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Tag: web3

  • SuperGaming launches web3 tower defence game Ethernia

    SuperGaming launches web3 tower defence game Ethernia

    Mumbai: SuperGaming has revealed Ethernia, a new web3 game for PC and mobile playable in October 2022. In Ethernia players assemble a squad, wage battles, and strategise their way to victory.

    Ethernia has been in development since the beginning of 2022. It’s a part of SuperGaming’s multi-year, multi-game endeavour to change how games are played while staying true to the company’s player-first and community-driven approach honed since its inception.

    With Ethernia, SuperGaming hopes to solve one of the key issues plaguing this nascent ecosystem—most web3 games aren’t even games or fun. In addition to this, it said that it has combined its expertise in free-to-play with the power of web3 to elevate our player-first approach, allowing our players to own assets earned while playing.

    The company said that in web3 games, the economy is as important as the gameplay itself. Ethernia’s economy has been designed to ensure a sustainable game that’s in line with SuperGaming’s ethos of making games people play for years.

    SuperGaming VP of product Venkat Chandar said, “Our vision when we set out to build Ethernia was to have a long-term sustainable economy that’s resilient and in-line with player needs. The economy in Ethernia heavily focuses on the players and is created with them in mind. We hope this makes Ethernia a self-sustaining and thriving economy for all.”

    Ethernia is powered by the Polygon blockchain. It resonates with SuperGaming’s vision of having a sustainable and thriving economy, along with low gas fees and a network that aims to make it a seamless experience for players of Ethernia.

    The waitlist for Ethernia is open now on the game’s official site, with over 1,50,000 players signed up in the first week. Waitlist rewards include 500mETN, the native token for Ethernia.

    More details regarding Ethernia’s Whitepaper and Tokenomics will be revealed in the run up to the October 2022 release, along with several contests and airdrops. Fans can also expect a deeper look into its factions, lore, and gameplay.

  • SETVI signs virtual influencer Polar exclusively in India

    SETVI signs virtual influencer Polar exclusively in India

    Mumbai: Talent and metaverse consulting Sony Entertainment Talent Ventures India (SETVI) has signed international virtual talent and celebrated popstar Polar exclusively in India.

    SETVI will represent Polar for all metaverse and web3 opportunities worldwide.

    Created by Anastasiia Vinogradova, producer at Soul Publishing, Polar is a 16-year-old virtual influencer, or V-influencer, who is known for her striking turquoise hair, unique TikTok moves and a mesmerising voice. She hides her real identity on stage behind a unique mask and wants to take her place on the musical Olympus along with other platinum artists like Ariana Grande, Marshmello, and Olivia Rodrigo.

    A virtual influencer is a digital character that is created using cutting-edge technology. This character is then given a personality and will at all times act on social media platforms as if he/she is an influencer.

    SETVI would help Polar unleash different marketing and promotional potential across leading brands. She can be leveraged as an ambassador for digital films, promotional v-fluencer for different Marvel movies, creating covers of the latest Indian regional songs, participating in social media #ReelChallenges, being a part of the virtual fashion shows, events in the metaverse, and the list is endless. To that end, SETVI is also planning to launch a virtual concert with Polar to give an exclusive sneak peak to its audience into this metaverse world.

    As an emerging artist, Polar releases original music and covers of popular songs such as “Bad Guy” by Billie Eilish and many more. In terms of her originals, she has recently released “Redhead Girl” and “Euphoria”, an electronic high-energy track which follows the huge success of her first three singles; “Close To You,” “Boom Ballon” and an electro-pop cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”. She is soon going to launch her upcoming human and virtual human collaborations with Rasster, a well-known platinum musician.

    Soul Publishing producer Anastasiia Vinogradova commented, “We were ecstatic when SETVI came to collaborate and represent Polar. The virtual artist was just an initial thought, and now when I see her gaining fame and recognition all across the world and now in India, she is nothing less than a dream come true. SETVI is India’s first ever talent-metaverse advisory company, and being the best in this business, we couldn’t have trusted anyone else.”

