In this issue of our magazine, we have listed “The 10 Most Desirable Gaming Solution Providers 2017”, which are providing distinguished and diversified solutions to their consumers.

1. DECEMBER 2017
www.insightssuccess.com The way of business solutions
Evolution Gaming
The World Leader in Live Dealer Gaming
MOST DESIRABLE
THE
Martin Carlesund
CEO
Cloud Gaming
Gaming over the Cloud –
The New Realm of this Era
Game O Pedia
How VR Gaming Will Help
Introverts To Socialize

4. Editorial
Gaming:
Shaping the
Future of Work
Sagar Bhattacharjee
t’s the gaming industry that is driving much of the
Iinnovation in video, VR, AR and collaborative
technologies today—something that has important
effects on how we work, especially with far-flung
colleagues.
Recent developments in 4K (Ultra High Definition) and
technologies like Computer Assisted Design (CAD) and
Computer Assisted Manufacturing (CAM) has leveraged the
level of detail which is made possible by these tools, and it’s
never easy to imagine the seamless results these
developments can bring into reality. That’s just the
beginning of what games could offer businesses.
Technologies like virtual reality, multi-user environments,
and real-time gameplay are immersing gamers in war zones
or distant planets today, but will be used by organizations to
build a more collaborative workforce tomorrow.
The days are not very far when we would be joining a
meeting that exists in virtual space – a conference room
rendered in 3-D, complete with all types of facilities. As we
and our colleagues would join, we would see our avatars
enter the room and sit around the table. Those types of
meetings would be a live example of immersive simulation
of an in-person meeting, created with the help of motion
sensors that would track physical movement or gloves
equipped to capture hand movements and body language.
Gaming is leading the way in another important area of
technology: user engagement. In the near future extending
gameplay would be a top priority among game designers
and it would be one of the prime ways to hold people’s
interest by fostering personal connection.
Gaming is the new way to change, so be ready to be a part
of this change.

5. Insights Success Media Tech LLC
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Corporate Ofces:
December, 2017
Database Management Steve
Technology Consultant Swapnil Patil
Circulation Manager Robert
Research Analyst Jennifer
Thomas, Joseph, John, Mary
Editor-in-Chief Pooja M. Bansal
Ariana LawrenceSenior Editor
Co-Editors
Co-designer Alex Noel
Visualiser David King
Business Development Executive
Marketing Manager Karen Holland
Picture Editor Poonam Mahajan
Managing Editor Sagar Bhattacharjee
Business Development Manager Mark Harris
Steve Smith
Art & Design Director Amol Kamble
Contributors
Nikita, Ajit, Ananda
Suhel Mashayak
Art Editor Aparna Vanzul
Copyright © 2018 Insights Success, All rights reserved. The content and images used in this magazine should not be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission from Insights Success.
Reprint rights remain solely with Insights Success.
Jecob Thomas

6. C O N T E N T S
COVERSTORY
Evolution Gaming:
The World Leader in
Live Dealer Gaming
8 16 24
32 38
42

7. A R T I C L E S
24 World:
An Ingenious Gaming Solution Provider
GamePlan Consulting:
Providing Business Solutions to a
Global Audience
Kavio Cluster:
The Safety Cushion Every
Gaming Company Needs
Sycoforge:
Marching Ahead Towards a
Gaming Revolution
Whitepot Studios:
An Extraordinary Game Development
and Creative Media Studio
How VR Gaming Will Help
Introverts To Socialize
16
24
32
38
42
Entertainment and Media –
Embracing Digital
26
18
40
22
28
34
26
18
Game O Pedia
Tech Talk
Gaming over the Cloud –
The New Realm of this Era
Cloud Gaming
The Future Trends in VFX Industry
Media Insider
Media Industry and its'
Digital Transformation
Editor’s Pick
Augmented Reality, Virtual
Reality and eSports: The Buzzwords
of Gaming Industry where the Future lies
Future of Gamication

8. hose days are gone when people used to play games with the help of enormous gaming consoles attached
Twith machines of discrete components. At that time gaming was a less entertaining medium rather it was a
cumbersome burden to handle and operate those consoles. But now gaming has entered into a whole new era
of transformation and now those machines are rusting and falling apart and we can sense something new is coming.
Lately the idea of gaming with machines is becoming obsolete, and is moving over to the cloud, and this has proved
to be nirvana not only for the gamers but also for the game developers.
With all these rapid developments, gaming industry has taken a positive turn, and there are some unique companies
which have their share in taking gaming experience to a new level. In this sector consumer demand is huge, and so is
the competition. Numerous companies are striving hard to deliver top-notch solutions based on the consumer needs
to mark their prominent footprints in the industry.
Here, in this issue of our magazine, we have listed “The 10 Most Desirable Gaming Solution Providers 2017”,
which are providing distinguished and diversified solutions to their consumers.
Our cover story is Evolution Gaming, which is the world leader in video-streamed Live Dealer gaming, working
with more top-tier operators and brands to deliver top notch services.
Apart from the cover story, we have also listed 24 World for creating responsive platforms and optimize products to
provide a strong technology backbone for supporting the ever-increasing need of presence on various forums.
Endorphina for creating the best online gaming experience and cutting-edge technology to create games that
attracts discrete players. GamePlan Consulting for being a 360 global consultancy specialized in helping game
companies identify, strategize and deliver great solutions to their challenges. Golden Race for the successful launch
of its popular dog racing gaming and selling over 8,000 licenses of it. Kambi Sports Solutions for providing
premium sports betting services to licensed B2C gaming operators. Kavio Cluster for creating an environment that
enables and encourages businesses in gaming industry. SBTECH for providing award-winning sports betting
solutions and a full range of management services to their 50 partners worldwide. Sycoforge for providing
high-quality unique gaming experiences to its fervent customers and Whitepot Studios Limited for creating extra
ordinary Android, iOS, and PC games using Unity.
We have included articles “Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality and eSports The Buzzwords of Gaming
Industry where the Future lies” and “Gaming over the Cloud – The New Realm of this Era”scripted by our
editors in the amazing folios of this magazine.
We also have, “How VR Gaming Will Help Introverts to Socialize” derived from the thoughts of Andreea
Vaduva.
So, do flip the pages of our magazine to unveil the prominent contributions of these Gaming Solution providers.
The Rise of Gaming Industry

