Category: #gaming

Ministers Donohoe and Martin launch Tax Credit for Digital Games

The Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe TD, and Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media, Catherine Martin TD, have today (Monday) launched the Tax Credit for Digital Games.

Ministers Donohoe and Martin attended a launch event hosted by the digital gaming company “Black Shamrock” in the Guinness Enterprise Centre and formally signed the regulations to give full effect to the legislation. This follows approval of the credit by the European Commission in recent weeks.

The relief will take the form of a refundable corporation tax credit available to digital games development companies for qualifying expenditure incurred on the design, production and testing of a digital game. It will be available at a rate of 32% of eligible expenditure up to a maximum limit of €25 million per project. There will also be a per project minimum spend requirement of €100,000.

Ireland has an international reputation for excellence in the arts. It is Government policy to support the development of a vibrant media production and audiovisual sector in the State. The introduction of the Tax Credit for Digital Games aims to capitalise on the synergies with our established film and animation sectors to support the expression of Irish and European culture, and to support quality employment in creative and digital arts in Ireland.

In welcoming the measure, Minister Donohoe stated:

 “I am delighted to announce the launch of the Tax Credit for Digital Games. Ireland is already a world leader in other areas of the audiovisual sector including film, television and animation production, I believe that this credit will be instrumental in replicating such successes in the digital gaming sector. The introduction of this credit will ensure that Ireland is competitive in an industry that is estimated to be worth up to €260 billion.”

Speaking today, Minister Martin said:

“Digital games and growing employment and output from Ireland’s games sector is a key part of the Government’s Audio-visual Action Plan. The Digital Games Tax Credit will lead to support for the development of indigenous games companies along with increased investment from overseas games companies looking to locate in Ireland. Today is an important day for the expanding Irish Games industry and this Scheme will help to create jobs in the creative and digital arts in Ireland.”

Craig Stephens of Imirt, the Irish video games industry association said:

“The launch of the Digital Games Tax Credit is a huge moment for the Irish video games industry; it will welcome a new era of development creativity. This globally significant 32% credit will support our existing games development talent, plus attract major investment from overseas. Ireland is ideally positioned to secure more of the rapidly expanding $300 billion worldwide industry”. 

The regulations will now be signed by the Chairman of the Revenue Commissioners thereby allowing digital games development companies to apply for an interim certificate from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media for a qualifying digital game. It is expected certificate holders will then be able to apply for remuneration under the credit from Revenue from 1 January 2023.

Red Bull Home Ground reveals KRÜ Esports as the latest team to compete in Manchester

Red Bull Home Ground, the one-of-a-kind pro VALORANT tournament, is set to return for its third iteration, bringing together some of the world’s most elite teams to battle it out for victory in a unique ‘Home and Away’ format from December 9th-11th. As an official part of the VCT Off-Season Tournaments, fans & players alike can expect VALORANT action at its highest level.

For the first time, Red Bull Home Ground has opened its doors to teams outside of Europe who are set to make waves going up against the EMEA’s best teams, taking their best shot at the $100,000 prize pool. These invitations promise fierce competition as Red Bull Home Ground will witness rivalries reignite for the first time outside the VALORANT Champions Tournament. Before, we’ve seen EMEA battle it out on the Red Bull Home Ground Stage, but now it’s time for the Americas teams to prove their skills.

 

  • Red Bull Home Ground will see eight of the best VALORANT teams go head to head in December, broadcast from Victoria Warehouse, Manchester.

  • South American team, KRÜ Esports, has been unveiled as the latest VALORANT team to compete in Red Bull Home Ground 2022.

  • The teams announced so far include 100 Thieves, Team Liquid, Team Vitality, FOKUS Clan, the Turkish Qualifier winners, and FUT Esports & EMEA Qualifier winner Team BIG.

  • Founded in 2020 by the world-famous striker and former Man-city player Sergio Agüero, the young team has made waves in the Latin American VALORANT Championship. Simultaneously, becoming the most successful team in the region and two-time semifinalists at the previous 2021 VCT Masters events. Recently, the Argentinian squad signed on xand, Daveeys, Melser and axeddy to bring new talent into its VALORANT roster.

