Hasta La Motion!

Knock Knock, a developer of frictionless games and technologies for a post-App Store world, announced thatt it closed $4 million in Series A financing, bringing total funding to $6 million since June of 2018. March Capital Partners led the round with participation from existing investors, including London Venture Partners, Raine Ventures, and Ludlow Ventures.

March Capital Partners managing director Gregory Milken, is also joining the board, bringing his deep gaming and consumer internet expertise to Knock Knock. Funding will be used to grow Knock Knock’s instant games portfolio, expand title availability to multiple new platforms including WeChat in China, and hire for development and UA roles in San Francisco and Toronto.

“Knock Knock is bringing innovation to the instant gaming market, creating experiences that integrate with social platforms where players spend the most time. Messaging apps have the highest engagement on smartphones, and it’s exciting to be involved with an early mover in the frictionless gaming market as it expands to Western markets, following the success seen in Asian markets. Knock Knock’s breadth of experience in the gaming industry has allowed them to create compelling games with depth that are currently lacking in the market,” said March Capital Partners managing director Gregory Milken.

Messaging platforms have more than five billion monthly active users worldwide, and its popularity is driving massive adoption of frictionless apps like instant games. The Knock Knock executive team is comprised of industry veterans from leading gaming companies such as Zynga, Jam City, Glu Mobile, and Gameloft who believe that frictionless gaming, powered by instant install, can create new ways to connect with friends and play games. With years of collective experience in social, online, mobile, and software development, Knock Knock is uniquely suited to drive the instant games market forward, building captivating, high-quality games and the platform for the future of social and frictionless gameplay.

“We founded Knock Knock around the core belief there was an underserved market for truly accessible games that allow people to connect instantly. As players continue to spend more and more time on chat platforms and social networks, we want to bring them new and exciting social gaming experiences.With the introduction of 5G and continued improvement of frictionless technologies, App Stores will be an inferior customer and business experience. I believe the future of gaming will feel more like a social network where you can easily engage with friends to play, chat, and share with the lowest barrier to entry,” said , Cof Knock Knock. co-founder Andrew Friday.

Since the company’s inception in 2018, Knock Knock has launched two titles on the Facebook Instant Games platform, receiving over 5 million organic and viral installs. Their third title will be launching on multiple platforms this year, including WeChat’s Mini-Games and Facebook’s Instant Games.

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Of late PUBG Mobile game has been blamed for all recent mishaps, be it unable to score decent marks in the board exams or be it accidental deaths. The reason for which the game has been blamed for is first the popularity of the game, second its engaging gameplay pattern and third accessibility. With the recent launch of PUBG Mobile Lite which is a lighter version of the main PUBG Mobile game, players can access the game with minimum system requirements.  As gaming technology for PUBG Mobile is pushed ahead with Lite, it has emanated with a new incident in India that seems to blame PUBG for a Hyderabad teenage second-year bachelors’ student who suffered a stroke. People believe that the quest to win the chicken dinner is taking a serious toll on the health of PUBG players.

The teen was subsequently admitted to the hospital where he has now made a recovery. Apparently the doctor blamed his excessive playing of PUBG as the reason for the stroke of the 19-year-old. The second-year bachelors’ student was rushed to the ICU on the weekend when he complained about not being able to move his right arm and leg. The doctors concluded that the cause of this was a brain stroke. This was due to the development of multiple blood clots (thrombi) in the brain of the Hyderabad teen.

PUBG and PUBG Mobile have been at the center of controversy not just in India but internationally as well. Numerous incidents with the game have portrayed it in poor light. Parents and others in India have even asked for a ban on the game. Despite its growing popularity, the battle-royale game has been banned at a few places. Countries like Nepal, Iraq have banned the game, while parents in UAE continue to demand a ban. The Indian state of Gujarat briefly banned PUBG Mobile last year. But the ban has since been lifted.