10. G
one are those days when people were bound to go
to a casino if they wanted to play a dealer game. In
this rapidly advancing technological world we
have advanced ourselves to an extent where ardent gamers
and technologists have made it possible to bring live casino
to our own place. Now, if you want to play a dealer game,
then just log into your computer and Voila! You will be
welcomed to a spectacular world of live dealer gaming,
where you can play dealer games at your own place, and at
your own convenience and comfort, without visiting any
land based casinos.
Playing at an online casino offers several advantages over
playing in a land based casino. It’s far more convenient, as
you can play whenever you want without having to leave
your home. You are also generally welcomed to a plethora
of better choice of games, and one can easily get the same
value added services via the bonuses and rewards that most
of the land based casinos offer.
One such company which is adding real value to the live
dealer gaming industry is Evolution Gaming, which is the
world leader in live dealer gaming and was founded with a
vision of transforming the gaming world with high-quality
live gaming solutions for discerning players.
Meet the Forerunners of Evolution Gaming
Evolution Gaming was founded in 2006 by Jens von Bahr,
Chairman, Fredrik Osterberg, Chief Strategy Officer
and Richard Hadida, Creative Director. They all shared a
vision for transforming the gaming world with high-quality
live gaming solutions for discerning players, and at the time
of Evolution Gaming’s inception, all of them had a
commendable experience of working in gaming sector.
Richard had been developing nascent Live Casino
solutions, and Jens and Fredrik also had considerable
experience in the gaming sector. This founding trio remains
with Evolution to this day. Their leadership and the
persistence has assisted the company to taste enormous
success and been the reason to become the acknowledged
leader in video-streamed Live Casino gaming solutions
sector. Later in 2015, Martin Carlesund joined Evolution
as Group CEO with the remit to further develop the
company and help it attain new heights in the gaming
industry.
Initially, Evolution was listed on Nasdaq First North
Premier, Stockholm in March 2015. Then on 7 June 2017,
Evolution moved from First North to the main Nasdaq
Stockholm market, and it was the achievement which was
meant to be cherished as well as applauded by all.
Commenting at that time, Martin said: “It was a special
feeling to ring the opening bell and affirm that Evolution
has grown to become a large cap company since our IPO
slightly more than two years ago. The list change is clear
proof that the organisation has matured and
professionalised during its time in a public environment.”
Offering World-class B2B Services to the Clients
Evolution’s key focus is delivering the very best player
experience. They achieve this not only through a world-
class portfolio of Live Casino games but through a
complete and totally comprehensive world-class B2B offer
“Our values deliver value for our licensees”

11. Martin Carlesund
CEO

12. for their licensees.
That total offer is built on six pillars: Operational
Excellence; Licensee Customisation; Product
Innovation; Maximised Mobile; Land-based Casinos;
and Regulated Markets. These six pillars effectively
summarise the key attributes that have been fundamental
in taking evolution from a start-up to a world leader.
Operational Excellence is core to Evolution’s service.
With 400+ Live Casino tables operating from their seven
European studios (new studios are also opening very soon
in Canada and Georgia), their licensees are offered an
unrivalled scale, efficiency and service sophistication.
Evolution offers Licensee Customisation which means the
greatest flexibility to meet the needs of each licensee’s
brand, markets and players, from mainstream to VIP.
The Product Innovation pillar is all about Evolution’s
constant investment in R&D and relentless desire to push
beyond boundaries. This has resulted in innovations such
as their award-winning Immersive Roulette, Baccarat
Control Squeeze and Dream Catcher money wheel, which
was named Digital Product of the Year at the latest Global
Gaming Awards.
Evolution takes pride on designing award-winning games
that offer ‘stickability’, while, of course, offering a full
range of timeless classics — Roulette, Blackjack,
Baccarat, poker variants et al — but often with a modern
twist. They deliver it all via the best HD live stream,
ensuring the full portfolio is available across all devices, in
landscape and portrait view on mobile, and all beautifully
optimised for each screen size and operating system.
Maximised Mobile sums up our commitment to offer the
largest range of mobile-optimised live tables and
languages for tablet and smartphone, to help licensees
make the most of the very considerable mobile
opportunity.
The Land-based Casinos pillar covers not only
‘on-premise’ live studios within traditional land-based
casinos but also their Dual Play convergence solutions.
“We carry out our mission and pursue our vision according to
company values applied to all areas of our operations”

13. Individually or together, each can help traditional operators
improve customer loyalty and attract new demographics.
For Evolution, Regulated Markets is primarily new and
re-regulating jurisdictions, which is central to their offering
for licensees. Their commitment and investment in this area
has delivered powerful first-to-market advantage for so
many of their licensees, and will continue to do so.
Employees are Central Element to Evolution’s Success
Employees in all areas and at all levels have been
absolutely central to Evolution’s success.
The company’s game presenters are the face of Live Casino
and as Evolution is a B2B provider; they are the face of a
multitude of brands, a responsibility that they take very
seriously. Indeed, their presenters receive arguably the best
training in the industry through the Evolution Academy.
Their smiling faces and professionalism, and the
engagement and interaction they achieve with players, are
vital factors in attracting players back to the tables again
and again.
Behind the scenes, of course, Evolution has all their
operations staff ensuring that everything runs smoothly.
Their game integrity and risk staff monitor operations 24/7
to ensure that operations run securely and that licensees’
and players’ interest are protected. Evolution’s product
teams are constantly working on extending and improving
their portfolio. Their designers, meanwhile, make sure that
each game UI is intuitive and easy to use on all devices.
Converting Hurdles into Opportunities
The Live Casino industry is undergoing a drastic
transformation phase and the number of Live Casino
providers has increased significantly in the last few years
as barriers to entry have reduced. New entrants have been
attracted by other factors, too: Live Casino has been one
of the fastest growing gaming sectors and is forecast to
continue to outpace the growth of other gaming verticals.
These new entrants face considerable challenges, not least
in the areas of operational excellence and the scalability of
their solutions.
Also, many offer only commodity Live Casino solutions in
an attempt to undercut the market. However, the gulf
between these basic solutions and the level of quality,
sophistication, support and sustainability offered by