    SETVI CEO Vijay Singh said, “Polar is going to upscale the virtual artists’ space by leaps and bounds, and holding the baton of familiarising the audience with the metaverse, we had to hop onto it. Soul Publishing is an award-winning global digital studio and our exclusive partner for India, that is known to produce the best-in-class entertaining and organic content for its audience. Polar would be a pathbreaking intervention which would give a broader spectrum of experimentation in Web 3 and metaverse opportunities as marketing solutions to many leading brands in the country.”

    Polar’s popularity has raised the bar for all human artists; she is on her way to one million Spotify followers and has over 6,00,000 YouTube subscribers.The meta space for artists doesn’t only have Polar, but many other artists like Lu Do Magalu (Brazil), Barbie, Knox Frost (a male influencer from Atlanta), Anna Cattish (Russian animator and illustrator) and many more.

  • Web 3.0 platform ‘coto’ ropes in Vishakha Singh as NFT strategist

    Web 3.0 platform ‘coto’ ropes in Vishakha Singh as NFT strategist

    Mumbai: ‘coto,’ a web3-based social community platform for women, has announced the appointment of Vishakha Singh as its non-fungible token (NFT) strategist.

    The company said in a statement that Singh will create and execute a robust strategy, roadmap, and execution on NFTs for ‘coto’ by spearheading awareness programmes on best practices of NFT for ‘coto’s’ creator community and will be instrumental in making ‘coto’ a front-runner in this domain.

    Through this role, Singh will play a vital part in executing the roadmap for ‘coto’s’ decentralised autonomous nature, starting with the NFT programme for creators. Besides involving B2B agencies in ‘coto’s’ early adopter programme for long-standing partnerships, she will also structure the approach based on content-led and community-led NFTs for monetisation, gating, and benefits.

    On joining ‘coto,’ Singh said, “I’m delighted to join the dynamic team of ‘coto’. My contribution would be to execute an overall strategy and craft the roadmap for the platform and its creators in the field of NFTs. Web3 is bringing an opportune moment for women for value creation and ‘coto’s’ inclusive environment enables women to create, consume, and communicate without toxicity.”

    “Through advanced technologies and insights of blockchain and NFT, I look forward to helping ‘coto’ evolve its tribe in the Web3 space,” she added.

    On Singh’s addition to the team, ‘coto’ by Eve World co-founder Rajneel Kumar said, “Web3 has changed the way social communities allow content creation, consumption, and monetisation globally. ‘coto’ is taking a deep dive with technology to cement its position on national and global marketplaces for content demand and supply to create a uniquely sustainable value proposition for its community of women creators and members. Vishakha’s experience will help ‘coto’ onboard the entire community about NFT, blockchain, and its benefits for the greater good of building a thriving, rewarding, safe space for women online.”

    In a phase-wise roll-out, ‘coto’ will soon announce its NFT plans and way forward for creators and members, stated the company.

  • HeyHey! is helping brands across the entertainment industry enter web3 and navigate new waters: founder & CEO Caleb Franklin

    HeyHey! is helping brands across the entertainment industry enter web3 and navigate new waters: founder & CEO Caleb Franklin

    Mumbai: HeyHey! is a leading-edge online platform that facilitates new forms of experiential engagement between fans and global celebrities, creators, and influencers by utilising new-age tech like web3, blockchain, and NFTs to create digital products that are ahead of the curve. The platform also acts as a gateway through which fans can discover and directly interact with their favourite stars, while empowering celebrities to develop memorable bespoke experiences for their fanverse through personalised video messages and shoutouts.

    Having launched in key international markets like the US and Japan, HeyHey!’s foray into India brings with it an appreciation of the celeb-fan relationship nuances that may differ from one market to another.

