Hasta La Motion!

Four media measurement bodies- BARC (India), Médiamétrie (France), Numeris (Canada) and Video Research (Japan) has collaborated to align audience measurement operational processes and technical standards across the globe through Global Alliance for the Measurement of Media Audiences (GAMMA). This is to chart a course for the future of video audience measurement.

BARC India CEO Partho Dasgupta

“Audience measurement across the world needs to constantly innovate to keep pace with emerging trends. We at BARC India have always been open to learning from our global counterparts and this international alliance offers a tremendous platform to not only learn from our peers, but also to contribute,” said BARC India CEO Partho Dasgupta.

Audience measurement systems worldwide have been evolving to meet the emerging needs of the industry. Rapid advancements in technology are re-shaping both the distribution as well as the consumption of content. These changes are not only country-specific, but have a global impact, given the true nature of digital media.

Numeris president & CEO Neil McEneaney commented, “This global body will help us leverage knowledge, innovation and audience measurement expertise as a result of more effective discussions with key international players. We are confident that this alliance will be a significant conduit in gaining stronger cooperation towards more consistent, transparent, standardised and interoperable audience measurement.”

This initiative includes the development of common technical standards and operational processes in order to benefit the existing currency services each member operates. This in their respective market, through their current organisation and measurement partners. The four founding nations collectively account for a total population of more than 1.5 billion and represent a combined advertising spend of U$D 78 billion (15 per cent of the worldwide total).

Veteran audience measurement executive Brad Bedford has been appointed as the global managing director of GAMMA. He noted, “There is an ever-increasing demand for cross device measurement internationally and the partnering of these audience measurement companies seeks to facilitate continued movement in that direction. I am truly honoured to represent this effort on a global scale. We are confident GAMMA will be a source of great knowledge sharing and continued learning for the industry.”

GAMMA aims to leverage the collective knowledge and sector expertise of each member to advance audience measurement solutions worldwide. Through closer cooperation, the participants intend to identify strategies and solutions that are more transparent and standardized. This will ensure greater efficiency, consistency and scope for audience measurement providers and their partners from this point forward.

“As in every other field, audience measurement needs to cater to changing media behaviors. Partnering with Television, Internet and Radio professionals for decades has allowed Mediametrie to develop unique technological and methodological expertise in audience measurement. We’re pleased to share these achievements with our colleagues, via this new alliance, to further accelerate innovation within the industry,” mentioned Médiamétrie chairman and CEO Bruno Chetaille.

Video Research president & CEO Yuzuru Kato added on the similar line, “While each market behaves differently and has unique challenges, the single issue common to all audience measurement providers today is the ability to capture complete viewership, irrespective of screen. Innovation and collaboration remain the primary criteria and this expanded global relationship provides a major step towards that end.”  

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The first trailer for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker has gotten a bit of update since it debuted last month. A new video has surfaced on the internet that created a shot-for-shot remake of the trailer in 16-bit fashion.

The final version looks pretty slick right from the way Luke Skywalker narrates pops up as title cards to the detailed recreation of some of the iconic moments of the original trailer. In addition to that, the old skool retro style that Emperor Palpatine laughs makes it all the more classic.

Although to film is fronting as the final chapter of the Skywalker Saga, the details are fairly limited about The Rise of Skywalker in the trailer.

“The movie doesn’t pick up immediately after the last film,” director JJ Abrams shared last month in an interview with comicbook.com. “Some time has passed. This movie is an adventure the group goes on together. One of the great things about getting to work on the movie is the dynamic between all of the characters. They’re amazing together, and it’s something I’m excited for you all to see,” Abrams added in the same interview.

The Rise of Skywalker is set to have Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega), Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran), Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson), Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo), Maz Kanata (Lupita Nyong’o), Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams) and Lieutenant Connix (Billie Lourd).

The film will be directed by J.J. Abrams. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will beam into the theatres on December 20th.

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Games2win India a  publisher of casual mobile games has announced the launch of its REPLAY Gaming Fund that is targeted at gaming startups and entrepreneurs.

 Why Replay Gaming Fund?

Games2win CEO and co-founder Alok Kejriwal, explains, “Over the past decade of creating and publishing mobile games, we have realised that most gaming start-ups and their entrepreneurs encounter four major problems that overwhelm and often defeat them. The first: most games planned on paper don’t come out the same way, in addition to several delays and cost overruns. Second: after a game is published, it is not received by the market and consumers in the way the entrepreneurs anticipated. Third: making a mobile game successful is very complex today. Game design, analytics, app store optimisation and many other factors take a long time to master. The lack of this knowledge can cripple new game launches. Fourth: due to lack of funds, the start-up has a very short, often incomplete runway to attempt its second and third game, and succeed. We want to address these specific issues and hence our Replay Gaming Fund.”