14. Evolution is huge.
Tapping the right market potential at right
time; Evolution has garnered itself to be a
renowned brand in the gaming industry, and
with 400+ tables across multiple studios,
Evolution is undeniably the market leader.
Evolution is also looking forward to extend
its agreements with existing licensees, attract
new licensees and seek out new markets and
opportunities to further strengthen their
leading position.
Upcoming Studios
Evolution is well positioned for continued
growth. In the very near future, they will be
opening their eighth and ninth studios, in
Canada and Georgia, respectively. The first
of these new studios will deliver Live
Casino services for BCLC (British Columbia
Lottery Corporation) initially, before rolling
out services for operators in other Canadian
provinces.
Meanwhile, the Georgia studio in Tbilisi will
serve as Evolution Gaming’s third major
Live Casino studio alongside their Riga and
Malta studios. This will greatly extend the
company’s services to existing and new
licensees.
As mentioned earlier, the company believes
that they will also see continued strong
growth from mobile and from the land-based
sector.
Overall, Evolution will ensure that they
remain at the forefront of new markets,
whether this means extending their existing
offering from the current studios or investing
in further new studios in new territories.
Advice for the Budding Startups from the
CEO’s Desk
“Offer a niche solution, something that
operators can buy into and which
differentiates your offering from ‘me too’
providers,” asserts Martin.
“We are the world-leading
Live Casino that meets each
operator's exact needs”

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17. Management BriefCompany Name
24 world
24worldonline.com
24 World creates responsive platforms and optimize products
to provide a strong technology backbone for supporting the
ever-increasing need of presence on various forums.
Muhammad Rahimtoola
Director
Endorphina
endorphina.com
The company unites the best online gaming experience and
cutting-edge technology to create games that attract players
with not only its beautiful design and authentic atmosphere,
but the real thrill of gambling.
Lucie kadlecova
Marketing Manager
Evolution Gaming
evolutiongaming.com
Evolution Gaming is the world leader in video-streamed Live
Dealer gaming, working with more top-tier operators and
brands to deliver top notch services.
Martin Carlesund, CEO
Jens von Bahr, Chairman
Fredrik Osterberg
Chief Strategy Officer
Richard Hadida
Creative Director
Gameplan Consulting
gameplan.com.br
GamePlan Consulting is a 360 global consultancy specialized
in helping game companies identify, strategize and deliver
great solutions to their challenges.
André Faure
CEO
Henrique Martin
CCO
Golden Race
golden-race.com
Golden Race is a young, dynamic company born in the field of
sports betting in 2006 with the successful launch of dog racing,
with over 8,000 licenses sold.
Martin Wachter
CEO
Luz Ortega
Marketing & Events Director
Kambi Sports Solutions
kambi.com
Kambi is a B2B provider of premium sports betting services to
licensed B2C gaming operators. Their services encompass a broad
offering from front end user interface through to odds compiling,
customer intelligence and risk management, built on an in-house
developed software platform
Christina Haralambous
Chief Communications Officer
Kavio Cluster
kaviocluster.org
Kavio Cluster is an environment that enables and encourages
businesses in gaming industry for better competitiveness in
wide, global markets with the help of a cluster network.
Timo Ylikangas
Ambassador of
KAVIO Cluster
SBTECH
sbtech.com
SBTech provides award-winning sports betting solutions
and a full range of management services to their
50 partners worldwide.
Mr. Ron Zlluf
Marketing Director
Sycoforge
sycoforge.com
Sycoforge outstands at providing high-quality unique gaming
experiences to its fervent customers.
Michela Rimensberger
CEO
Whitepot Studios Limited
whitepotstudios.com
Whitepot Studios is a games development and creative media studio
based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. They make Android, iOS, and PC
games using Unity and are a two-person team consisting of Adam
Whiteside and Vicky Potts. They’re currently part of the 2017 intake
of the business accelerator hub Entrepreneurial Spark programme.
Adam Whiteside
Co-founder
Vicky Potts
Co-founder

18. The global gaming industry
has been observing a rapid
growth over the last decade
due to the increase in utilization of
advanced technologies for the
aggregation of games and videos on
a global scale. Furthermore, proper
alignment of various business
models and platforms is also
supporting growth of the gaming
industry across the globe.
In the recent past Asia-Pacific has
been dominating the global gaming
market due to the presence of
numerous developing economies,
and increasing adoption of different
games across the region. With
technological advancements in the
gaming industry, companies are
focusing on Augmented Reality and
Virtual Reality enabled games and
related products having improved the
global gaming scenario.
24 World is one such firm causing
waves in the gaming industry. It is a
digital agency proficient in designing
and developing customized games,
be it digital, board or pervasive. 24
World has been working as a Digital
Agency with clients to maximize
their potential into the technology
world. The company was launched
on an agency model basis, providing
holistic technology solutions for
clients in their process of change
towards the ‘Digital Age’. The firm
has worked actively in the financial,
media and FMCG sectors over the
years. 24 World has also established
operations in Japan and worked on
solutions for that particular market
since the last three years.
The brain behind 24 World
Founder and Director, Muhammad
Rahimtoola is a strong business
development professional who studied
at the University of Western Australia.
He is an experienced Executive
Director with demonstrated history of
working in the information technology
and media industry. He is skilled in
Digital Strategy, Management and
Television Programming. Leading
clients into their journey towards the
Digital Age is a vital component of his
vision for 24 World.
Muhammad was inspired by the fact
that gaming devices and strategy are
one of the most engaging forms of
interactions available today. Gaming is
a key area which has allowed for
multiple level brand engagement and
this allowed the firm to be able to
engage with customers or the potential
market in a different arrangement.
Setting Benchmarks with Renowned
Services
24 World has a strong developmental
base which enables the growth onto
creative and client service based
detailing. The ability to conduct
continuous research and
experimentation for newer platforms
and technologies is a feature of their
working environment and practices.
It has been dominant in the
Development and Creative services
area, although they also offer Digital
Marketing, Branding and Business
Management support avenues.
Following are the core services
provided by 24 World:
Game Design:They design and
develop games according to the
requirements of their customers.
E Commerce: Their e-commerce
client base includes distinguished
banks, insurance companies and
fashion gurus.
Mobile Application: They have been
helping small and large businesses to
reach out to their customers at the most
predictable of places.
Digital Marketing: Their campaign
planning and PPC management are
endorsed tactics that drive targeted
results for desired objectives and
challenges.
Content Distribution: They are a
YouTube verified partners and a
reliable content distribution network
offering publishers effective delivery
channels.
Social Media Marketing: They
believe that being social means more
than being social. It takes a well-
thought out plan and an editorial
calendar.
16 DECEMBER 2017