    HeyHey! uses its innovative tech to partner with brands, celebrities, and entertainment entities to deliver unmatched experiences with the help of cutting-edge web2 and web3 solutions to fanverses. HeyHey! helps connect fans with over 2,500 artists on its robust roster, ranging from famous Indian names such as Govinda, Amish Tripathi, Sharman Joshi, Evelyn Sharma, Elnaaz Norouzi, Kaneez Surka, Sarfaraz Khan, and K. Gowtham. Apart from films, they also have leading television stars like Rupali Ganguly, Divyanka Tripathi, Rashmi Desai, etc., alongside regional stars like Angel Thomas, Monal Gajjar, Deeksha Joshi, Ojas Rawal, and more, and leading Hollywood stars such as Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley, Michael Fassbender, Mariah Carey, and Tom Hardy.

    Indiantelevision.com caught up with HeyHey! founder and CEO Caleb Franklin. He currently operates out of HeyHey!’s Mumbai office, building an exclusive platform for fan-celebrity engagement with some of India’s biggest talent being present on the platform. In addition to its India operations, HeyHey! is present in Japan and attracts some of the best regional and international talents in sports, media, literature, and art.

    He is also Matter Entertainment founder and CEO. Matter produces premium television and film series for top OTT platforms such as Netflix, Disney+, Amazon, etc. Matter is a premium literary management company representing some of the leading global artists from India in the realms of writing, direction, books, and production.

    Before founding HeyHey!, Franklin spent a decade working for the Creative Artists Agency (CAA). In his time at CAA, Franklin represented the company’s clients across the global landscape of media, entertainment, technology, and sports. Caleb spearheaded many of the agency’s international initiatives and was part of the founding team of CAA’s presence in India and the Middle East.

    Franklin graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in Social Studies from Harvard University with a minor in South Asian Studies. In his personal time, Franklin is a board member of the Ron Brown Scholar Program and serves on the founding committee of Soho House Mumbai. He currently lives in Mumbai with his wife Anisha and their dog Morty.

    Edited excerpts:

    On the idea of HeyHey!

    Caleb: HeyHey!’s mission is to help fans connect with their favourite celebrities, brands, and creators and provide premium experiences at scale. We started as a platform which helped customers get personalised video messages for their loved ones from our roster of more than 2,500+ celebrities. HeyHey! was a growing and touching success, with requests for every occasion ranging from birthday wishes to marriage proposals, haircuts, and even breaking up with someone! We wanted to bridge the gap between a fan and their favourite creator and also help creators build a community.

    On NFTs and the metaverse, allowing celebrities and brands to build better fan engagement

    Caleb: Until now, we’ve seen the focus in the NFT and metaversal spaces revolve around the collectible and novelty aspects. NFTs and the metaverse are still in their nascencey, but we’ve seen that a lot of our partners are interested in this space and are curious to explore it more. As we see more adoption from fans who want to have a more personal touch from their favourite celebrities and creators starting to realise the potential of dedicated fanverses, we will witness a great shift in how both personal and corporate brands start to develop better trust and cultivate a more organic approach to showcasing their products and services with interactive opportunities and experiential engagement.

    On leveraging these opportunities

    Caleb: Staying true to our mission of providing premium experiences to fans at scale, we realised the power of web3. Our aim is to build fanverses, communities, and a platform where fans and celebrities get to build a deeper connection. The concept behind HeyHey! NFTs is to allow fans to have pathways into their favourite celebrity’s community with exclusive perks that are only available upon ownership of that artist’s NFT.

    Apart from making the NFT community in general bigger, we’re trying to provide community building provisions to our NFT creators as well as NFT enthusiasts. HeyHey!’s idea, however, includes having global artists and a global fanbase. We want to create a fanverse where the confines of geographical barriers are broken and both artists and fans worldwide can come under one umbrella.

    On the celebrities that HeyHey! is working with currently

    Caleb: We help connect fans with over 2,500+ Indian and global artists from our network, ranging from famous Indian names such as Govinda, Amish Tripathi, Sharman Joshi, Evelyn Sharma, Elnaaz Norouzi, Kaneez Surka, Sarfaraz Khan, K. Gowtham, Rupali Ganguly, Divyanka Tripathi, Rashmi Desai, etc., to regional stars like Angel Thomas, Monal Gajjar, Deeksha Joshi, Ojas Rawal, to Hollywood stars like Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley, Michael Fassbender, Mariah Carey, and Tom Hardy.