  • Red Bull Home Ground fans will get the chance to witness KRÜ Esports battle it out on their founders’ former home ground for the Red Bull Home Ground Championship title and experience the team’s VALORANT roster ahead of the 2023 VCT for themselves.

  • Yinsu Collins returns to host the third iteration of Red Bull Home Ground alongside Mitch “Mitchman” McBride, Tom “Tombizz” Bissmire, Ryan “RyanCentral” Horton, Beatriz “kaquka” Alonso and Adam “Dinko” Hawthorne.

  • Tickets for Red Bull Home Ground are now sold! Don’t forget to tune in to the action which will be broadcasted live from Victoria Warehouse in Manchester on twitch and YouTube. The event will also be broadcast by various co-streamers in multiple languages, with details to be revealed soon.

  • AGON by AOC is the official Monitor Partner for the event, bringing exceptional visual clarity and ultra-high refresh rates to competitors. AMD joins Red Bull Home Ground as Technology Provider, ensuring the high-performance computing that will push the boundaries of the tournament. Supporting Red Bull Home Ground as a peripheral sponsor, HyperX ensures that players can reach their full potential on the stage.

How Tech is Changing The Reality of Gaming

The world of online gaming is still a relatively new one, especially when you compare it to the PC or console gaming sector. Although we take for granted things like cloud gaming making it possible for us to instantly play huge titles, games that allow us to trade NFTs with others all over the world, and being able to connect and play with friends on almost all of the major releases, these technologies are still very much in their infancy. Some of the older technology is equally fascinating though and that all stems from virtual reality. As virtual reality begins to reach the point where it almost can’t be improved upon, we’re going to take a look at the other ‘realities’ that the gaming industry is working on, including some that might surprise you.

Reality Live Streaming

Streaming sites have really come into their own in the last few years, with Twitch being one of the most used. This site offers users the chance to watch live-streamed footage of creators playing their favorite games. It’s possible to live stream this footage to anywhere in the world thanks to Twitch’s strategically placed hubs that they operate worldwide. These hubs send out the livestreamed footage to their closest users, enabling them to watch in real time. All the content creator has to have is a live-stream enabled headset. This is pretty fascinating tech, but a sector that’s taking it even further is the casino sector. Live dealer casinos enable players to see a croupier dealing cards from several different angles all in real time. Then, once the cards are dealt, they can interact with the croupier using the user interface on their screens. This requires much more sophisticated technology to facilitate the interaction, but this style of gaming is proving hugely popular with users of online casinos. So much so that Arabian Betting’s rundown of online casinos in Bahrain features the top three casinos as offering this style of gaming. 

Virtual Reality

Now onto the technology that’s been around the longest, virtual reality has been bubbling away in the background for decades. Going to the cinema and wearing the red and blue glasses to watch a film in three dimensions might seem hilarious now, but it was the first taste of what virtual reality could be. The dinosaurs on the screen weren’t actually leaping out at you, but with those glasses on, it did kind of seem like it. Fast forward to this decade and virtual reality has come and leaps and bounds since. Now it’s affordable for many to have a set of virtual reality goggles at home, enabling a totally immersive gaming experience. Prices range from the ridiculously cost effective Google Cardboard, which at around $9 enables you to fold a set of goggles that fits around your smartphone, creating a three dimensional gaming experience that isn’t going to blow minds, but isn’t going to blow budgets either. On the other end of the scale is the HTC Vive Pro Virtual Reality Headset which for the full set up comes in at around $1400. This promises a totally mesmerizing experience, users will be treated to full 360-degree vision with head tracking and feedback too. So each action you take, has a reaction, sometimes physical, sometimes audio, sometimes visual. The technology in this sort of headset can also enable users to experience augmented reality, which we’ll explore next.

