PR Nordic

Malmö, Sweden – 26 May 2023, Nordic Game has revealed the winners of the annual Nordic Game Awards, which took place on 25 May during NG23 Spring, the annual games industry conference in Malmö, Sweden. The night’s big winner was Skábma – Snowfall, a game inspired by the old beliefs and folktales of indigenous Sámi people. The title won the award for Best Art, in addition to the main award, Best Nordic Game of the Year.

Nordic Game is the only global event with a dedicated focus on the Nordic games industry, and now in its fifteenth edition the Nordic Game Awards ceremony was once again one of the highlights of the conference. As in previous years, a jury of industry peers from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden selected the finalists and winners.

The award show was hosted by PixelTV’s Thomas Bense, and David Bateson, the voice actor behind Agent 47 of the famous Hitman games, and the dynamic duo did a great job entertaining the live audience and announcing the Nordic Game Awards 2023 winners. They were as follows:

• Best Nordic Game of the Year: Skabma – Snowfall, developed by Red Stage Entertainment, Finland
• Best Nordic Game of the Year, Small Screen: Source of Madness, developed by Carry Castle, Sweden
• Best Art: Skabma – Snowfall, developed by Red Stage Entertainment, Finland
• Best Game Design: Metal Hellsinger, developed by The Outsiders, Sweden
• Best Technology: Virtuoso, developed by Really Interactive, Sweden
• Best Audio: Metal Hellsinger, developed by The Outsiders, Sweden
• Best Fun for Everyone: Time on Frog Island, developed by Half Past Yellow, Denmark
• Best Debut: Raft – The Final Chapter, developed by Redbeet Interactive, Sweden

Additionally, the jury decided to give a special mention to the Danish game The Forest Quartet, developed by Mads & Friends, Denmark

See all the nominated titles right here: https://nordicgame.com/nordic-game-awards-2023-nominees-revealed/

About the Nordic Game Awards
The Nordic Game Awards is organised by the Nordic Game Institute in cooperation with Nordic Game Resources and the Nordic Game event team.

The Nordic Game Institute consists of the following game producer associations in the region: Dataspelsbranschen (SE), Icelandic Gaming Industry (IS), Neogames (FI), Spillprodusentforeningen (NO) and Producentforeningen (DK).

The organisers appoint the Nordic Game Awards jury, this year with the following members: Marie Meyerwall (Sweden), Espen Jansen (Norway), Tuukka Grönholm (Finland), Jens Haag (Denmark) and Steingerður Lóa (Iceland).

About the Nordic Game conference
Nordic Game is the leading games conference in Europe, and 2023 marks its twenty-third and twenty-fourth editions, in Malmö, Sweden and online, as well as in Helsinki, Finland in November. 

Gathering thousands of industry professionals in the spring and autumn each year, Nordic Game is the one and only “home turf” meeting place for the highly successful game developers of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.

MALAYSIA, Kuala Lumpur May 26, 2023 —  Xsolla, a leading global video game commerce company, is thrilled to unveil a series of exciting advancements in their portfolio as part of their highly anticipated quarterly release week. Xsolla is launching a new tool to augment their existing Xsolla Partner Network solution, called Xsolla Drops. Xsolla is also partnering with YouAppi, the leading mobile marketing platform to  help Malaysian mobile game developers and publishers maximize their users’ LTV potential.

“Drops gives game developers and publishers the ability to build and reward their gaming audience easily,” said Alexander Menshikov, Business Head at Xsolla. “We are helping Malaysian game developers reward their fans, explore new user acquisition methods, and strengthen long-term engagement with a game’s current player base by offering exclusive in-game items and unique experiences. With Drops, developers will create game-specific campaigns with targeted audiences, delivering a personalized experience on a custom landing page with no code required.”

As user acquisition costs rise, developer budgets are taking a hit as they attempt to navigate which marketing channels are the most effective. Drops take a multi-tiered campaign approach to this issue by bringing the thrill of game discovery back to the players, creating inherent value for creators, and raising a game’s overall brand awareness.

