Playtika Holding Corp, a leader in mobile gaming, has announced a major acquisition that could significantly boost its market position. The company has entered into an agreement to purchase SuperPlay, the creator of popular mobile games Dice Dreams and Domino Dreams, for $700 million upfront with potential additional payments of up to $1.25 billion based on performance metrics.

This strategic move is expected to bolster Playtika's position in the competitive mobile gaming market by incorporating SuperPlay's expertise in creating and scaling successful games. The deal is anticipated to serve as a catalyst for Playtika's growth once finalized.

Established in 2019 by former Playtika employees Gilad Almog and Eyal Netzer, along with industry veteran Elad Drory, SuperPlay has quickly made a name for itself in the mobile gaming world. The company's flagship titles, Dice Dreams, and Domino Dreams, have seen rapid user growth, collectively amassing 1.7 million average daily active users as of August.

Following the acquisition, Almog and Netzer will continue to helm SuperPlay, which will operate as an independent studio within the Playtika ecosystem. This arrangement aims to preserve SuperPlay's innovative culture while leveraging Playtika's resources and industry reach.

Playtika's CEO, Robert Antokol, emphasized the strategic importance of the acquisition, highlighting SuperPlay's proven track record and the potential for synergies between the two companies. He expressed confidence that the merger would enhance Playtika's ability to deliver engaging gaming experiences to a global audience.

For their part, Almog and Netzer conveyed enthusiasm about the opportunities presented by the acquisition: "We're incredibly excited for this opportunity. It is a testament to our amazing team who bring creativity and passion to everything we make. With Playtika's backing and support, we'll continue growing the most memorable and engaging games in their category, and exchange knowledge that will propel each other to new heights."

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Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, a first-person adventure game developed by MachineGames, is set to release on December 9 for Xbox and PC, with a PlayStation 5 version planned for spring 2025.

The game is set in 1937 between "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and "The Last Crusade," offering an immersive experience where players can think and act like the iconic archaeologist, featuring a globetrotting, Nazi-bashing, archaeology-fueled, mystery-solving adventure with a primarily first-person perspective, and a lighthearted tone that leans into classic Indiana Jones tropes.

Bethesda announced the release date for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle during Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024.

The game features Troy Baker's rendition of a young Harrison Ford as Indiana Jon

Gameplay will involve solving puzzles, engaging in combat using Indy's whip, revolver, fists, and palms, traversing environments, and encountering booby traps while raiding temples and ancient ruins. The game incorporates classic point-and-click game elements for puzzle-solving, and stealth gameplay involving disguises and blending in.

Indiana Jones is accompanied in the game by Gina, an Italian journalist. es.

The game world of "Great Circle" is the largest ever created by MachineGames, offering a variable gaming experience with exploration beyond the main story path.

The game includes a journal and camera feature for recording discoveries and earning Adventure Points. Pre-purchasing or playing on Game Pass will grant bonus items like The Last Crusade pack, inspired by the 1989 film.

The game features cinematic set pieces, including a thrilling fighter plane chase.

Sources: Washington Post, Forbes, The Verge, Ars Technica, Gizmodo, Mashable, Engadget, TechRadar, ReadWrite, CNET, The Sun.

This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq.

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Firaxis Games unveiled details about Sid Meier's Civilization VII during Gamescom 2024.

Players can mix and match leaders and civilizations, combining their strengths for unique gameplay possibilities.

The game is divided into three distinct ages: Ancient, Medieval, and Modern. Players can switch civilizations at the beginning of each age based on their progress.

Each age ends with a crisis that affects all players, adding dynamism and preventing early dominance.

Instead of individual units, Civilization VII introduces Commanders who can combine multiple units into armies with special abilities.

Cities develop organically by connecting new districts (urban and rural) to existing ones, reducing micromanagement.

Legacy Paths (Science, Culture, Military, and Economy) allow players to focus on specific paths in each age, impacting available civilizations in the next age.

The diplomacy system has been revamped with the introduction of a new resource called "Influence" for diplomatic actions.

Minor civilizations, now called "independent peoples," are more dynamic and can appear and disappear throughout the game. Players can use Influence to befriend or recruit units from them.