Augmented Reality

Augmented reality is where you see the world as it is around you but with some changes. For example you might be walking around your city and an enormous dinosaur appears from around the corner of a building. It could appear to topple a statue over and seem incredibly lifelike, all through your VR goggles. At the other end of the scale, the hit game Pokémon Go is also a great example of augmented reality. In this game you head out on a walk and your phone notifies you if you get close to a Pokémon. Once you do, the Pokémon will appear on your screen with the backdrop of the actual world you’re in behind it. Obviously the Vive Pro gives a far more immersive experience than this, but it goes to show how accessible this technology is now becoming that anybody with even a basic smartphone can access it. The benefits of this sort of technology stretch far beyond the world of gaming. Already it is being used to help blind and partially sighted people learn to navigate the world safely. Environments are being simulated for them to negotiate, helping them to feel more at ease when they step out into the actual world. 

Gamer Advantage’s range of blue-light filtering glasses for gamers launches in the European market

Gamer Advantage, eyewear manufacturer specialising in blue-light filtering gaming glasses, is expanding its presence into new territories as it announces its entry into the European market from today, across more than 25 new countries.

As part of this launch, two signature lens options will be made available across Europe, the Sleeper Lens and Suppressor Lens. Their custom-made lens comes in non-prescription, prescription, and readers.

The flagship, near-clear Sleeper Lens is for the dedicated gamer, or those who spend 8+ hours in front a screen daily. Gamer Advantage’s proprietary filtering absorbs harmful blue light emitted by your screen to protect gamers’ eyes in the best way possible, while seeing true colour. Benefits of using this range include reduced fatigue and relaxed vision throughout the day – helping gamers perform at their highest level.

For the casual gamer, or those who spend 4+ hours a day in front of a screen, Gamer Advantage developed the completely clear Suppressor Lens. This lens absorbs harmful blue light to a moderate level, geared toward improving productivity and focus.

All lenses are finished with a premium hard coating for increased durability, anti-reflective coating to reduce glare and a water and dirt repellent coating for easy maintenance. As with all Gamer Advantage glasses, these are manufactured in optical labs to clinical standards.

“Our mission is to genuinely improve the well-being of gamers and we are striving to provide a scientifically backed solution that supports the global gaming community with better performance. Over the last few years, we have built loyal fans in numerous territories, including North America and the UK, and are excited for our expansion into Europe as part of our ambitions of reaching new markets,” Bryan Reedy, Founder and CEO of Gamer Advantage commented, “We won’t stop until every gamer across the world has access to our game-changing technology that protects gamer’s vision and supports their well-being. Better sleep means better health and performance.”

Other products available in Europe include the bestselling Inferno, a true classic rectangle frame that’s part of the sun-clip collection, based upon tried and tested style icons and supplied with additional magnetic sunglass clips; the new eco-friendly Walden, Arbor and Terra ranges with bio-degradable frames; and Horizon, a 75% lighter, hyper-flexible and ultra-comfortable frame, whilst still featuring their proprietary light absorbing lens technology.

Gamer Advantage’s eyewear products range from £89-£189 in price, depending on the model and lens options. All models are also available to order from the Gamer Advantage website with the customer’s own prescription.

To find out more about Gamer Advantage’s range of eyewear and for interesting articles on sleep, blue light and eye health, please visit: www.gameradvantage.com.

Cottagecore Beekeeping Sim APICO Out Now #savethebees

Combining resource gathering, biology, and minigames with ideas from both real-life and fantasy beekeeping and gardening, APICO will teach players about the ins-and-outs of maintaining a healthy hive and the importance of our irreplaceable pollinating pals. The islands of APICO were once abuzz with different species of bees, and it’s up to players to rediscover lost species, cross-breed new ones, and populate each unique bee-ome. Progressing further into the game may also uncover some forgotten secrets. But that’s none of our beeswax.