This comprehensive, new marketing tool solves the challenge of the rising costs of acquiring, engaging, and retaining players with branded websites and close collaboration with influencers, artists, esports pro gamers, celebrities, and renowned agencies.

“We were thrilled with the results of our Drops campaign with Xsolla,” said Scott Robinson, Owner of SprintGP. “The onboarding process was easy and only took a few hours from start to finish. All we needed to do was to fill out the form, upload game design assets, and provide redemption instructions for players to get a reward. Xsolla handled the rest, including web page development and marketing setup. We doubled our user base in less than 24 hours and saw a 300% increase in website traffic. We highly recommend Xsolla’s Drops tool to any game developer looking for new ways to drive user acquisition and engagement.”

For more information about Xsolla Drops, please visit  https://xsolla.pro/drops

Mobile Advertising With YouAppi

Xsolla, a global video game commerce company, is excited to launching a partnership with YouAppi, the leading mobile marketing platform for Malaysian brands wanting to grow their business. The collaboration aims to address the needs of the Malaysian gaming market by providing retargeting campaigns that help Malaysian mobile game developers and publishers drive more players to a web shop and grow revenue from existing players. 

YouAppi and Xsolla’s partnership will transform the Malaysian game industry business and portfolio strategies for revenue growth and retention to their partners. Xsolla and YouAppi joined forces to help video game developers and publishers retain, retarget and re-engage mobile app users and to amplify what Xsolla Web Shop already does well – it helps to increase the average purchase amount, the number of repeated purchases and re-engage with consumers who have not recently played the game.

“Today, we’re proud to announce a game-changing alliance between Xsolla and YouAppi, the leading mobile marketing platform for brands seeking exponential growth, said Chris Hewish, President of Xsolla. “Our joint mission is to revolutionize how Malaysian video game developers and publishers engage with mobile app users, optimizing retention, retargeting, and re-engagement strategies. By synergizing our efforts, we’re amplifying the strengths of Xsolla Web Shop, which already excels in boosting average purchase amounts, repeat purchases, and transitioning traffic from mobile to web.”

Web Shop is a direct-to-consumer commerce solution powered by Xsolla for mobile games. Sell in-game items, currencies, and top-up player accounts online, inspire players to purchase, keep more of your revenue, and boost LTV and ARPU, all from your website.

“The Xsolla and YouAppi partnership is a powerful combination. Xsolla’s understanding of increasing user monetization through its Web Shop uniquely complements YouAppi’s ability to increase user retention through mobile app retargeting,” said Moshe Vaknin, CEO of YouAppi. “This will be an industry-leading collaboration.”

For more information about the Mobile Advertising platform, please visit: https://xsolla.pro/youappi

About YouAppi
YouAppi is a leading growth and retention platform for mobile apps, specializing in re-engagement and retargeting. Powered by machine learning and audience targeting, YouAppi’s proven proprietary app remarketing technology finds and retains the most profitable users for its clients. YouAppi works with mobile app companies across the globe in gaming, e-commerce, entertainment, lifestyle, and finance among others. Established in 2011, YouAppi has been a long-term partner to leading mobile advertisers, earning recent awards including top 100 fastest-growing companies in North America on the 2021 Deloitte Technology Fast 500™ and 2023 Inc. 5000 Regionals: Pacific list. YouAppi is also ranked a global top 10 remarketing company on the Appsflyer 2022 performance index in gaming and non-gaming.

To learn more, visit: www.youappi.com. 

About Xsolla
Xsolla is a global video game commerce company with a robust and powerful set of tools and services designed specifically for the video game 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 Berlin, Seoul, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, and cities around the world, Xsolla supports major gaming titles like Valve, Twitch, Roblox, Ubisoft, Epic Games, Take-Two, KRAFTON, Nexters, NetEase, Playstudios, Playrix, miHoYo, and more. 