While this teenager has now recovered and been discharged from the hospital, he is yet another victim on a long list of people growing mindlessly addicted to the game. In fact, an alarming number of young people are playing competitive killing games, that are leading to symptoms like headaches, vomiting, stiffness, listlessness and irritability. Psychologists even say that taking away these teenagers’ mobile phones to prevent them from playing PUBG has also lead to aggressive withdrawal symptoms, including reports of suicide. However, some studies, including one by Oxford University, found that playing such games can be cathartic and aren’t directly linked to a long-term tendency of anger or violence.

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The first edition of Ann Awards India’s largest full-scale animation awards, an initiative by AnimationXpress, has set the name in the ecosystem. The Ann Awards brought in an evening of joy, laughter, pride, emotions and recognition.

Here is the winner’s list:
Student Category
Awards Best student 2D film Candra-Sassa (Moon Rabbit) by IDC School of design
Student Awards  Best Student 3D film  The Last Stand – A War Film by Supinfocom Rubika

Programming Category
Best Channel Packaging YAY! = Playful by Sony Pictures Networks
Best preschool show MIGHTY LITTLE BHEEM – SPICY SURPRISE by Green Gold Animation
Best Promo Little Singham Chala London by Discovery Communications India
Best 2D animated series Little  Singham by Discovery Communications India
Best 3D animated series  ANDY PIRKI by AUM Animation Studios and Motu Patlu by Cosmos-Maya
Best Animation Digital Film Punyakoti by Puppetica Media
Best Animation Digital Series Kalari Kids- When Warriors Unite by GreenGold Animation
Best Animation Film Goopi Gawaiyaa Bagha Bajaiyaa (GGBB) by Paperboat Design studios
Best Animation Short Film Kite : a short film by Sagar Funde
Best Digital Channel Chotoonz by Toonz Animation India
Special Animation Programming (Non GEC)  So Shayari TV Today Network
Technical Category
Best Character Animation  Tik Tak Tail by Cosmos-Maya
Best Character Design Punyakoti by Puppetica Media
Best Director of animated TV series ANDY PIRKI by AUM Animation Studios
Best Editing in an animated series ANDY PIRKI by AUM Animation Studios.
Best Music Composer ANDY PIRKI by AUM Animation Studios
Best Screenplay Punyakoti by Puppetica Media
Best Special Effects Radha Krishna Vyomasura Promo by Ventana Studios
Best Title Song Rudra – Title Song by Viacom 18 Media (Nickelodeon)
Best Title Design Smoke (Web series) by Plexus
Best Voice Over Artist Punyakoti by Puppetica Media

MAM Category
Best Animated Brand Film Cadbury 5 Star – Frog Film by Paperboat
Best Digital Campaign for Animated Series Kung Fu Dhamaka: The Game by Gamitronics
Best Experiential marketing Little Singham Squad – School Contact Program 2018 by Discovery Communications India
Best Brand Collaboration with Animated Character Sony YAY! with PVR by Sony Pictures Networks Best Broadcasters Campaign Go Kicko Campaign    by Sony Pictures Networks

L&M Category
Best licensed and merchandised character Chhota Bheem Action Plush by Green Gold Animation
Best merchandised & licensed series The Jungle Book by DQ Entertainment International

Editor’s choice
Best Animation Short Film Daaduji – Sone se pehle brush karna by Viacom 18 Media Pvt Ltd (Nickelodeon)

Best Character Animation ANDY PIRKI by AUM Animation Studios

Best Regional Show  Bommiyum Thirukkuralum  by Sun TV Network

Outstanding Work Globally Technicolor India and Philm CGI

Digital Shorts Lapet Te Raho  by Sony Pictures Network India.

Personalities category
Best Indie Studio Tavrohi Animations

Animation Studio of the year Cosmos Maya

Animation Personality of the year Annu Sikka

Contribution to Indian Animation Ketan Mohan

Lifetime Achievement Award Ram Mohan

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