19. Happy Clients of 24World
The company caters to a wide array of clients including
UBL Bank, NIB Bank, Adamjee Insurance, Jubilee
Insurance, EFU Insurance and more. To work in a market
that has grown exponentially, requires great adaptability,
and that is the key to their standing commitment with
projects. The company and staff have adapted to key
changes in needs of the market especially with the
advancement into the ‘mobile age’. Clients benefit from
access to better tools for technology along with global
expertise of experience to handle matters.
Future Endeavours
24 World plans to diversify into multiple product areas
specifically in segments of video, animation, stats all
possibly linked to gaming outputs. The availability of
platforms set forth by tech giants has allowed plenty of
youth potential to come forward. However, a serious effort
to polish and acknowledge talent will lead to better results
with specific products and their maintenance.
The firm launched the first publisher sporting portal from
Pakistan earlier in 2016 catering to the sport of Cricket by
the name of ‘Score Line’. This platform is set to diversify
into multiple output segments based on content driven
results.
Benchmarks Created by 24 World in Gaming Industry
24 World has used character creativity effectively in the
‘dry’ financial sector. To create engagement for potential
customers and existing users the firm developed the
essential steps of Life Insurance into a ‘Needs Analysis
Tool’ - this tool was later replicated for the Kenyan market
and localized accordingly by the agency for their needs.
24 World recently was awarded the ‘Best Emerging
Technology’ category at the local Pakistan Digi Awards for
their innovative case studies in the financial sector.
Character development and strategy is an effective tool for
communication which falls somewhere between the impact
of video and illustration. This is where 24 World feels that
the canvas for Game development becomes ever more
crucial in emerging high populated markets like Pakistan.
Muhammad Rahimtoola
Founder & Director
17DECEMBER 2017

20. ith the rise of VR adoption
Wand the involvement of the
gaming industry in
developing content for VR, the topic of
social impact takes the stage again: is
VR ruining, improving or ignoring our
social life?
Facebook took on the challenge to
measure the implications of social VR,
stating that VR can facilitate social
connection for introverts. A statement
that falls in line with their acquisition
of Oculus VR and hiring Rachel
Franklin, former VP/GM for The Sims
4, as Head of Social VR.
However, the study doesn’t mention if
the respondents are self-identified as
introverts / extroverts or if they’ve
fallen into one of these categories,
following a reliable psychological test.
Another variable is the definition of
introversion, as some people confuse it
with social anxiety. According to
personality theories introverts need to
recharge their batteries by solitary
activities, reflection on one’s self or
spending time with a few closed ones,
while extroverts recharge their
batteries by spending time with other
people, engage in social activities and
would rather avoid alone time. Few
people are purely one or the other,
usually is more of a matter of degree,
which can vary during one’s life.
18 DECEMBER 2017

21. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andreea Vaduva is
Community
Manager for Black
The Fall, the
Communism-
inspired puzzle
game developed by
Sand Sailor Studio.
The Bucharest
based indie
development studio
is working now on a
VR title with online
and offline social
implications.
Game O Pedia
19DECEMBER 2017

22. The tricky part of the introversion-extraversion
categorisation is that there are sociable introverts who go to
parties and speak to big audiences, followed up by the
necessary retreat to solitude. And there are extroverts who
do very well addressing large audiences and introducing
themselves to anyone, but struggle at socializing at a more
intimate level. Therefore, regardless of the introversion-
extraversion balance, it’s social anxiety that people would
like to overcome in the quest of forming healthy
relationships. Anxiety is a constant fear of present and,
more often, future events, based on imagined scenarios that
could go wrong and affect us physically or emotionally.
Some of these scenarios are healthy and necessary, but
others can be based on past events or on fearful childhood
phantasies, that wouldn’t stand a reality check. The normal
human response to these scenarios is to build a behaviour
around them, in order to avoid painful situations. And this is
where VR comes in!
In addition to the VR apps designed to overcome various
phobias (including fear of public speaking) by being placed
in scenarios specifically designed to gradually confront the
user with his object of fear; there are also a couple of social
VR games (such as Rec Room), that people have played.
Luckily, some of them generously shared their thoughts on,
in this Reddit thread. Reading through the comments, I’ve
noticed the following situations on the uncomfortable end
of the social spectrum:
1. When playing a VR social game, it is expected of us to
socialize, while on the streets no one has such
expectations. So when in the mood for some alone time,
exploring a social VR app incognito, might not be the
best idea.
2. Interaction is happening in real time, which increases the
anxiety compared to chat and messaging, which lets us
be in control on the time spent on replying. Which only
proves that VR socialising is closer to socializing in real
life.
3. Although in VR we feel physically safe, we’re at a higher
risk of being bullied, than in real life.
On the other hand, for those of us struggling to improve our
social skills have found VR social games to be helpful in
various ways:
1. In VR you can control the environment: join or leave as
you please, or even change environment if the app
allows. For an anxious person, control plays a big part in
feeling more secure.
2. VR acts like a mask and just like in any type of
environment, an online avatar or alias offers the chance
of being someone else, which can be a crucial first step,
for someone who has not yet accepted his / her own
identity.
3. These social apps open a world of likeminded people,
which increases the chance to successful social
interactions, which leads me to the next point…
4. Any relationship that starts in VR can then grow in real
life (someone confessed they got engaged after meeting
in a social VR app).
5. The most socially anxious people dare to interact a bit,
rather than shutting down completely (which would be
standard procedure in real life). Once this first step is
made successfully, forming relationships is just one step
away.
Going through the ups and downs of online social
interaction, I’d say that the future of VR, as a tool to
overcome anxiety, is user generated content in VR and
customization of pre-established scenarios. The moment we
will be able to put together our scariest and most exciting
phantasies in VR ourselves and control them, we’ll fear
them less. The moment we realize that we can survive the
worst scenarios, maybe we’ll dare a bit more to face
unknown and uncontrollable situations, which will bring
along not just less anxiety, but also joy.
20 DECEMBER 2017