Key Features of APICO include:

  • Breaking into Hives: It’s not as bad as it sounds! Collect materials, craft tools, and play fun beekeeping mini games to help rehome bees before releasing them back into the wild.
  • It Takes a Colony: Breed, collect, and conserve over 30 species of bees, like the Common Bee, the Forest Bee, and the Verge Bee. They’re all Queens in our book.
  • Bee2C Marketing: Fund the family business by making and selling honey, Apicola, and other beekeeping products. You’ll be a bee-llionaire in no time!
  • Cross-Pollination: Cross play with up to four players, regardless of where you purchase the game. Bees who work together, stay together!

 

APICO is now available on PC via Steam, itch.io, GameJolt, the Epic Games Store, Utomik, and Humble Store, for $19.99 USD, with a simultaneous console release following soon after.

Zelda Williams and Tommie Earl Jenkins join star-studded narrative adventure The Last Worker

Publisher Wired Productions, Writer / Director Jörg Tittel and pioneering games studio Wolf & Wood are today thrilled to announce that Zelda Williams (The Legend of Korra) and Tommie Earl Jenkins (Death Stranding) have joined the cast of the upcoming narrative adventure The Last Worker. A brand-new trailer, featuring Zelda, as well as existing cast members David Hewlett, Jason Isaacs and Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, unpackages the dystopian, thought-provoking world of the game and showcases its stunning hand-crafted visuals.

Visitors to PAX East, (Boston, MA) this weekend can get the world’s first hands-on with The Last Worker, by swinging by the Wired Productions booth at 14030, located at the heart of the show floor.

Zelda Williams and Tommie Earl Jenkins join a star-studded cast alongside Jason Isaacs (The Death of Stalin), Ólafur Darri Ólafsson (The Deep), Clare-Hope Ashitey (Children of Men) and David Hewlett (The Shape of Water).

The Last Worker is a first person narrative adventure centred around our struggle in an increasingly automated world. Combining a hand crafted art style with uniquely immersive gameplay mechanics in an epic setting, The Last Worker delivers an emotional, thought provoking and comedic story packaged with rich characters performed by an all-star cast.

“Who would’ve thought a casual conversation on Twitter in the middle of a global pandemic would somehow lead us here?”, said Zelda Williams. “I’ll be forever grateful that Jörg saw fit to send another battle-weary warrior woman my way, and it was a joy to lend her my voice.”

“Working with such a stellar cast would be miraculous enough on a major feature film or series”, said Writer, Director Jörg Tittel, whose company, Oiffy, is producing the game. “But to have such world class actors lend their talent to an indie game must make me the luckiest man alive. But ultimately this game has been an equaliser, with every team member pouring heart and soul into every minute detail. No matter how dystopian they want to make the real world, ours at least will be full of colour and crafted with love.”

“The anticipation of seeing the first public demo of the game is really building in the studio” , said Ryan Bousfield, Creative Director of Wolf & Wood, “As a collective, we’ve all had a part in shaping the stylised world and unique characters of The Last Worker, but now, to have such beautiful performances from an amazing cast to top it all off, fills us with confidence for the public response!”

“The Last Worker continues to be a thrilling project to work on with the groundbreaking storytelling from Jörg, and the technical genius of Wolf & Wood,” said Neil Broadhead, Head of Marketing, Wired Productions. “With the addition of Zelda Williams and Tommie Earl Jenkins to the all-star cast, we are so excited for visitors at PAX to get their hands on The Last Worker for the very first time!”

The Last Worker will be released in 2022 on Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Meta Quest 2.

Ten classics from Taito’s arcade vault in one collection for Nintendo Switch coming April 15th

ININ Games together with TAITO are excited to announce TAITO MILESTONES for Nintendo Switch launching April 15th in Europe and North America! The special retro compilation of some true TAITO classics will be available through selected retailers and the Nintendo eShop.

Soon retro fans can dive into a nostalgic gaming experience to replay the classics that represent TAITO’s legacy. Celebrate the company’s milestones! Defeat the monsters deep inside the castle as witch Ptolemy in The FairyLand Story, strike your enemies in the sci-fi shooter SPACE SEEKER or collect the hearts from the thieving Monsta in Chack’n Pop!  With this collection there will be something for every retro game enthusiast!

