Middle East Gaming News

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• June 2024: Microsoft unveiled an all-digital variant of its Xbox Series X and S consoles alongside previews for over a dozen games, notably the next "Call of Duty" installment. The tech giant showcased not just one but three consoles: a disc-less iteration of the Xbox Series X and S and a premium Series X model boasting a capacious 2-terabyte storage.
• April 2024: Sony introduced the PlayStation 5 Slim to the Indian market. The version of its flagship gaming console is 25% lighter and takes up 30% less space than its predecessor. The console retains the original PS5's hardware, boasting 1TB of internal storage that can be expanded using external SSDs. Catering to both disc-based and digital gamers, the PlayStation 5 Slim is equipped with two USB-C ports, enhancing connectivity options.

• May 2024: Pudgy Penguins, the brand development company known for its globally recognized Pudgy Penguins characters, partnered with the next-generation gaming technology studio Mythical Games to co-create an innovative mobile video game with web3 capabilities. The partnership brought together the creators of the widely acclaimed Pudgy Penguins characters and the gaming studio responsible for two of the blockchain's most successful games: NFL Rivals and Blankos Block Party.
• November 2023: Pley, a cross-platform solution enabling mobile games to be played on the web, collaborated with Tilting Point. This partnership aimed to distribute Tilting Point's farming simulation game, Homesteads: Dream Farm. Pley's comprehensive solution facilitated Tilting Point and game developer Enixan porting and distributing their title on Pley's proprietary web browser platform. This move significantly broadened the game's exposure to a vast web gaming audience.

• In June 2024, Rotterdam Ahoy hosted TwitchCon Europe for the first time, bringing together thousands of streamers, viewers, and brands. This event offered a unique opportunity for the Twitch community to gather in person, celebrating creativity, competitive gaming, and fostering connections over a weekend-long festival.
• In October 2023, HyperX, the gaming peripherals team at HP Inc., along with OMEN Gaming, announced its role as the official sponsor of the TwitchCon Streamer Station. This partnership between HyperX and HP OMEN allows TwitchCon attendees to experience the latest HyperX products designed for gaming streamers and content creators.

• May 2024 - The Estate of Otis Redding, operating as Big O Holdings LLC, announced a strategic partnership with Sony Music Publishing. Under this agreement, Sony Music will manage the US publishing rights for Redding's music catalog, which includes notable tracks such as "These Arms of Mine," "Respect," "Try A Little Tenderness," and "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay."
• April 2024 - Warner Chappell Music (WCM), a global music publisher, and ICE, a music rights administration company, announced an expansion of their long-standing partnership. Following a comprehensive 10-month review process, WCM decided to entrust ICE with managing all its online licensing and royalty administration across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

• June 2024: Immutable, a Web3 gaming platform, unveiled a pivotal partnership with MarbleX, the blockchain gaming arm of Netmarble. This strategic agreement is set to elevate the gaming landscape by transitioning MarbleX, along with its flagship IP titles, to the Immutable zkEVM chain. This blockchain platform, tailored for gamers, operates on Polygon's robust infrastructure.
• February 2024: Sequence unveiled a strategic partnership with Spellborne, a Web3 online role-playing game (MMORPG). Spellborne, recognizing players' demand for a seamless digital item management experience, opted to partner with Sequence Wallet as a Service (WaaS). This move allows players to conduct secure transactions without exiting the immersive in-game environment. Spellborne's world, known for its enchanting creatures and magical landscapes, is now further enhanced by this integration. This Sequence's debut partnership highlights its WaaS platform, presented in Spellborne's vintage pixel-art style, set in a Web3 world where players tame monsters.

• April 2024: The Royal Moroccan Federation for Electronic Games (FRMJE) inaugurated Africa's "eBotola MDJS eSports" championship. The tournament occurred at two primary venues: the FRMJE headquarters and various youth centers nationwide. The championship's champions secured the national title and earned a coveted spot in Africa's inaugural Club World Cup qualification PlayIns (EA FC24).
• February 2024: Evolution announced an agreement with Betway, launching the first customized game show for players in South Africa. Betway XXXtreme Lightning Roulette was made available, streaming live from the brand-new dedicated studio. Betway XXXtreme Lightning Roulette claims to offer the most extreme roulette experience with Chain Lightning Numbers and Double Strike Multipliers. This globally popular game provided an electrifying live dealer experience with more opportunities to hit a lucky bet spot, boasting up to 2,000x multipliers.