24. 22 DECEMBER 2017
Editor’s Pick

25. 23DECEMBER 2017

26. G
amePlan Consulting is a
360 - global consultancy
specialized in helping game
companies identify, strategize and
deliver great solutions to their
challenges. It is renowned by its 360
approach, that not only caters to
small indie studios, but also for some
of the major corporations like Bandai
Namco, Trion Worlds, InnoGames,
Autodesk and even government
agencies. GamePlan Consulting’s
mission is to be the
go-to destination to Global business
intelligence and communications
within the gaming industry.
The Birth of GamePlan Consulting
André Faure, CEO of GamePlan
Consulting has been working
exclusively with games for the last
20 years, always performing in
leading roles for companies like
Microsoft, EGM Magazine, Tectoy
(the most traditional gaming
company in Brazil), Aeria Games
and lastly at Gamehouse, a
RealNetworks division. He always
achieved great career results, being
promoted and invited from company
to company, thus becoming a
reference in the market.
By the end of 2013, he decided that it
was time to start creating and
delivering solutions to the market not
only as an executive but also as a
consultant, by having more freedom to
act and deliver creative solutions.
Another turning point at his career was
the large demand he had to become a
consultant - since, as a reference - he
was being in high demanded for
several companies to provide advice
and support.
Working in the industry for so long
have its benefits, as to identify trends
and changes - the return of the PC, the
outstanding growth of the smartphone
market, the indie revolution and
several opportunities for gaming
companies would appear. At the same
time, he knew that these come at a
price and that game developers, small
and big, are good at making games, but
a strategic, business and the very
specialized communications
component would be missing.
Therefore, he built GamePlan to cater
to those needs, thus rapidly achieving
great success. Beside him is Henrique
Martin, GamePlan’s co-founder and
Content Chief Officer, a tech
journalist/writer with 20 years of
experience on covering B2B and B2C
consumer electronic markets.
Creative Services with Flexible
Approach
From the time of its inception,
GamePlan was created with a vision of
being extremely flexible. A company
that works within the boundaries of the
games industry needs to be fast, smart
and flexible enough to learn and adapt
since the industry is so diverse and
innovative. Team GamePlan is usually
several steps ahead of others trying to
deliver the same services and products
but in an innovative way. Also,
although GamePlan has clear
capabilities - Business Strategy,
Intelligence and Development in its
business unit, and PR Intelligence
(which is a very different service from
what a PR agency offers, because is
result-oriented), Specialized marketing
solutions and branded content from its
communications unit, team
GamePlan’s first approach is always to
deep dive into their potential clients’
needs. They do not offer templates,
they offer solutions. In a market like
gaming, this is key to achieving
amazing results. Also, they have just
announced a new product, GamePlan’s
Fandom Management Framework,
:
24 DECEMBER 2017

27. which promises to revolutionize the way gaming
companies approach their community growth and
management, moving away from the more and more
expensive paradigm of digital marketing campaigns.
Benefits for Clients
“At the moment you start working with GamePlan, you
are more than a client and you feel that immediately. This
is the reason we are a consultancy, and not an agency or
another sort of business. We consider ourselves literally
part of our client’s team, and we strive to help them
achieve what they need the most - results and ROI,”
asserts André. “We are extremely data-driven, so all
solutions need to be based on real benchmarks or very
clear trends - our risk is our client’s risk, so we don’t play
with that. At the same time, we are well known for our
creativity and for delivering where others failed. How?
We listen first and act later. If you are catering for an
audience, you have to listen to their needs before thinking
about your tactical strategy, and we that with every single
project, short or long term. Our clients will have clear
milestones, clear deliverables and a world-class team of
experts that sum decades of videogame market expertise
to land them a hand into the path of success,” André
added.
Future Roadmap of GamePlan
2017 resulted to a very good year for GamePlan.
GamePlan has a rapidly growing team and they have just
announced their first patent-pending product, Gameplan’s
Fandom Management Framework, just a few days after
YouTube and Facebook changed their algorithms towards
more dependency from campaigns to create reach. “Out
framework objective is exactly the opposite and is being
developed by our social media and BI teams for over a
year. We really believe in this product and expect great
things from it - we are already implementing with success
in several of our studio clients. This is a clear example of
our perspective for the future: to keep innovating, looking
closely towards the real trends of the industry and always
being ready to cater global solutions to the industry.
Adaptation, innovation and amazing results, this is what
drives us forward,” says André while talking about their
success and future plans.
André Faure
CEO
Henrique Martin
CCO
Photocredit:VanessaSerraPhotography
www.gameplan.com.br
25DECEMBER 2017

