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The unstoppable growth of game developers
The Digital Age has brought impressive growth in numerous sectors, lifting those who embraced change and culling the ones who denied it. Chief among these was the video game industry that flourished under this new direction. Through massive console game blockbuster releases like God of War, casino gaming’s video slots that come with NetEnt Spins offers and mobile game hits like Candy Crush, the video game world has grown substantially over the years. With the obvious growth that has come and more importantly the rise in revenue that the industry boasts, game developers have grown in both size and talent ushering in a golden age for gaming.
But how did we get to this point and more importantly, what does the future hold for this unstoppable force?
The Past
From the start, game developers have had to contend with limited technology that could render images in real-time and at stable frame rates. This was all well and good for the simple outings like Pong and Space Invaders, but as the years rolled by and technology continued to improve, the hardware that developers worked with had to continuously improve as well. Luckily, the consistent increase in sales for video games, meant that producers and investors were keen to fork out more money for companies to create better hardware and for developers to create more ambitious games.
This ushered in a golden age for games, with developers taking world-building and story telling techniques to new heights to provide gamers with incredible experiences that they would remember for the rest of their lives. Improved technology allowed for bigger, more detailed game worlds for players to explore. Motion capture technology gave us more realistic acting performances. Through this medium you can see the snow landing on Arthur Morgan’s shoulders in Red Dead Redemption 2 and feel the anguish in Ellie’s eyes in The Last of Us Part II.
The whole system works in a cycle, sales generated from games fuel producers to splash more cash on new technology, which developers will push to new heights with great titles, which in turn attract even bigger sales figures with these successful, new releases.
The Future
The aforementioned cycle has gone on for eight generations, with the 9th generation just around the doorstep. But will this model continue to be followed in years to come?
Experts believe that the recipe is about to change quite drastically following this next generation. The goal here is to eliminate hardware completely from the player’s end and have gaming work as a subscription service that can be streamed at anytime and anywhere. This will change the way developers can use their tech.
By eliminating the bottleneck that consumer hardware creates, developers have a more open system with which to develop their new content (provided that the publishing companies backing them fork out the money). This will potentially revamp the industry as we know it and take things to the next level, where developers will have overcome one more hurdle in the quest to build the virtual world of their dreams.
Conclusion
Over the years, video game developers have done a brilliant job with adapting to technology, generation by generation to bring more engaging and immersive experiences to gamers everywhere. The growing demand has in turn fuelled the advancement of technology with which these experiences are built. This cycle has increasingly given us bigger and better content to play and with a major industry overhaul on the horizon, the future looks even brighter than ever.
Sports Movies: The Top 3 Comedy Films
Sports Movies: The Top 3 Comedy Films
The unpredictable nature of sports undoubtedly makes it the perfect vehicle for the Hollywood movie industry to work with.
If you throw some comedy into the mix you are likely to be onto a winner, particularly if the back story is one that audiences can identify with.
Betting firm Betway recently studied the sports movie genre and suggested that for a film to be great the viewer must be able to fully buy-in to what they are watching on screen.
With humour playing an important role in daily life it comes as no surprise to find that there are some truly memorable sports movies with a comedic twist. Here’s three of our favourites.
The Big Lebowski
This Coen Brothers classic is rated by IMDb.com as one of the most popular sports movies of all-time and it is easy to why.
The movie focuses on the exploits of Jeff Lebowski (Jeff Bridges), an unemployed layabout who is better known as ‘The Dude’.
He spends his days sipping White Russians and night-time at the bowling alley, while his mind spends most of its time reminiscing about Woodstock.
With John Goodman, Julianne Moore and Steve Buscemi amongst a superb supporting cast, The Big Lebowski is an absolute joy to behold.
Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
White Goodman (Ben Stiller), the founder of Globo Gym, is a fitness freak who wants to expand his empire by buying Average Joe’s Gymnasium.
Peter LaFleur (Vince Vaughn) doesn’t want to lose his gym to Goodman, but he needs to raise $50,000 to fend off the hostile takeover.
LaFleur and his pals decide to enter a dodgeball tournament, but Goodman hits back by forming his own team to try and scupper their chances.
With the help of dodgeball legend Patches O’Houlihan (Rip Torn), LaFleur’s team set about trying to save Average Joe’s. Will they succeed? Watch the movie to find out!
Slap Shot
Slap Shot was first released more than 40 years ago, but audiences and critics were not enamoured with the bawdy humour and violence contained in the movie.
However, it has since been acknowledged as one of the greatest sports movies ever made, with viewers finally wising up to how perfectly it encapsulated many aspects of the 1970s.
Starring Paul Newman as player/coach Reggie Dunlop, the film focuses on the trials and tribulations of the Charlestown Chiefs – a club in danger of going out of business.
Dunlop spices things up by signing the child-like Hanson Brothers – a trio of hockey goons who help to transform the team’s fortunes in hilarious fashion.
Posted: 1st, September 2020 | In: Online-PR, Sports | Comment
Summer and indoors sunglasses to keep the sun and people at the right distance
Sunglasses should only be worn indoors by professional gamblers, prisoners, Jack Nicholson, Z-listers who wants to be noticed, hungover international cricketers and anyone who understands the risk of being mistaken for Bono. Sunglasses make elderly women look like assassins and elderly men look shifty, especially if they’re wearing a dog collar and / or talking to children. This is how you wear glasses and look the business. It’s about style and need in harmony. And if you want to look sharp and not pay over-the-odds for shades, you can do so at our pals Smart Buy Sunglasses. They offer free shipping and 100-day returns.