 

1981

QIX

1983

Chack’n Pop

1981

SPACE SEEKER

1983

ELEVATOR ACTION

1982

ALPINE SKI

1985

The FairyLand Story

1982

FRONT LINE

1986

HALLEY’S COMET

1982

WILD WESTERN

1987

THE NINJAWARRIORS

The boxed edition and the digital download version of TAITO MILESTONES for Nintendo Switch will launch on April 15th, 2022. Get ready for a true retro flashback – heading straight for your home screens!

Check iningames.com for more information and the latest updates on the game!

How to Get Casino Free Chips With Bonus Codes Online Casino VIP Programs

VIP Programs is the next most important thing in the casino world. These programs are specially designed for people who play at an online casino on a daily or regular basis. The players who are regular and they also bet big, then these VIP programs are surely meant for them.

Every player wants to get more out of their bets, so use your money in the best way possible to get more rewards out of it. Such VIP programs provides you with the opportunity to become an exclusive member all across the world. You will also be given priority treatment like priority customer service, priority entry into games and many other benefits that are not available for other players.

When you play daily or regularly at a casino, you will be given a membership to a VIP program. It is up to the player what he wants, whether to take that membership or not. The membership option is usually available on the cashier’s page of a casino website. You can also sign up for a new account and get one from there upon verification.

One other way to get yourself a VIP membership is to subscribe online to receive newsletters from the casino. In that case, you will be informed of all the promotions and offers provided by the casino. And once you get hold of them, you can print out a copy so you know exactly what benefits await for you when you become a member.

Casinos usually have a very long list of games. If you are a fan of any particular game, then they will also provide you with that option as well. In that case, you will never have to search for the casino’s website to play your favorite slot machine or table game ever again.

In some cases, casinos may offer special VIP packages to their players. If you are truly interested in the game and your passion towards it is strong, then you can think about buying that package. You will get huge discounts on packages like these if they are bought by members of the VIP program.

It is an excellent way to enhance your playing experience while making some money along the way, so consider getting yourself a VIP program and start playing.

Free Chips

Free chips with every purchase is also an amazing feature that not many online casinos can provide. So if you’re looking for a site that wants to ensure all their players, regardless of how much they spend, receive $50 no deposit bonus  then learn more about All Slots Casino . Their popular welcome package is just the first step to an excellent gaming experience at their site.

A lot of us want to play casino games online but we don’t know how. When we do finally get into playing and having fun, it’s fun and exciting at first, but then the same thing keeps happening over and over again with those bonus rounds and those cash prizes aren’t as easy as they seem. So you keep losing. This is why it’s important to find ways to increase your chances of winning, and one way of doing that is through welcome bonuses for online casino free chips.

 

First, let me ask you this question: What are welcome bonuses? A welcome bonus is a promotion offered by the casino after you sign up with them which provides you with an extra free sum of money to play with. It’s usually called a “Free chip” bonus. Just so you know, welcome bonuses are also sometimes referred to as sign up bonuses or simply loyalty bonuses.

These online casino welcome bonus deals come in different forms but the most common one is to match your deposit by 100% or even more.

How to Get Online Casino Free Chips

It is important to know that in order to get your bonuses, you need to sign up and claim them; they won’t send themselves. Just like with any online free offers or giveaways, they require a bit of leg work on your part. Don’t worry though because I will show you how to get online casino free chips.

  • First of all, you want to make sure that the casino you are playing at has these special welcome bonuses available because not every online casino offers them. The first place I would look is at their FAQ page. If the answer is not there then try calling customer support and ask if they have it or not.
  • The next thing you should do is find a casino that offers this promotion. The best way to do this is by word of mouth or via an online search engine because you don’t want to limit yourself to just one place. You can either ask your friends that play or just type it into Google and see what comes up first.
  • Finally, once you select a casino that has this type of promotion, you need to sign up and make your first minimum deposit (most online casinos will match 100% of your deposit). When you do this, the casino will give you the free chip bonus right away.