• April 2024: NASA's Hubble Space Telescope team released a new ebook in the Hubble Focus series titled "Hubble Focus: The Dark Universe." This ebook showcases the mission's latest findings on two enigmatic elements of the cosmos, namely dark energy, a puzzling force accelerating the universe's expansion, and dark matter, an invisible substance discernible solely through its gravitational effects on visible matter.
• In March 2024, GIJN launched its inaugural ebook, "Reporter's Guide to Investigating War Crimes." This 16-chapter guide, curated by GIJN, features insights from over 24 specialists and journalists. It delves into a wide array of topics, ranging from the legal intricacies of war and attacks on civilians to conflict-related sexual violence, environmental crimes, and the use of banned weapons. Additionally, it covers aspects like genocide, forced disappearances, archiving evidence, open-source research, military command structures, and the crucial task of tracing and documenting war criminals. The guide also emphasizes the significance of photo and video documentation, highlights best practices for physical and digital security, and offers self-care insights for journalists reporting traumatic events.

• October 2023: ZS Instruments received a USD 1 million grant to develop advanced lithography tech for precision optical encoders from the National Science Foundation. The funding will be used to improve the manufacture of sensors used in semiconductor fabrication and inspection, precision machining equipment, UAV guidance and tracking systems, medical imaging equipment, industrial robots, and measuring instruments.
• June 2023: British Encoder launched its newest catalog that showcases a collection of encoders tailored for various industries, starting from manufacturing and robotics to aerospace and medical devices. These encoders are purpose-built to excel in specific applications and ensure that each encoder seamlessly integrates into the unique environments and challenges of different industries.

• May 2024: Hollyland launched its newest series of video transmitters, the Pyro series. The first product of the line is the Pyro H. The Pyro H offers enhanced monitoring stability and collaboration on set. It is significant for diverse applications, such as film production, commercial filming, live event filming, and ENG/EFP applications. With self-developed 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz dual-band technology, the Pyro H features a stable transmission range of up to 1,300 ft (400 m). It achieves a minimal transmission latency of 60 ms thanks to upgraded chips and optimized video encoding/decoding algorithms.
• February 2024: VMware, acquired by Broadcom Inc., announced that DISH Wireless had deployed VMware Telco Cloud Service Assurance across the Boost Wireless Network in a pilot production environment to deliver real-time network monitoring, assurance, and automation, providing a superior 5G network and subscriber experience.
• September 2023: Cloudbass, the independent dedicated outside broadcasting firm in the United Kingdom, decided to invest significantly in EVS' LiveCeption Signature solution, which contains an impressive fleet of EVS XT-VIA live production servers. The agreement is part of Cloudbass' strategic upgrade plan, involving replacing its current EVS XT3 servers and deploying more XT-VIA servers to increase their abilities. With this acquisition, Cloudbass, known for delivering OB vehicles for the coverage of state events such as the King's Coronation, countless sports events such as the Scottish Premier League, boxing, motorsport, and the main stages at Glastonbury in UHD HDR, boosts its dedication to producing top-tier, advanced live broadcasting services for its customers.

• April 2024: The NCAA approved coach-to-player helmet communication for the 2024 football season. Only one player for each team will be permitted to communicate with coaches while on the field. A green dot on the back of the helmet will identify that player. Communication between the coach and the player will be turned off with 15 seconds remaining when the ball is snapped.
• March 2024: FanDuel announced a series of initiatives and financial support focused on raising awareness of the importance of responsible play during Problem Gambling Awareness Month, where the first phase of the relationship will focus on a pilot program in New Jersey and Ohio that supports self-excluded players with direct access to comprehensive mental health assessments and group support services.