28. 26 DECEMBER 2017

29. Thought Leader
27DECEMBER 2017

30. 28 DECEMBER 2017

31. 29DECEMBER 2017
Cloud Gaming

32. 30 DECEMBER 2017

34. The gaming industry is
witnessing an influx of
enthusiasm and creativity in
the business world unlike ever
before. Today, entertaining games
like Candy Crush Saga, Angry birds
enjoy the prestige of being great
business products, unheard of in
history. However, coming up with
such ideas and protecting them is
still a difficult task. Envisioning
great games require imagination and
creativity which is a difficult feat to
achieve. Moreover, millions of
lucrative games are competing for
the attention of a specific group of
audience and many a times lose out
just due to lack of right exposure.
Hence, some countries like Sweden
and Finland are providing the much
needed secure environment for their
gamers to carry their passion with
pride and develop it into great
products. These countries are
providing the safety cushion every
gaming company needs for their
games to receive funding, establish a
strong presence online and
collaborate with industry leaders in a
truly professional manner.
The Cocoon That Nurtures
tomorrow’s Butterflies
One organization which plays a
pivotal role in creating such a secure
environment for gaming companies
in Finland is Kavio Cluster. It is a
regional Gaming Industry organization
based in the city of Kajaani, a region of
Kainuu, in Northern Finland. Today the
Cluster is a vibrant collaborative
community of near 20 independent
Game Studios. In order to understand
their effort, it is important to look at
the ground reality of the gaming
industry in Finland. The gaming
industry in Finland is witnessing the
rise of many creative startups backed
by excellent technical education which
values creativity. The results of such
excellent education are apparent in
Northern Finland, which hosts the
second most successful gaming
industry area in Finland. Hence, the
Kavio Cluster is also a source of
inspirational professional gaming
education in Finland. It aims to make
the Finnish industry battle ready to
meet global challenges and protects it
when the innovative ideas are at their
most vulnerable initial stages.
The History and Its Witnesses
The organization has implemented
their vision through providing an
essential support network through
closed cloud solutions which are
almost free of charge during the
development phase. Additionally, the
organization provides collaboration
and development opportunity for the
most lucrative gaming segments,
which are eSports and mobile gaming.
As a result of their long-established
commitment, Kavio Cluster currently
hosts world-class leaders in gaming,
including Critical Force Oy and Virtual
Frontiers OY, CSE Entertainment Oy
and many more. Kavio Clusters helps
the member companies to develop and
publish their games to all existing
platforms using the latest gaming
techniques and technologies even for
alternate contexts. The organization
continues to be run in an extremely
competitive fashion with various
gaming industry leaders contributing to
the cause as a daily routine. Kavio
Cluster was formed with a vision that
the Kainuu region in Finland is capable
of producing great gaming companies
which should compete with
world-class companies from USA, UK,
Japan, China, India and others.
The Leadership That Makes It All
Look Easy
Kavio Cluster is a perfect example of
great collaboration of Gaming Industry
expert Timo Ylikangas who has over
20 years of relevant experience and
Kainuun Etu Oy, who was instrumental
in building the foundation of the
organization. In its initial stages, the
organization required bringing various
stakeholders in the industry together on
a common platform. Kainuun Etu, a
non-profit organization helped
establish trust among various
stakeholders and bridge the gap
between them to lay the founding brick
32 DECEMBER 2017

35. of Kavio Cluster. The organization has received an
invaluable contribution from Kainuun Etu (OY), which has
led the organization to win the “Best European Regional
Development Agency of the year 2016”, prestigious award.
The company currently also helps startups to get in touch
with investors and publishers and industry leaders. Industry
leaders often are a valuable source of insights for the novice
gaming businesses which often lack the outsider-hands-on
view experience and perspective. Kavio Cluster also
provides funding to companies from important sources such
as EU and national project funding, which is an immense
source of strength for founders who lack financial resources
and motivation to build great products.
The Next Frontier of the World of Opportunities
For a creative industry like gaming, the sky is the limit for
success. Nevertheless, many gaming companies around the
world are searching for effective solutions to monetize their
games. Kavio Cluster helps companies of Finland to not
only understand the different channels and platforms for
monetizing their work, but also provides them several
essential insights to be successful.
The next step for KAVIO is to help gaming companies
launch new gaming products or services that provides
hands-free experience in Analytics, User Acquisition,
Community Management, Channel Building and Marketing.
In many ways, Kavio Cluster’s relationship with industry
leaders has revolutionized the industry with more
collaboration between important stakeholders and creation
of state-of-the-art opportunities.
The organization will soon operationalize a professional
investor fund to support their partner companies. The new
revenue generation opportunities will create a boost for
Finnish gaming industry with more opportunities and more
growth in the upcoming future. It is imperative today for
Finish gaming companies to grab the new opportunities
created to boost games, gaming studios, investors and
publishers.
Timo Ylikangas
33DECEMBER 2017