    On creating awareness among celebrity fans to use its service

    Caleb: Our previous collaborations have worked as a great case study for us to pitch to other celebrities and potential NFT creators. Being able to show them both what the market is like and what we have done with other artists only gives them a better understanding of what the space is like and they can further decide upon things.

    Creators are now understanding the several use cases web3 offers that are not available in existing web2 solutions. Fans are also understanding the importance of dedicated fanverses and communities built around creators they follow/brands they use and feel like a part of their journey.

    On the experiences that fans can get with celebrities using NFTs that otherwise would not be possible

    Caleb: To give a simple example, we’ve gamified Sunny Leone’s ‘I Dream Of Sunny’ NFTs, which gives its owners many benefits that go above and beyond monetary, ranging from coffee dates, set visits, joining her on Instagram live, attending a private yacht party with her, to even going skydiving with her! All these benefits depend on the category of the NFTs the enthusiasts have purchased.

    One of the NFT owners, who lives in another country, was a winner in one of the weeks, and he got to go on an Instagram live with her. To the ones who didn’t know how he did it, he was flooded with queries about how he got an opportunity like that. Sunny too received many DMs asking her how they would also get an opportunity to go live with her. That’s the power of having ownership of her NFT.

    We don’t think that the same would be possible otherwise, because when you think of it, she has millions of followers and she would not go through her list to select a person who she would want to go live with. Also, there would be no purpose. It is because of the NFT that a particular owner owned that enabled him to go live with her. These NFTs allow Sunny to get to know her fans up close and personally, and vice versa.

    On the impact that NFTs and the metaverse will have on the M&E industry

    Caleb: NFTs and the metaverse are already here, having an immense impact on how the media and entertainment businesses approach new avenues. We see it as various stakeholders in the industry are looking to get in on the action, whether to use it as a tool for showcasing an already-existing product or giving users a preview of what they can expect.

    That’s not all. We can see a lot of entertainment businesses incorporating NFTs and metaverse in a way that it’s an extension of what they already offer, essentially helping to offer a more holistic and complete experience.

    In the very near future, we are going to see a lot more NFT projects from big and small creators alike, bringing great ideas to the forefront using the crowdfunding method. This comes through the power of community and the feeling of being part of something you genuinely believe has great potential to be something remarkable, and we believe this is just the tip of the iceberg in how the industry can be part of this movement.

    On the opportunity that HeyHey! sees in India

    Caleb: India as a market has always been selective in what appeals to the masses and if it’s new or revolutionary enough to warrant learning something entirely new. Web3 is the same and in the last two years, we’ve already seen so many ambitious projects from different industries utilising web3. It’s only a matter of time before the infrastructure is adopted all over, and when that happens, our consumers are going to enjoy some exceptional experiences by being part of like-minded communities.

    We want to approach this section of the market and help provide the tools to make such a reality accessible and usable. We are confident that India is ready to be more immersed in web3 and the metaverse.

    On the collaboration with Viacom18 Studios

    Caleb: Viacom18 Studios has been a behemoth in the industry for many years. As a market leader, HeyHey! helped them understand the importance of community building and how web3 was a way of building this long-lasting community. With a full proof concept and plan in place, Viacom18 Studio’s Shabaash Mithu was the perfect opportunity for them to step into the web3 space. With a solid understanding of how we would have liked this to be, and with HeyHey! as their technological partner, we made it a point to show them the path and process.

    On the other projects that HeyHey! is working on in India

    Caleb: We have some exciting projects in our pipeline. A lot of our partners are curious to understand the potential of web3 and NFTs. HeyHey! is helping brands across the entertainment industry enter web3 and navigate new waters. As showcased with our partnership with The Olive Group, we’re also gearing up to put into production some projects for top-tier brands who want to re-imagine their own existence in the upcoming (virtual) reality.