For additional information and to learn more, please visit: xsolla.com

Email: business@xsolla.com 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/xsolla.inc 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xsolla/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/xsolla 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/xsolla

Pangyo, South Korea (May 24, 2023) – NCSOFT(NC) revealed a new brand trailer ‘MMORPG SPIRIT’ that looks back on 25 years of legacy in the MMORPG genre. NC has been a leading game developer in the industry with its flagship PC MMORPG IPs including Lineage, Lineage2, AION, Blade & Soul.

Check out the campaign video here: link

NC has been a pioneer in the MMORPG genre since Lineage, the developer’s first MMORPG title released in 1998 that opened an era of online games in South Korea. The company’s latest campaign video celebrates the key features and milestones of its flagship IPs and invites players to experience a whole new world in TL.

•       Lineage, the ‘first world’ to connect players through fun. The game came to be the one of the first generation Korean online based MMORPG titles that laid a ground-breaking standard in MMORPGs. Lineage is acclaimed to have expanded games to an organic world that resembles reality by introducing large-scale battles fought between battle communities with dynamic rivalry and competition.
•       Lineage 2, the ‘first world’ to overcome three-quarter view limitations. With Lineage 2, NC opened an era of 3D online gaming. The game introduced high-quality, immersive 3D graphics that conquered the world and made it one of the most popular online games.
•       AION, the ‘first world’ to bring the battle to the sky. The game’s aerial combat system revolutionised how fights are perceived in the MMORPG genre. AION was also highly acclaimed for its artwork and music that reached orchestral levels.
•       Blade & Soul, the ‘first world’ that combined creative storytelling with dynamic action. The game is acclaimed to immerse players into its captivating storytelling elements. Unique combat mechanics such as active counters, parrying and realistic martial arts techniques were highly praised among the game community.
•       THRONE AND LIBERTY, the start of a whole new world. TL is NC’s upcoming MMORPG title. The game delivers conflict on a massive scale in a dynamic world that provides varying opportunities and threats for players. Amazon Games will be publishing TL in North America, South America, Europe, and Japan.

As part of the ‘MMORPG SPIRIT’ campaign, a digital artbook will also be released on NC’s official brand media ‘NC PLAY’ in the middle of June. The artbook will bring together the game art in Lineage, Lineage 2, AION, Blade & Soul, including early-stage character designs, concept art to realistic battles designed with delicate graphics that has not been revealed to players before.

About NCSOFT
NCSOFT is a global game developer with industry leading development and service capabilities. NC produces original IPs which are recognized for their massive worldview, technological prowess and graphic quality. Starting with the Lineage series, NC has introduced a portfolio of multiple successful IPs including AION, Blade & Soul, Guild Wars. NC solely develops the technology, visuals, and sound in games. R&D at NC is being advanced with the latest equipment and technology to push for a new standard in visual and sound levels. NC is also expanding its portfolio with its work-in-progress original IP projects, while also accelerating the development of new content with diverse genres and platforms for the global market.

22 May, 2023, Warsaw Poland | Mooneaters, Untold Tales and VARSAV Game Studios have announced the release date for their cozy farming adventure, Everdream Valley.

The game will first release on PC, PS4 and PS5 on May 30th, 2023 while the Nintendo Switch version will be released sometime in June 2023.

Everdream Valley is a vast farming adventure with a touch of magic. By day, you’ll restore your special corner of the valley – raise various crops, care for a slew of animals, and help rebuild your grandparent’s farm. At night, magic dreams let you embody various farmland creatures to complete special challenges.
A new trailer featuring never-before-seen gameplay plus fresh new screenshots are below. Release Date Trailer: https://youtu.be/FbMKM7h6NeE

Game Features:

Bring Life and Charm Back to the Farm:

This little homestead needs a lot of attention. A sprawling variety of fruits and veggies to grow and a vast collection of animals to raise. Protect your crops, keep your animals happy, and gather the resources to repair and expand your farm.