36. in
34 DECEMBER 2017

37. 35DECEMBER 2017
Media Insider

38. 36 DECEMBER 2017

40. In this modern age of
technological advancements and
stiff competition, providing the
best possible service to the
customers is of prime concern for
every organization. Times have
changed and technological
upgradation to the highest level is
the need of the hour to survive and
excel among competitors.
The gaming industry has undergone
a tremendous metamorphosis over
the years. It has achieved remarkable
success worldwide recently and has
evolved from board games and video
games to the most advanced
technologies including 3D
replications, virtual reality and
augmented reality. Gaming service
providers have evolved and
upgraded in order to cope up with
the tremendous competition and
latest developments.
Sycoforge is an elite gaming
solution provider located in Zurich,
Switzerland. It aims at creating
unique gaming experiences for avid
gamers. At Sycoforge, an
interdisciplinary team of engineers,
mathematicians, artists and creative
architects work together to bring
forth the ultimate gaming experience
to the users. The team works
together to bring to life the originally
curated gaming universe, Arafinn,
where never-before-heard languages
and units of measurement are used.
Since 2009, team Sycoforge has been
working on making the Arafinn
Universe a successful venture.
Beyond Creating a Game
A fact that sets Sycoforge apart from
its competitors is that it not only
creates ‘games’, but also a complete
and self-contained universe. “Arafinn”
is a unique fantasy universe that has its
own geography, demography,
sociology, centuries of documented
history with huge genealogy trees of
the most important families and
cultures, original languages with own
grammars and scriptures and so on.
Players can always expect to have a
red thread through all of its stories and
games.
Sycoforge is steadily moving ahead on
its triumphant journey, and credits its
entire team for the unparalleled
dedication and hard work. The team
has always been connected and related,
and considers the organization as a
‘family business’. All the team
members share a feeling of unity and
oneness and the same vision which
they pursue persistently without
thinking about giving up.
As a gaming solution provider, team
Sycoforge feels that technological
advances provide endless opportunities
to almost everyone to create their own
game. On the other hand, it also feels
that this is also a challenge, as it
becomes more difficult to stand out
from the crowd. The company
considers it as a major opportunity for
independent organizations to persist in
a market that was dominated for a long
time by big-players, and has been more
balanced and democratized in recent
years.
The company gives importance to the
principles of honesty and authenticity
and strives to achieve customer
satisfaction. It also believes in the
policy of mutual giving and taking. As
independent developers, as well as
gamers themselves, team Sycoforge
knows what customers expect of a
good game and that delivering what
one has promised is key to create a
player-base that really enjoys - and
therefore keeps buying – one’s games.
The entire team works together with
passion and dedication on a true-to-
original world of fantasy, adventure
and action. The team doesn’t
compromise due to half-completed
stories and aims at delivering the final
product before the given deadline.
The Driving Force of Sycoforge
Sycoforge has been guided on its
successful path by founding members
Ismael Wittwer and Michela
Rimensberger. They founded this
organization with the objective of
38 DECEMBER 2017

41. providing the ultimate gaming experience to the customers
and take it to the next level.
Major Projects
The major projects of Sycoforge revolve around the fantasy
universe of Arafinn.
Arafinn Universe
Sycoforge has been working on the fabled World of Arafinn,
a self-contained fantasy universe, since 2009. This universe
has also grown and evolved over the years and consists of
25 provinces with 2600 cities and villages inhabited by
more than 600 families, clans and tribes having their own
political orientations and speaking their own separate
language. Moreover, four main languages are spoken across
the lands namely- Tirdish, Hildujr, Valdyrish, and Omturu.
Each language has its own grammar and alphabet.
Sycoforge has attempted to add details and breathe life into
the Arafinn Universe by building different units of measure.
Since some time the company has been working on a major
game based on Arafinn, namely:
Arafinn-Return to Nangrim
The first part of the Arafinn Universe will be known as
‘Arafinn-Return to Nangrim.’ It will revolve around the
story and legacy of the almost forgotten nation of the
Stonebeards who used to live in the inhospitable realms of
the Nimbor Mountains.
‘Arafinn-Return to Nangrim’ is a first-person fantasy
adventure with RPG-, Survival- and Puzzle-elements. It
involves exploration, research, puzzle solving and defense
strategies in order to uncover the mysteries and legends of
Nangrim. Technically generated content and puzzles
guarantee a different gaming experience for each and every
player. The focus of the game is not on fighting; rather, the
player should be prepared to defend himself against various
dangers lurking in the shadows. A player has to fall back on
the ancient knowledge of the Stonebeards in order to
successfully survive in the countless halls of Nangrim.
Future Plans
The company plans to release a special gift to its fans
around Christmas time that would attune them to the actual
game. Then in the first quarter of 2018, it is planning to
launch its Kickstarter campaign, which should help in
speeding up production of the game.
Michela Rimensberger
39DECEMBER 2017

42. he gaming industry has evolved to a great
Textent over a period of time. It has pushed
the envelope and adopted cutting edge
technologies that later became mainstream
technologies like streaming online content, 1080p
and 4K graphics. In today’s dynamic world as one
trend ends, another is always just around the corner,
ready to take the world by surprise and right now
there are plenty of things to be excited about. Let’s
dig a little deeper into the latest buzz of the gaming
industry, and how things might change going
forward.
VR (Virtual Reality) is one such hot topic in the
gaming industry. VR is something that was talked
about for many years before its actual arrival. But
when it hit the street, it did not boom as expected.
However, there have been dramatic improvements to
Augmented Reality,
Virtual Reality
and eSports:
The Buzzwords of Gaming
Industry where the Future lies
both the hardware and software in VR since its early
days. VR is poised to have a huge impact on the
gaming sector in many different forms. Online gaming
sites are also reaping huge benefits of VR. With VR
technology at the core, it is possible to create
impressive virtual gaming experiences for customers
to enjoy.
Augmented Reality is the New Fascination for
Gaming Industry
Augmented Reality (AR) is another form of
technology that is set to change the landscape of
gaming. Where virtual realities provide gamers a
complete virtual world experience, AR overlays
virtual digital world on the top of the real world and
gives gamer a thrilling experience. The latest flagship
smartphones of Apple and developer frameworks like
40 DECEMBER 2017
Future of Gamication