    We’re working with some hard-working teams who want to ensure that they offer their consumers the best possible version of their products they can, whether the consumer is at their store or at home staring at their phone screen.

    On some of the misconceptions that exist when it comes to NFTs

    Caleb: Due to the high NFT prices we’ve seen in the media, there has been a common misconception that NFTs are only art, a way to “get rich quick” or a scam. This has led to people buying NFTs as an investment with the hope or expectation that they’ll increase in price. We have seen a trend of multiple industries, including art, gaming, ticketing, and entertainment, venturing into the web3 space to understand more about it and explore the multiple use cases it can offer.

    HeyHey! NFTs will provide every buyer with utilities, including offline exclusive experiences and the opportunity to join a community of like-minded individuals. Our agenda is to help brands and creators create a community around themselves and also for fans to feel deeply connected.

    On web3

    Caleb: We see web3 as a means for creators and brands to build communities around themselves or their IPs and for fans to feel more connected and build a deeper relationship with these creators and brands. HeyHey! wants to empower these creators and brands to help build these fanverses and communities.

  • House of Gaming joins hands with blockchain venture Bluewheel Capital & Wharf Street Studios

    House of Gaming joins hands with blockchain venture Bluewheel Capital & Wharf Street Studios

    Mumbai: House of Gaming, a next-generation technology firm aimed at developing esports in India through its three verticals: Indian Gaming League, Hefty Games, and GameGods, has partnered with Bluewheel Capital and Wharf Street Studios. The aim is to bring blockchain gaming to the mainstream. The association’s goal is to build a reputation for the House of Gaming enterprise’s recent ventures into Age of Tanks ( Bluewheel Capital) and Epiko Regal (a fantasy world influenced by and based on Indian mythology created by Wharf Street Studios).

    The House of Gaming’s alliance with Bluewheel Capital and Wharf Street Studios will strengthen its efforts to support and drive Web3 gaming adoption across the globe. The collaboration also aims to kickstart and fuel the gaming and NFT ecosystems of Hefty Games with exclusive P2E (Play to Earn) tournaments. Fostering higher engagement, in addition to the existing portfolio of Lokesh, TSG, Gyan, AS Gaming, and Team Orangutan Elite, House of Gaming also intends to release NFT trading cards, allowing gamers to own collectibles from their favourite gamers.

    Because of its collaboration with Polygon and eDAO, Hefty Games has established itself as a one-stop shop for all forms of digital art in the gaming world on the blockchain. Polygon, which is also the leading Ethereum scaling and infrastructure development platform, will help to engage gamers and bring them closer to industry titans like Hindustan Talkies, the media conglomerate, and Hungama, one of South Asia’s largest digital media entertainment companies. At Hefty Games, we aim to get things going and keep them going. Expanding partnerships in the worlds of collectibles and blockchain, this collaboration will help India realise the positive economic impact of blockchain gaming while transforming House of Gaming into a multi-service entertainment application.

    Contributing to the development of the most diverse portfolio of gaming titles via the blockchain association, House of Gaming will aim to elevate itself to be a powerhouse for providing entertainment across esports, games, and blockchain technology.

    House of Gaming co-founder and CEO Yash Pariani said, “Our strategic alliance with Bluewheel Capital and Wharf Street Studios is a gateway to newer means of engagement in the esports community. With the widespread adoption of Web3 gaming, there is even greater momentum and scope added to the sector. We are looking forward to creating a strategic impact towards enhancing the future of gaming.”

    Bluewheel Capital CEO V Agarwal said, “Our partnership with House of Gaming will help incentivize engagement, allowing players to turn blockchain into a potential source of income. With the increasing difficulties of cryptocurrency and Web3 gaming, its true potential remains unrealized. The collaboration will revitalise the industry to create advantages in the NFT space.”

    Wharf Street Studio founder and CEO Venkatesh Krishna Murthy said, “Our collaboration with House of Gaming only increases our chances of expanding the blockchain world and making NFT Games an important source of revenue distribution for an influx of upcoming games. Epiko Regal is one such competitive title, and our goal is to give this game a significant stake in the blockchain ecosystem.”