Create an Animal Paradise:

Everdream Valley has very few people disturbing the peace so animals thrive here. Pigs, cows, chickens, ducks, goats, alpacas… the list goes on. Each creature (wild and domesticated) comes with some unique influence on your farm. Everdream Valley is all about caring for animals, so rest assured you’ll never be turning favourite cow Bessie into a burger patty. 

The Best of Fluffy Sidekicks

At your side will always be your trusty doggie companion. Choose from 13 different breeds and train your best bud to help with things like herding, tracking, finding treasure, and more. There’s a cat too. Win him over and maybe he’ll do something for you in return too. Maybe.

The Magic Comes Out at Night

At night the magic of the valley comes out and your dreams let you become one of many animals on the farm through unique mini-games. Each has its own special reward or impact on your farm the next day. 

A Relaxed Sandbox of  Adventures

Your summer days in the valley aren’t just about looking after the farm. There’s so much more to do! Spend the nights camping, build a treehouse, catch and collect bugs, go fishing, get new clothes, cook, take photos, build furniture, go treasure hunting. Each adventure gives you something back to help you grow your farm even more.

About Mooneaters

Mooneaters is an independent gamedev studio from Olsztyn – in the land of a thousand lakes in northeastern Poland. We specialize in adventure games with beautiful, fairytale-like graphics with an often surprising approach to gameplay. Follow Everdream Valley’s adventures on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.

Salt Lake City, Utah, United States – May 11th, 2023 – D20Studios today launches Abalon from Early Access to 1.0 on Steam. The full game is available for $29.99 with a 20% launch week discount. A new major content update also releases alongside the 1.0 launch, adding 4 new playable Summoners and many new cards, including the Magiscales, a race of cyber psychic lizard wizards with the power to control gravity and shapeshift into other units.

“Abalon is the culmination of seven years development and an even longer history dating back to 2006 when we pioneered the card tactics genre. This a work of passion and determination to create the best possible experience we could for fans of roguelike and tabletop games, and I anticipate players are going to have a lot of fun using cards, dice, and tactics to unleash their creativity and devise the most amazing strategies.” – Ross Przybylski, Founder and Game Developer, D20Studios

Abalon is available on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1681840/Abalon

Check out Abalon trailer at: https://youtu.be/d-QIuAAUW_k

Abalon is a turn-based tactics game with card strategy wrapped in a roguelike adventure focused on exploration, survival and defeating powerful bosses. Players describe it as a successful combination of Magic: The Gathering, D&D and Final Fantasy Tactics – a winning proposition that manages to deliver its own unique experience which is both familiar and unlike anything they’ve ever played!

Abalon key features:

• Grid-Based Movement and Spell Cards elegantly combine in an experience that’s like playing chess with magic. Summon creatures onto the battlefield and command them to move and attack. Devastate foes and terrain alike with fireballs and meteor showers. Manipulate gravity, time and space to gain positional advantage and unleash gratifying combos.
  
• 20 Characters to Choose From include squirrel hurling druids, time traveling steampunk rats, and skeleton summoning liche kings. Each Summoner commands two of five schools of magic, allowing numerous possibilities to customize your strategy with creative and never-before-seen interactions (like overrunning your foes with mutant squirrel armies, guardian angels falling from the skies to protect you, and a perfect engine of endless miracle casting). Plus over 200 additional characters you can recruit, summon and command.
• Ever-Changing Open World Exploration invites you to discover enticing encounters where a roll of the D20 can help you recruit new party members, brew potions, and even celebrate a goblin birthday party! Players have the freedom to retreat, undo actions, replay battles and more to experience the wonders of Abalon at your own and take on the most difficult challenges when you are ready.
• Deep Strategic Deck Building allows you to fully customize your deck any time you rest at a campsite. Choose two guardians to support your hero and up to 20 cards consisting of spells, additional units, and equipment from over 400 cards. Plus, find additional artifacts to further upgrade and synergize your heroic team.
• Highly Accessible and Playful Art Style where characters literally look up at you to be commanded. Gracefully issue orders with simple point and click controls and full gamepad support.