43. Apple’s ARKit are bringing AR technology into the
mainstream very rapidly. Many technology leaders are
already presuming that AR could be much bigger than
virtual reality, especially as AR is already proving to
be a big hit in smartphones as more and more people
are using mobile phones and tablets for gaming than
Pcs.
Over the last couple of years the gaming industry has
witnessed an increased momentum around augmented
reality (AR). The primary reason seems to be the
overnight success of Pokémon Go, a location-based
AR game which was downloaded more than 100
million times in its first month of launch. It reportedly
earned $10m per day at the height of its popularity,
and has attracted widespread attention and investment.
Its ability to bring people together and promote a
powerful sense of community is the prime reason
behind the burgeoning growth. Most of the break-
through technologies have done much the same,
whether it is a social media innovation like Facebook,
Twitter, and Instagram or mobile activities involving
texting, dating or gaming. VR on the other hand, has
far limited access in the social arena. In 2017, Game
Developers Conference was ruled by virtual reality.
But due to immense popularity of Pokémon Go,
augmented reality has become the new industry
darling. It will be premature to say that VR has been
out of the race completely but at GDC 2017, industry
has seen the emergence of AR as a compelling
technology for gaming and beyond.
AR based games work their magic simply by dropping
video game characters into a familiar and real
environment which gives gamers a thrilling experience
while playing. AR enables gaming character to run
along real-world tabletops and bounce on sofas. With
the new advancements in AR, players can scan a room
with their devices and create a 3D map of the walls
and furniture. Gamers can place their virtual
characters and objects on real tables and shelves,
while other players can view the scene and join via
their own devices. Due to these facets, gaming
industry is embracing AR technology since it allows
game players to experience a digital game played in
a real world environment.
e-Sports- an Idea becoming a Gaming Trend
The other idea that is shaping the future of gaming
industry is of competitive gaming commonly known
as eSports. The acceptance of competitive online
gaming is growing at an intense rate for both
competitor and viewers. Many believe that the
concept of eSports could bleed over to skill-based
casino gaming in the coming times.
Market Forecast
According to renowned research giant Goldman
Sachs, the virtual and augmented reality industry
will become $85 billion market by 2025. Much of
its share will belong to gaming industry.
Most of these technologies require a lot of
bandwidth to function in a hassle free manner. With
5G arrival is just around the corner, it will only give
boost to these technologies and will play a pivotal
role in changing the face of gaming to the next level.
It is estimated that 5G connection can comfortably
reach at a speed of around 10Gbps, which will make
mobile gaming experience much better than earlier.
With the advent of AR, VR and eSports, one can
rightly presumes these technologies will only make
gamers experience much more captivating one with
lots of thrill and joy.
41DECEMBER 2017

44. Today, gaming industry is
undergoing a phase of rapid
development with recent
innovations and advancements in
technology which have all
contributed to the overall
enhancement of the gaming
experience. With the introduction of
VR gaming as well as technological
advancement of graphic and sound
cards, 3D graphics accelerators and
amazingly fast CPUs has unveiled a
new era of gaming.
Growing swiftly, the gaming
industry is expected to generate
revenues up to USD 90.07 billion in
2020. Though gaming industry has
enormous potential to grow and
serve the masses but there is a gap
which need to be served. Whitepot
Studios is one such gaming
company which is ready to tap the
potential and extract the maximum
benefits from it while serving the
game lovers with the best of their
choice.
Whitepot Studios is a game
development and creative media
solution company based in Belfast,
Northern Ireland. It is founded by
two ardent game lovers, Adam
Whiteside and Vicky Potts.
Counting on Whitepot’s
achievements; they in the first year
of their company’s inception
successfully released their first game,
Tubocity. A sci-fi endless runner,
Tubocity became popular in no time
and has been downloaded in over 35
countries within the first quarter since
its release.
Meet the Dynamic Duo of Whitepot
Adam Whiteside and Vicky Potts are
joint co-founders of Whitepot Studios,
and are partners in life as well as
business! Both Queen’s University
Belfast graduates are the first in their
families to go to the university, the pair
founded start-up IVEA labs straight
after graduation with two colleagues,
which developed an interactive
Bluetooth beacon solution to provide
an interactive experience within
exhibitions and museums.
IVEA labs successfully attained
funding from the prestigious Ireland
Funds Business Plan Competition.
Adam Whiteside and Vicky Potts were
also the finalists in the Santander
Universities Entrepreneurship Awards
2016 and secured a place on Invest
NI’s Propel Programme. Following
their time with IVEA labs, Adam and
Vicky remained teamed up to follow
their passions of making games and
having creative freedom; and set up
Whitepot Studios with help from the
knowledge gained from their previous
start-up experience. Whitepot Studios,
though early stage, has successfully
launched their first title, attended
Gamescom 2017 in Cologne exhibiting
as part of the UKIE Stand, and have
successfully attained funding from NI
Screen’s Assembler programme for
early-stage game prototype
development.
Some Outstanding Products and
Services by Whitepot
Whitepot Studios unique goal is to
develop fun, emergent games that are
primarily player-driven – in which the
player’s experience is shaped by them
and those they interact with, and will
be different each and every time they
play. Additionally, at Whitepot they
offer creative media services such as
games for hire, graphic design, and
website design.
Tubocity: Tubocity is a free mobile
game for iOS and Android that really
tests your reflexes – see how far along
you can get, and maybe you’ll get the
global highscore!
Why Am I In The Past? WhoCares!
Shoot The Romans: Ancient vs.
Technology comes to a head in “Why
am I in the past? Who cares! Shoot the
42 DECEMBER 2017

45. Romans,” (WAIITPWCSTR). It is a Windows based PC
game which was developed using ‘Unity.’
Present Scenario of Gaming Industry from Adam’s
Viewpoint
The game development scene in Northern Ireland is
flourishing and has grown even larger in the past year since
we joined. The availability of free, industry-standard
development tools like Unity has allowed anyone with a PC,
some time, and dedication to develop a game and share it
with the world – and that is really, really amazing. The
motivation of young people to create things by themselves
from scratch to add their own portfolio is incredibly
inspiring, and I can’t wait to see what the next generation of
developers – those, for example, currently making amazing
Minecraft creations at a young age – will be like in 5, 10, or
15 years, asserts Adam.
Adam also believes that, game jams and hackathons are a
huge social opportunity which is not to be missed. Local
gaming groups and organizations can arrange game jam
meetups which co-incide with game jams running all over
the world. Game jams allow teams to collaborate on a given
theme within a very short space of time – and can produce
something amazing and allow people to meet new friends,
learn new skills, and surprise even themselves at what they
can produce in the space of 24 – 72 hours!
Turning Challenges into Opportunities
Joining the local game development community and
ensuring we absorbed each and every opportunity of help
available has been invaluable in helping us gain new clients
and make new relationships. Adam and I knowing each
other so well and working so closely together has also been
important in ensuring our success – we know exactly how
talented the other is and can help each other through
stressful crunch periods, and also those periods of
celebration where things have gone well. Knowing your
co-founder well is incredibly important, asserts Vicky.
At Whitepot they aim to be a major break out company in
Northern Ireland by 2019 with the release of their first PC
game early that year.
Adam Whiteside, Co-founder Vicky Potts, Co-founder
43DECEMBER 2017