    Recently, House of Gaming collaborated with the blockchain giant Polygon to introduce gaming NFTs via Hefty Games. Following the recent announcement of Hefty Art bringing MF Husain’s paintings into the metaverse, its collaboration with Polygon and eDAO will help bring gaming enthusiasts closer to industry titans such as Hindustan Talkies, the media conglomerate, and digital media entertainment company Hungama.

  • GUEST COLUMN: How the metaverse, web3, and blockchain are changing the dynamics of marketing

    GUEST COLUMN: How the metaverse, web3, and blockchain are changing the dynamics of marketing

    Mumbai: Web3, blockchain, and metaverse are three concepts that are generating a lot of buzz and enthusiasm in the domain of business technology right now. There are new technologies emerging all the time, and web 3, blockchain, and metaverse are among those that have the potential to change many industries. Digital marketing is always evolving and developing as new technologies emerge. We now have a much better approach to connecting consumers and companies as we go to Web 3. The metaverse, on the other hand, is now a catch-all term for virtual worlds in which users may connect with one another and interact using applications and services in a significantly more realistic manner. With the advent of digital marketing, various new and innovative internet marketing trends have emerged to target customers. Things are set to change again, especially with the advent of blockchain technology.

    Let’s have a close look at what Web3, blockchain, and metaverse play in digital marketing and how these three are changing the dynamic of the industry-

    1)   Web3

    What really is the purpose of the name web3? because it is expected to be the third significant development of the internet, following the worldwide web (web1) and the consumer web (web2, or social media). The idea behind the creation of web 3 was to create a more democratic internet. No single party will be able to restrict the information flow or “pull the plug” and terminate a network just because they possess the hardware on which it runs.

    Web 3 undoubtedly raises the bar in order to provide something innovative and remarkable, but also engaging and uplifting in the digital marketing industry. Web 3 seems to be something that allows businesses to engage with customers and give them reliable solutions. It clearly works, and if used correctly, it may yield fantastic benefits. Web3 intends to be wiser and more knowledgeable than earlier internet eras. We can anticipate digital marketing changing as a result of newer, more immersive technology. Digital marketing is by far the most effective method of reaching out to audiences and consumers.

    2)   Blockchain

    Blockchain technology improves transparency, prevents fraud, and ensures that data collection is done correctly and without issues. It undoubtedly contributes to this element and experience, yet pushes the boundaries in a really unique way. Blockchain marketing is a modern digital marketing method that makes use of blockchain technology. A blockchain is a database that enables transactions to be safe, transparent, and tamper-proof. It is an ideal marketing tool since companies can trace data transfer and guarantee its accuracy.

    Blockchain technology overcomes this problem by bypassing networks such as Facebook and Instagram, providing companies with immediate access to their clients. As an outcome, companies may be more creative in their marketing strategies and more proactive when anything goes wrong.

    3)   Metaverse

    Marketing in the metaverse is still very much in development. While everyone wants to enter the metaverse, leading companies say that the industry is still trying to figure out what marketing in the virtual world entails, whether through social media, public relations, or digital marketing. An entrepreneur evaluates and understands if marketing in a metaverse leads to a greater return on investment (ROI) or more engagement with their end customers than marketing in the digital or physical worlds where they are directly targeting their consumers.

    Old-fashioned advertising methods are being phased out in favour of fresh concepts that reach individuals of all ages. Influencers, who post photos or videos on social media platforms like Instagram and other platforms to show off their products in an engaging way, are the most popular type of digital marketing—it’s not uncommon for personal sponsorships from everyday people with a large number of followers (or “influencer”) accounts to attract thousands, if not millions, more views than traditional ads alone!