More information on: https://summonersfate.com

Follow D20Studios on Twitter and Discord. 

About D20Studios
is an indie game development studio founded in 2009 with a mission to build intrinsically satisfying, accessible games with depth. Their work has received numerous industry accolades including featuring by Apple, Amazon, Sony, and PAX. Abalon recently won the global 2021 Nordic Discovery Contest Game of the Year Award. Founder, Ross Przybylski, is also an avid game development community supporter and regularly volunteers as a speaker and author to help others become successful.

Backbone has created an unprecedented ecosystem where virtually all gaming content and services are available in one place – your phone. Founded by 24 year old Maneet Khaira while working on gaming at Google, Backbone’s software and devices make cloud game streaming and core gaming effortless and fun. Players simply plug their phone into the Backbone One and they can instantly play major mobile titles on the App Store and Apple Arcade; stream games through cloud gaming services like Xbox Game Pass and Nvidia Geforce Now, and play their Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and Steam games anywhere through Remote Play.

“Backbone was founded with one true goal: to elevate the gaming experience for everyone, everywhere,” said Backbone founder and CEO Maneet Khaira. “Just as Sonos and Roku have done for music and television streaming, Backbone unifies all the game streaming services and core gaming experiences on mobile devices.”

• Play any game that supports controllers
• Collapsible and compact design
• Low-latency connection
• 3.5 mm headphone jack 
• Pass-through charging
• Backbone One App for iOS and Android
• Capture game clips and screenshots

Bangkok, Thailand – May 2, 2023 –  Thai game development studio GambitGhost Studio is soon closing its successful Kickstarter campaign for FARSIDERS. But worry not, there are still three days left to support the campaign and grab some great unique rewards, such as your very own limited collection card! And as the last push, developers want to give backers a more achievable stretch goal. Therefore, the 1st stretch goal is reduced to $50.000 and it will unlock even more amazing spell cards for the players to use. FARSIDERS Kickstarter campaign closes on May 5th, 2023 10am CEST.

FARSIDERS can also be wishlisted on Steam to make sure not to miss out on any exciting updates.

As the excitement ramps up, FARSIDERS Alpha 2nd round test period for backers has been scheduled for May 8, 2023 – May 14, 2023. Developers have taken community feedback seriously and made several improvements to enhance the gaming experience from Alpha 1. See you on the other side, Farsiders!

Main Features:

• Unleash your skills and face over 30 different types of enemies

• Fight against thrilling bosses with unforgettable unique mechanics

• Upgrade Technology and Magic to get stronger & survive

• Weapon attachments will give a unique passive upgrade resulting in a new user experience

• Unlock magical energy flow called Anima, and manipulate this energy by using Aether, the magic container in the form of a skill tree

• Become a Farsider & use Spell cards from Tellune – Collect as many spell cards as possible and combine them with your favorite Spectek weapons to fit your playstyle and defeat your enemy with a deadly blow!

FARSIDERS amps up your gaming experience with absolutely stunning original music composed by Laryssa Okada, an amazing audio producer of Halo and more! Take a listen at https://soundcloud.com/gambitghost-thailand 

FARSIDERS Kickstarter campaign runs from April 5th, 2023 to May 5th, 2023. Follow the progress and show your support at:

• Kickstarter: https://bit.ly/3IHF8ZJ

• Steam:  https://bit.ly/3EFymT8

Follow FARSIDERS on Twitter @FarsidersGame & join the official Discord server..

About GambitGhost Studio
GambitGhost Studio is a Thai game development studio founded in 2020. Their head office is currently based in Bangkok, Thailand. The studio aims to produce high quality, story driven video games. Unlike most new indie studios, they put a lot of resources into creating high-end graphics and animation in order to create a new, unique yet beautiful new world/culture to enhance the player’s experience. GambitGhost Studio’s method is to combine game design with data analytic to create a new but truly satisfying experience.

www.gambitghost.com