The visual style is inspired by miniatures, model trains, and museums, creating a detailed and atmospheric game world.

The game aims to prevent any player from gaining an insurmountable lead at the start by having a reset button between eras.

Pre-purchasing grants access to the Shawnee civilization and Tecumseh as a playable leader.

Civilization VII draws inspiration from newer rivals like Humankind and Ara: History Untold.

Civilization VII is set for a worldwide release on February for platforms, including PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store.

Pre-orders are available on Steam, featuring the digital-only Founder's Edition and Deluxe Edition, with the former only accessible until February 28. Both editions offer advanced early access starting on February 6.

Sources: BBC, Ars Technica, The Verge, TechRadar, VentureBeat, Gameswelt, Yahoo, Meristation, One Esports, Game Rant, Informazione, Siliconera, Newsdirectory3, WorthPlaying, Overclockers.ru, WinFuture, GameSpot.

This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq.

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Set in the grim, bloody Warhammer 40,000 universe, Space Marine 2 is a highly anticipated third-person hack-and-slash action game. It features intense melee combat with iconic weapons like the chainsword, as well as ranged combat, brutal executions, and superhuman skills of Space Marines combating relentless Tyranid swarms.

The game boasts impressive graphics, sound design, and over-the-top weapons, bringing hundreds of swarming aliens to life. It creates a sense of dread and raw immediacy in battles. A deep melee combat system offers satisfying combos, and improved visuals. An enhanced Swarm Engine managing thousands of enemies on screen simultaneously.

Space Marine 2 introduces new features like "Trials" missions for honing class-specific abilities, extensive customization options for weapons, armor, and class loadouts, and a three-player PvE mode called Operations, where team composition and strategy are crucial for survival against enemy waves.

It has a class system with six unique classes, each offering different loadouts, abilities, and perks for varied gameplay, with options like the powerful but immobile Heavy class. Customization through perks, abilities, and team perks enhances the squad's effectiveness, but significant grinding is required to unlock these.

The game includes a cooperative mode, a post-campaign experience with co-op, PvP modes, and an Operations mode focusing on auxiliary missions with various enemies, challenges, and mini-bosses. Multiplayer missions are immersive, fitting into the wider narrative with well-voiced exposition.

While previews praise the visuals, fluid combat, and the empowering feeling of being a Space Marine, some critics find the melee combat challenging to master and criticize the main campaign's repetitive missions and glitches.

Early testers with hands-on experience with the beta version unanimously praised the graphics quality, level of detail, dynamic and brutal combat system, and the "Operations" mode. Users also noted frame rate drops, varying degrees of bugs, a lack of AI in teammates, and sometimes awkward controls (especially on controllers) during the beta testing on PC.

The system requirements range from Radeon RX 580 to RX 6800 XT for GPUs, with the recommended CPU being Ryzen 7 5800X or Intel Alder Lake, and an SSD for smoother gameplay. The minimum GPU for 1080p is GTX 1060 or GTX 1070. The game's system requirements for PC are surprisingly low and seem affordable on the lower end.

While there are minor concerns about audio issues, bugs, and long loading times, the gameplay loop is compelling, offering a satisfying power fantasy experience for Warhammer 40K fans, with attention to detail and fan service.

Sources: TechRadar, IGN, Pravda, 3DNews, PlayGround, DLCompare, AnandTech, Bell of Lost Souls, Destructoid, Granada Hoy, PCGamesN, GamerBraves, Kotaku, Eurogamer.

This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq.

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Early reviewers gush about the highly anticipated "Shadow of the Erdtree" expansion for Elden Ring, to be released Friday.

The expansion offers over 30 hours of new content, featuring unique map design, visually stunning biomes, engaging exploration, and challenging traversal in the Shadow Realm.

Critics praise the DLC's beautiful landscapes, visuals, gear, challenging content, superb boss fights, and creative action RPG experience rewarding skill and determination.

Elden Ring has sold over 25 million copies as of June 2022, making it one of the best-selling games of all time, and was chosen as Game of the Year 2022 by several publications.

While most reviews praise the expansion's story, scenery, and boss battles, some critics note it offers more of the same content without new forms of interaction, and question its eligibility for Game of the Year awards.