    Web3, metaverse, and blockchain are technologies that will influence our future. As we speak, the way we live, earn, and socialise is changing dramatically. The greatest method is to have an open metaverse in which everyone may come and depart whenever they choose. This is where everyone may explore projects and communities that they are interested in. Blockchain technology is changing not just the way digital marketers buy advertisements, but it is also opening up new prospects for small companies. Blockchain’s security, transparency, and simplicity will revolutionise the way businesses do business online, including making their social responsibilities more visible to customers.

    The author is Hyper Connect Asia co-founder and business & growth lead Ankur Pujari.

  • Binance ropes in Khaby Lame as brand ambassador

    Binance ropes in Khaby Lame as brand ambassador

    Mumbai: Binance has partnered with the Italian Senegalese creator Khaby Lame, who grew to fame through his viral TikTok videos, to join as a global brand ambassador. As the blockchain ecosystem behind the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance will partner with Khaby to increase web3 awareness and adoption.   

    Khaby became a sensation for his spin on “life hack” videos, navigating overly complicated scenarios without saying a word while doing the famous “Khaby move.” He’ll use his signature style to tackle some of the misperceptions around Web3 in this multi-year partnership. Lame will also partner on exclusive NFT collections with Binance, further enhancing the experience for his fans.  

    “I consider my followers as my family, and I am always looking for new challenges and interesting content to share with them,” said Khaby Lame.  

    He added, “I’ve been curious about Web3 for some time, and jumped at the chance to partner with a leader like Binance because it aligns perfectly with what I usually do: make complex stuff easy and fun for everyone!”

    “Khaby has become a cultural icon and one of the most entertaining creators globally. We love his charm and sense of humour, and think it will bring relevance and relatability as we scale Web3 adoption,” said Binance Global vice president of marketing James Rothwell. “With so much nuance around Web3 and misinformation in the world, it was a perfect match to have Khaby on board to help debunk some of the myths around this space.”  

    Lame is currently the most-followed creator on TikTok, with more than 142 million followers on the platform, and 78 million followers on Instagram.

  • Loco launches ‘Legends’, all-new NFT platform for esports

    Loco launches ‘Legends’, all-new NFT platform for esports

    Mumbai: Live game streaming and esports platform Loco has announced the country’s latest NFT platform for esports ‘Legends,’ The decision was taken as part of its commitment to democratising gaming entertainment in the country.

    Users will be able to own and trade esports collectibles on the platform, boosting their fandom and giving them the chance to feel like esports scouts for a day. Legends paves the way for decentralisation for game developers.

    Loco has also inked exclusive collaborations with major esports tournament organisers including Villager esports and Upthrust esports to ensure that its data plan has the finest in class data flow.

    Loco has also built a proprietary data system that powers Legends. This system leverages the data generated by the large number of tournaments empowered by Loco.  

    Loco Legends launches exclusive partnerships with the most popular esports teams in India including 8bit, s0ul, Godlike, Revenant, Blind, and XO among others. These top Indian esports teams are the category dominators in popular games like BGMI, FreeFire Max, and Valorant, and provide fans with the most credible NFT experience. Loco has a 52 million-strong community of gamers.

    The first asset on Loco Legends will be NFT esports cards. This offering combines non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and free to play esports fantasy gaming. Users can purchase NFT trading cards allowing them to buy and sell cards amongst each other and also participate in free-to-play fantasy pools. By collecting, owning, and trading these limited-edition digital collectibles, Loco is designing a unique fan experience, where users can truly get closer to their heroes, build real world connections, and enhance their watching experience. The NFTs will be limited in number and unique to each owner. Loco is the first to build a large-scale consumer platform of this sort in India, that is embracing NFTs & web3.

    Founders Anirudh Pandita and Ashwin Suresh shared, “We are passionate about the potential of web3 to empower creators and create new fan experiences in the gaming community. Gamers are the earliest adopters of new technology and our community has shown a strong acceptance for these initiatives. We are excited about providing users an easy-to-use experience so that they can enjoy the power of web3 without dealing with the complexities that other products are often plagued with. We are also pumped about the partners we are bringing with us and the experiences that these partnerships will help us deliver to users. Our team firmly believes that this is a unique opportunity to unlock a new paradigm in gaming and this product is the first step in our roadmap.”

