MENA region. Recognizing the creative potential of the gaming industry at the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), we've actively pursued strategies to leverage its power. This involved adopting a comprehensive approach with three key pillars: developing the local talent pipeline and creating a second home for the global talent pool; bringing a healthy mix of game developers to Abu Dhabi and supporting the local home-grown development studios; engaging with the esports and gaming community across the globe. We can point to immense progress on all three of the strategy's pillars. Talent development Establishing a robust talent development pipeline stands as one of our top priorities, and we are making significant strides in this regard. Our initial move involved forging more than a decade-long partnership with Unity Technologies to enhance the skill set of our workforce. With its Middle East and Africa headquarters based in Abu Dhabi, San Francisco's Unity is a leader in the industry, powering 80 percent of mobile games globally. Undertaking Unity training enhances employability prospects significantly and helps keep early-career talent in Abu Dhabi. Bringing game developers to Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi is now home to more than 80 video game companies, the largest such community in the region. These companies and organizations, such as Sperasoft and Ninjas In Pyjamas, are drawn to Abu Dhabi by its reputation for delivering results. Last year, leading esports company NIP Group entered into a five-year term gaming subsidy agreement with DCT Abu Dhabi, with an aim to elevate its presence in the region. Facilitating this growth is Abu Dhabi Gaming, serving as a vital connector within our community. Through initiatives like internship events, Abu Dhabi Gaming matches students with companies, streamlining the process for founders who can conduct multiple interviews in a single evening. In the words of the late Steve Jobs, 'Real artists ship.', as in, deliver their products. Innovation has the potential to yield incredible results, but action is essential to realize its full potential – and Abu Dhabi Gaming is our channel for action in gaming. Esports Esports events pack arenas and have huge global viewership – over 540 million people worldwide by the latest estimates. At the local level, these big-tent events activate the gaming community by creating occasions that draw gamers together – which then paves the way for the success of further community gatherings such as Gaming4Good and the Yas Gaming Festival. Increasingly, Abu Dhabi-based esports teams are making their mark on the global stage. Take, for example, Nigma Galaxy, a mainly Arab Dota 2 team that clinched a world championship title ahead of setting up their HQ in Abu Dhabi. With a support team comprising of a psychologist, strategist and analysts, they exemplify the professionalism in esports. Additionally, local talent like Amjad Al Shalabi, also known as AngryBird, emerged victorious at the 2023 EVO (Street Fighter) world championship in Las Vegas. We are also seeing a surge in the number of esports academies across the emirate to bring rising local stars to the forefront of competitive gaming. Recognizing the growth opportunities the emirate has to offer, more teams are establishing themselves in Abu Dhabi: the emirate is poised to become a leading regional hub for esports, fostering heightened competition levels as teams train local gamers, and a burgeoning fan base as tournaments highlight local venues. The future is ours DCT Abu Dhabi's vision is for Abu Dhabi Gaming to be a key player on the global stage. We believe it is important to tell more stories about the region through gaming, akin to how Dynasty Warriors presents Chinese imperial history. This is starting to happen. For instance, Ubisoft's team collaborated with multiple museums and historians covering Islamic art, architecture and history to ensure the authenticity of Assassin's Creed Mirage's portrayal of medieval Baghdad, highlighting its historical significance as a center of science and mathematics during that period. In years to come we will witness more local success stories in game development. These energies are bubbling up at companies like Kashkool Games. Founded by three Emirati brothers, they have been working on their game called Sheba: A New Dawn for years and are now under the umbrella of Abu Dhabi Gaming. The game was successfully published last year, and they are already working on their second title with an increased focus in showcasing Emirati culture and preserving heritage. AI is also an essential consideration as we move forward. AI and machine learning can transform games so that every time you play, the game is different. The monster around the corner this time won't be the same monster as last time. Speech can be crafted so that every interaction is unique for every player. Developing games using AI technology is a skillset that needs to be leveraged and one for which the demand is only going to grow. The opportunity in front of us is endless. Here in Abu Dhabi we are harnessing the power of creation, welcoming the dreamers and creating a world class ecosystem for the gaming industry.
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
DSM gamers spend weekend designing games for Global Game Jam
DES MOINES, Iowa — Gamers from around the metro gathered to design a game, but they only had 48 hours. This weekend gamers of all varieties gathered at Gravitate for a weekend of creativity and design as they worked to create analog or digital games based off of a surprise theme. The competition began on Friday at 5 p.m., when the theme was announced, from there teams broke away and began composing their game. 'The goal is that by 2 p.m. on Sunday, you have something to present to the whole group, whether it's a video game or a board game. You know, every year we have folks put together all sorts of interesting themes,' said Joe Roth the owner of the Dealt Hand. This year's theme is 'Bubble' and Roth says the variety of interpretations has been amazing. Tri for a Cause event helps support girls' athletics 'We've got a lot of games doing different takes on what a bubble might be,' said Roth. 'A lot of fun, like kind of like a cryptocurrency manipulation game that folks are working on, there's a game about like people kind of like creating and running around by pop of bubbles.' While some might feel the pressure of the event, Roth says it creates an atmosphere that is focused on gaming and where no idea is a bad one. 'What's really fun is that making a game feels really intimidating sometimes and being here, you're able to dedicate a 48-hour window to working with folks who also want to do that,' said Roth. 'There's no right or wrong answers in games as long as you make something that you're proud of and you had fun with it.' The competition comes to a close at 2 p.m. on Sunday when the groups present their games to the other participants. Once the games are presented the groups converse and talk about their ideas, how it was possible, and pick favorites. While no award is given, the favorite games are uploaded to the Global Game Jam organization so others can view the work. RAGBRAI 52 announces 2025 route Roth and several others helped bring back the Game Jam three years ago, in an attempt to bring together people in a creative outlet after the effects of COVID 19. 'Well, let's go ahead and do that. Make sure this Jam happens, gives folks a space to be creative and get together for the weekend, and then go on their merry way,' said Roth. Those looking to learn more about game design in a more relaxed setting are invited to attend the game design meetings held on the last Tuesday of each month at Gravitate from 6 to 9 p.m. To learn more about the Global Game Jam and read about some of games designed click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