The DLC provides a variety of creative and challenging boss fights requiring mastery of various combat techniques, with masterfully constructed, fair yet incredibly difficult duels.

Some fans find the expansion more difficult than the base game, leading to frustration and concerns about game balance, though FromSoftware is likely to maintain the challenge as a main appeal.

The Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is FromSoftware's largest expansion yet, with over a hundred new weapons and equipment, and a larger setting than Limgrave, introducing new collectibles and the Belurat Tower Settlement as a major "legacy" dungeon.

While visually stunning, the expansion can be frustrating due to its intricate level design, challenging traversal, and the requirement of mastering the original end-game content, where new resources offer permanent stat buffs.

Sources: Videogamer, Gamespot, Play3.de, 4Gamers, Tecmundo, Fandomwire, Windows Central, GamesRadar, en.as, Dexerto, PC Gamer, TechRadar, Infobae, The Verge, The Washington Post, The New York Times, NPR, and Forbes.

 This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq.

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Sony's new family-friendly PlayStation game LEGO Horizon Adventures was revealed at Summer Game Fest, bringing the world of Horizon to a new generation and the Nintendo Switch through a playful action-adventure game involving building, co-op play, and recounting the games' story using digital bricks. It is a Lego-ified version of Horizon's post-apocalyptic future. The game is set to release during the 2024 holiday season on PS5, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

Recent announcements from Sony suggest a shift towards more all-ages content, with LEGO Horizon Adventures and Astro Bot indicating a focus on family-friendly gaming experiences. Both games prioritize interactive, immersive worlds accessible to all skill levels, and aim to revitalize the all-ages gaming space with high production values and engaging gameplay, potentially receiving award nominations. The company aims to grow the Horizon franchise into one of its tentpoles, with a sequel on the PS5 and an adaptation into a Netflix show.

LEGO video games have a relaxed feel and wider age appeal. The entire LEGO Horizon Adventures game is made of LEGO bricks and can be built in real life. Physical LEGO sets based on the Horizon series have been released, and LEGO Horizon Adventures could introduce new players to the franchise.

Developed by Guerrilla Games and Studio Gobo, the game blends LEGO creativity with the immersive world of the Horizon series. The game promises a playful, light-hearted story set in the post-apocalyptic 31st century, allowing players to bound through a dinosaur-infested world, with co-op gameplay featuring iconic creatures like the Sawtooth, Thunderjaw, and Tallneck.

It features 2-player co-op, both locally and online, with the possibility of random or limited online partners. The narrative follows Aloy on an adventure to find her mother, with a more light-hearted and broad appeal compared to the main Horizon games.

Players can unlock items, rare bricks, side quests with additional rewards, weapon upgrades, global enhancements, customizable costumes, and village visuals, as well as the ability to set up a hot dog stand for combat. It features co-op mode, adding a new dimension to the gameplay, colorful character skins, and customizable elements reminiscent of a child's playset.

While some fans and reviewers have criticized the game's significantly shorter playtime of 7-8 hours compared to the original Horizon games' 40-60 hours, feeling let down by the lack of depth and content, others have praised its high replayability. Some have also questioned PlayStation's decision to develop a LEGO game based on Horizon specifically.

The visuals aim to replicate a real LEGO set, with attention to detail and authenticity in design.

Sources: Forbes, The Verge, Engadget, PCMag, VentureBeat, CNET, TechRadar, Gameswelt, Infobae, Begeek, Branchez-vous, Gearrice, Wccftech, VideoGamesChronicle, Rolling Stone, Indy100, Igromania, ComicBook, MobileSyrup, Games.Tiscali, FandomWire, Kanobu, and IXBT.

This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq.

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Microsoft unveiled a refreshed lineup of Xbox Series X and Series S consoles, including an all-digital 1TB Robot White Xbox Series X without a disc drive priced at $449.99, a 1TB Robot White Xbox Series S for $349.99, and a 2TB Galaxy Black Special Edition Xbox Series X with a disc drive, unique space exploration design, and 2TB storage for $599.99.

The gaming industry faces a downturn with softer sales, layoffs, and shutdowns, prompting Microsoft to refresh its hardware to compete with PlayStation 5.