Now what you want to do with these welcome bonuses is play smart and bet small. Remember, this extra free money is not meant to help you get ahead. It should only be used to play with while you are learning the ropes and getting a better feel for how things work. Once you have that down then start playing with real money because that’s when these bonuses are really going to start paying off.

How to Get Casino VIP Program

First of all, you need to find a good online casino that has an attractive VIP program. The best way to do this is by using casino review websites that provide information about the presence or absence of online casino VIP programs in the reviewed casinos. Secondly, read detailed reviews and forums on a chosen site in order to make sure that it is safe to play there. Another sign of a good online casino is usually generous bonuses and promotions provided to new players. You can also check whether your preferred site has the most secure e-payment options that would allow you to deposit and withdraw funds with ease and convenience.

Thirdly, stay clear of online casinos that promise you a lot of money and offer no bonuses or promotions like this “we will give you $50,000 to start playing with!”. Well, these sites usually come with big promises and all it takes is for you to make one deposit. Therefore, stay away from such online casinos as they may only take your money and leave you with nothing. Lastly, be patient because it may take some time to reach the VIP level. To become a VIP customer, you will need to play at the casino for a long period of time and meet specific requirements set by the online casino. Once all these steps are taken care of, you can start expecting benefits as an online casino’s player.

As you can see, the whole procedure is not complicated at all and it will be quite beneficial for you in case you follow these instructions. A great online casino with good customer support is usually ready to help newbies find their way around a VIP program so don’t hesitate to ask if something unclear arises.

The Arcade Industry Will Never Die – Here’s Why

The golden age of arcade games may have been more than thirty years ago, but the legacy of the classic titles still lives on to this day. Fewer gamers may hang out in arcade halls these days, but the simplistic titles from those clunky machines can still be found on modern platforms. In addition, there’s still a huge market for these pick-up-and-play style offerings, and it feels like there will always be a place for arcade games in the entertainment industry.

Arcade Style Games Live on in Slots Market

One of the best places to gauge the popularity of a certain genre of game is the online slots market, where it’s easy to spot trends based on the games listed. Because so many people log on to pages like the online casino at Paddy Power Games, developers need to do their best to make their games appeal to different demographics. One of the most striking games right now is Wild Arcade, a title from Red Tiger that instantly evokes feelings of nostalgia for the early days of gaming. This will undoubtedly appeal to older gamers who played the arcade games in the ’80s. It will also allure modern players who first connected with the arcade industry online, as it has contemporary elements as well. 

Slot games were prevalent alongside arcade machines, as they became electronic in the 1980s. The straightforward nature of both genres makes it easy to transition between the two, and it’s no surprise that there’s still a strong connection to this day.

The Games Have Evolved Alongside Technology

The emergence and surge of the home console industry ended the golden age of arcades, and by the mid-1990s, there was a much heavier focus on single-player experiences designed to be played on television screens. Still, this didn’t lead to the arcade industry disappearing, the games just took on a new form. Developers adapted to the emerging console industry and found ways to get these games to players on these devices. 

Arcade titles have had their biggest resurgence on the Internet, where players are often in search of simplistic games that don’t require too much investment. The games have proven to be perfect for mobile as well, which led to the inception of Apple Arcade and Netflix Games.

It has become clear in recent years that players want variety in their games, and arcade titles are able to offer this. There is likely to be a greater influx of services like Apple Arcade in the future, as they give players a chance to experience a wide range of different games for a low monthly subscription fee.

Arcade Games Will Have a Place in the Metaverse

There’s a strong chance that arcade games will have a place in the metaverse, and these future offerings may even represent the machines that were once found in arcade halls – in virtual form, that is.

 

Ernest Cline’s novel, Ready Player One, provides the best example of how the metaverse could look, and arcade games are still alive and well within it. Indeed, a key part of the story involves the protagonist playing a perfect game of Pac-Man.

It seems fair to say that as long as there is gaming, there will be arcade-style offerings. The genre has been so adaptable so far, and it will continue to evolve alongside technology.