    The platform is currently in beta and will be made public in July 2022. As a part of this launch, the top 1,000 users that waitlist themselves on the platform will get access to free NFTs worth approximately Rs 500 each. On sharing the waitlist link with friends and family, and onboarding more users through their referrals, users will have a chance to jump the queue by 100 spots, allowing them to move higher up in the waitlist and increasing their chances of winning a free NFT. The platform is now live for audiences to access.

  • Power League Gaming names Langoor as new digital transformation agency partner

    Power League Gaming names Langoor as new digital transformation agency partner

    Mumbai: Langoor has been selected by Power League Gaming as its new digital, creative, and strategic agency partner. To help the most innovative gaming, content, and esports activation firm in the MENA region reach new gaming audiences, Langoor will be in charge of creating cutting-edge, immersive digital experiences.

    The highest rates of new technology use, mobile penetration, and population identification as gamers are seen in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.  While 67 per cent of Saudi Arabia’s population regularly plays video games, more than 65 per cent of residents of the UAE identify as gamers (four times per week or more).

    Power League Gaming (PLG), which has operations across the AIM region and has led the MENA region’s gaming and esports industry for the past ten years, has a direct impact on how gamers, publishers, and brands interact with one another. By actively teaching new talent and giving them job prospects in the MENA region through a variety of means, such as EMU (Esports and Media University), which is a component of PLG’s portfolio of education firms, their goal has been to enhance the Arabic gaming and esports market.

    Power League Gaming CEO Matthew Pickering said, “For the past decade, PLG and its teams have shaped the gaming and esports sector in the MENA region. We have consistently produced ground-breaking, disruptive mechanics that successfully connect global brands with gaming audiences. We are thrilled to welcome Langoor as our new digital transformation agency. Together, we look forward to building and designing engaging content platforms and developing the region’s next generation of gaming and content leaders.”

    Langoor co-founder and CEO Venugopal Ganganna said: “The Middle East is the fastest-growing market for gaming in the world. Not only does the region have an amazing gaming community but it also generates the highest gaming revenue per user. With the advent of Web3 and Meta, and the regions’ ability to adapt to these new emerging tech, we see players like PLG playing a supercritical role to innovate and grow the category. We are proud to partner with PLG on this exciting digital transformation journey and look forward to helping them reach gaming audiences across the MENA region and beyond.”

  • Disney+ Hotstar leverages the metaverse to promote new show ‘Rudra’

    Disney+ Hotstar leverages the metaverse to promote new show ‘Rudra’

    Mumbai: Disney+ Hotstar has partnered with Hungama Digital’s Web 3.0 venture Hefty Entertainment to create digital avatars of the cast of  its new show “Rudra – The Edge of Darkness.” The platform has created many firsts with this disruptive marketing strategy and innovation leveraging the metaverse.

    The marketing team has installed a hologram of Ajay Devgn with an illusion of him looking at passersby in Mumbai’s Bandra Bandstand. Additionally, in partnership with Smaash the platform created a gaming and entertainment centre with the theme ‘todphod’ playing the iconic catchphrase used by the actor in the show. The gaming room was designed similar to the show’s set.

    “A big part of building a deeper relationship with our consumers is to bring elements from reel life to real life and vice-versa,” said Disney+ Hotstar EVP and chief marketing officer Siddharth Shakdher. “With ‘Rudra-The Edge of Darkness,’ we did exactly that and deployed a unique experiential and immersive show marketing approach, bringing our consumers one step closer to the show, but importantly, also surfacing the show within emerging pop culture trends. With first-of-its-kind initiatives like Rudra Metaverse, gaming room, and hologram displays, we stepped up a notch higher to connect deeper with the audiences and fans.”

    Directed by Rajesh Mapuskar, “Rudra – The Edge of Darkness” features actor Ajay Devgn in the role of a cop who delves into the psyche of highly intelligent criminal masterminds to capture them.