The new models do not have performance changes compared to current models, with increased storage capacity being the main feature.

Upcoming games showcased included Gears of War: E-Day, a new Fable game, Fallout 76's Skyline Valley expansion, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, narrative adventures Mixtape and South of Midnight, and remakes of Metal Gear Solid 3 and Indiana Jones.

Several showcased games like Fallout 76, Diablo IV expansion, and Sea of Thieves season 13 will be available on Xbox Game Pass at launch.

The Fable reboot by Playground Games is slated for 2025 on Xbox Series X/S, PC, and Game Pass, centering around characters Humphry and Dave voiced by Richard Ayoade.

Sources: Engadget, Forbes, Reuters, The Verge, The Sun, TechRadar, Yahoo News, Mynavi News, Readwrite, Mashable, CNET, USA Today.

This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq.

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Saudi Arabia launched a group to develop its video gaming industry, state media reported Wednesday, as the Gulf country seeks to diversify its oil-dependent economy.

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Video gaming and esports have grown in popularity in the kingdom of some 35 million people, the majority of whom are under the age of 25.

Saudi Arabia's games market reached $1 billion in 2021, the highest value among the Arab countries of the Gulf, according to market researcher Niko Partners.

Saudi-backed Savvy Gaming Group, headed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, aims to be a "pioneer in the development of the gaming and esports industry locally and internationally," according to the official Saudi Press Agency.

The group, backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, has acquired esports companies ESL Gaming and FACEIT, it said.

The establishment of Savvy Gaming Group will contribute "to providing opportunities for development and for promoting diverse sources of economic income," it added.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt are forecast to have a total of 85.8 million gamers generating $3.1 billion in revenue by 2025, said Niko Partners.

i24NEWS contributed to this

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The eyes of the video game world will soon turn to Eilat, Israel's southernmost city, as it hosts the Esports World Championship, a global competition of the world's best gamers, for the first time.

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Starting this weekend, 500 top gamers from 85 different countries - who beat out 10,000 other gamers in various playoffs watched virtually by millions - will converge in Israel's tourist destination and compete for the top spot.

Last year, the world championship in Shanghai, China, saw over 1.5 million viewers tune into the action online.

Ido Brosh, chairman of the Israeli Esports Gaming Association, said holding the international competition in Israel offered a unique opportunity for the state.

"This is a huge opportunity to showcase Israeli hospitality… and capability in hosting such grand-scale events in a very technological sector and digital entertainment world," Brosh said.

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Each player will represent their own nation under the "national flag, banner, and uniform" he explained.

With efforts to host the competition beginning three years ago, the Israeli Sports Association and Maccabi World Union teamed up with the Israeli Gaming Association to reach an agreement with the International Esports Federation.

"Through the impact of this event… we will be able to create a meaningful, positive image for Israel, using this event as a platform to understand not just the beauty and hospitality of Israel, but that Israel is a modern country," Brosh said.

This article was first published by i24NEWS.

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Launched in 2017 by North Carolina-based Epic Games, Fortnite is a survival-themed battle game that pits dozens of online players against each other. It signed up tens of millions of users for its "battle royale" format, which allows dozens of players to fight each other to the death until the last survivor remains.

In a June 10 letter to Epic Games, Israel Electric Corp said Fortnite characters can "climb up electricity poles freely and without restriction" – a real-life stunt done by some Israeli youths that the power company said it had been trying for years to stem through an educational campaign.

"We recently learned about a disturbing and worrying phenomenon that was brought to our attention by people who know and are exposed to your company's Fortnight game," said the letter, shared with Israel Hayom.

"This game allows players to climb up electricity poles freely and without restriction. … As a leading international gaming company, you are responsible for the personal safety of your consumers. We, therefore, ask you to take action to remove dangerous content that encourages life-risking situations related to the use of electricity, such as climbing poles and public lighting facilities."

Epic Games did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In April, Iraq's parliament voted to ban Fortnite and another popular online video game, citing their "negative" influence – especially on the young – in a country long plagued by real-life bloodshed. Fortnite has also been banned in the Indian state of Gujarat.

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