 From a start-up’s point of view, there are many advantages. They receive funding for their next game, do not have to sacrifice equity and they gain invaluable insights from Games2win. This project-based funding extends its longevity runway and generates cash from the title’s success.

“The concept is unique. We will invite gaming start-ups to seek funding from us to launch their next title, get mentored and aggressively marketed by our network. Given that we have more than 230 million downloads and over 1 million daily active users, we can easily funnel our players to new games that we strongly believe in. To make it frictionless, we have eliminated the need to take equity in the start-ups we fund. All we will do is fund the game, mentor its development, publish it on our network and share the revenue with the developer. After that, the start-up can carry on with its next title without our intervention. In short, we want to help gaming start-ups and entrepreneurs hit ‘Replay’ without delay,” he added.

 Games2win wants to encourage gaming start-ups in India. Gaming is a vertical that does not get easily funded by venture capital, which leads to a deficit of talent in a business that is otherwise booming globally. Replay allows partnerships with the best game creators and inventors.

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Rockstar Games have announced on their official blog post that the beta version of Red Dead Online has now come to an end with a massive update on the game.

The blog post reveals “Red Dead Online brings a host of new gameplay including new cooperative story missions, free roam activities and the addition of Poker alongside a range of updates and improvements that strengthen and stabilise the foundational world of the Red Dead Online experience.”

The company has thanked all the players who participated during the beta period and has shared feedback. This has helped the brand to fine tune the game further, with that Rockstar Games has also open gates for the users to share feedback on ‘live service’ which Rockstar Games will implement in future updates.

“The future of Red Dead Online not only includes continued improvements to the core elements of the world to make every aspect of the game fun for all kinds of players but also brand-new experiences that establish a deeper, more immersive connection to the world and your character” expressed the official post.

What exactly the updates look like?

Starting this summer, Red Dead Online players will be able to take on the first three of a series of new roles: track down wanted criminals as a bounty hunter; search the world for treasure, and other exotic items to sell as a collector; or build a business at camp as a trader and more.

Each new role will come with a range of unique gameplay along with a host of new outfits, weapons and other rewards to earn. Players will have the option to focus on a specific role to advance quickly and unlock each role’s unique attributes, or simultaneously progress across multiple roles as you play naturally to create your own unique character and path through the frontier.  Apart from that, there are plenty more :

New Co-op Missions

Rockstar Games has incorporated new missions where Jessica LeClerk revenge saga continues for both honourable and dishonourable players in a Land of Opportunities. After the epic showdown in Fort Mercer that concluded the last series of missions, players will help Mrs. LeClerk to get closer to the truth behind the murder of her husband. In the more honourable Gunslinger path, battle the Del Lobos gang and help Marshall Tom Davies save Valentine – and his own neck.

In the Outlaw strand, outwit lawmen to assist Samson Finch in highway robbery, and pull off a daring high-stakes theft at the Saint-Denis Bank. Both paths lead to a rendezvous in Blackwater with a dangerous adversary.

Free roam missions

Free Roam Missions also expand with new characters from the story of Red Dead Redemption 2 and a variety of new and diverse mission types. Players can bring their Posse to meet with Thomas the Skiff Captain down in Bayou Nwa for some honest work or visit the disconcertingly hospitable Aberdeen Pig Farmers to get players to hand extremely dirty and to more characters will be introduced soon.

Poker

Players can visit poker tables at towns and outposts across the map to challenge their friends to a private, invite-only game of Hold ’Em. Or, raise the stakes and take a seat at a public table, where the buy-ins and rewards are even higher. All poker tables seat up to six players, available in five locations: Blackwater, Saint-Denis, Tumbleweed, Valentine and Flat neck Station.

Lemat Revolver, clothing and more         

The players get the opportunity to switch between rapid-fire bullets and a devastating shotgun shell on the fly with the lemat revolver – which is available for purchase from the Wheeler, Rawson and co. catalogue.

Plus tons more, including new offensive and defensive playing styles and significant changes to improve the overall gameplay experience. All players who jump into Red Dead Online this week will get a gift of 15 gold bars and see a 25 per cent increase of XP on “A Land of Opportunities”, Free Roam Missions, Showdown Modes, Races and Free Roam Events. Treasure hunters will also find 25 per cent extra cash and gold in chests containing them. All Ultimate Edition owners will also get a gift of RDO$100 and the Throat Slit emote for free.

With the foundation of Red Dead Online now established, future updates will offer new ways to fully inhabit one’s character as one progresses in multiple roles and carve out their own place on the frontier.

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