Posted: 11th, August 2020 | In: Online-PR, The Consumer | Comment
What’s driving the European esports industry?
Esports has become a huge global industry, mostly due to the interest and opportunities it has taken advantage of in North America and Asia. Until recently, esports in these continents dwarfed what Europe had to offer, a continent which was yet to fully embrace esports. However, that is starting to change…
Below, we profile some of the most exciting things happening in the European esports industry as it seeks to become as successful in Europe as it has been in North America and Asia.
According to research from Netherlands-based esports research company Newzoo, Europe accounted for about 20% of the global esports audience in 2017, putting it up there with North America and Asia as the biggest esports markets. Newzoo has also compiled a breakdown of the top 10 revenue estimates per country for 2019, with the respective revenues of the countries reflecting the dominance of the continents they belong to. China (perhaps unsurprisingly with the planet’s largest population) generated the largest revenue ($36,540 million) which was closely followed by the USA ($35,510 million). Europe’s biggest market, by contrast, is Germany, which generated just $5,721 million.
Seeing the success and rapid pace of growth in North America and Asia has attracted many influential and ambitious people to the industry, such as investors Tej Kohli and Ian Livingstone. In order to support the industry, Kohli has launched a €50 million investment fund to amplify the industry to new heights, which will also benefit from the expertise and experience of Sam Cooke, the managing director and co-founder of Esports Insider.
Livingstone is part of new London-based VC firm Hiro Capital which has launched a €100 million fund to ‘back UK & European leaders in the games and esports industry’. Livingstone has a reputation as one of the most successful businessmen in the games industry already, being the former chairman of Eidos (publisher of Tomb Raider) and a successful angel investor in game developers Playdemic, Fusebox and Mediatonic.
In February 2020, the European Esports Federation (EEF) was launched, bringing together European organisations, teams and players and representing over 100 million gamers. Headquartered in Brussels, the EEF will bring together 23 national esports associations, including the UK, and three of the most important esports stakeholders – ESL, ESFORCE and Burson Cohn & Wolfe. During a two-day congress in February 2020, the EEF elected its first president, Germany’s Hans Jagnow, as well as the vice-president, board members and committees. The EEF will seek to promote positive values in the industry, such as sustainability, inclusivity and responsibility and provide a platform for their members (the national associations) to grow.
Esports’s rise has led to a number of new initiatives and activities allowing young people to get in on the action. A Virtual Reality Esports league for students has launched in Europe, which will allow students aged 13 and up, or alumni who have graduated within the previous three years, to participate in the Collegiate VR Esports League (CVRE). The CVRE was launched in 2018 by a group of American college students, who recognised the need for a league that catered to their particular needs. The student behind the CRVE, 21-year-old Manuel Bäuerle, has said that his motivation behind setting up the league is to push forward innovation and boundaries within VR, as well as offering opportunities to as many young people as possible.
This has also extended into British universities allowing opportunities for young people to study various things in the esports sector. Staffordshire University was the first to offer a university degree in the UK, with a course focused on the business and event management aspect of esports. On top of learning about the culture of esports and how to develop small and large-scale events, students will be able to benefit from Staffordshire’s ‘esports lab’ and ‘pro-gamer training facility’. Other universities have followed since, with the University of York, Teesside University and the University of Chichester all now offering esports-related courses, with more universities having announced plans to set similar things up in the future.
There are even dedicated, purpose-built esports arenas in Europe now which are rivalling the best in the world. Swedish organisation Space has started work on what will be Europe’s largest dedicated esports facility. The arena will be located in Stockholm, and will contain an 800-seat auditorium for hosting esports events, although the site will be predominantly used as a gaming “hub”. Included in the 7,500-square-metre site will be 500 ‘gaming stations’ which will be fitted with PCs consoles and VR gaming equipment, co-working spaces and music, video and podcast production facilities.
The stories mentioned above are just some examples of the many things happening in the European esports industry. The more the industry is invested into and the more people get involved, the more it can be expected to grow further – don’t be surprised to be hearing more about European esports in the near future.
What You Should Know About Corneal Blindness In 2020
Post Supplied by Harry Green:
Meta: How much do you really know about corneal blindness and how it is treated? Find out some interesting facts about this disease and efforts to cure it here.
Many people around the world are suffering from corneal blindness with corneal disease being noted as one of the top four causes of blindness. While many people end up going blind later in their life, corneal blindness actually affects the younger generation between 20 and 30 years old. This is not a fact that many people are aware of as corneal blindness is not exactly a hot topic.
With corneal blindness affecting so many people, we thought we would discuss some of the things that you should know about this disease in 2020 here in this article. Keep reading to find out more about this.
How It Is Diagnosed
If you are not familiar with corneal blindness, then you might not know how this is diagnosed. Typically, this involves reviewing the cornea in detail with a silt lamp microscope. A specialist will also measure the thickness of the cornea and the shape of it, amongst other things. This is a long process with many factors being considered. Typically, doctors will specialise in this sort of thing.
It Could Be Cured By 2030
Did you now that there are plans in place to completely cure corneal blindness worldwide by 2030? If you pay attention to Tej Kohli Philanthropy efforts, then you’ll know that the Tej Kohli Cornea Institute is on a mission to make this happen. With a $2 million donation going toward Massachusetts Eye and Ear in Boston from this foundation, this is a real possibility in the next ten years.
It Can Be Treated In Many Ways
While the cure for corneal blindness hasn’t quite been found yet by those attempting to make this happen, there are many ways to treat this disease. This will typically depend on the extent of the disease and the stage that the patient is at. Some common methods include surgical and medical treatment and management. Each treatment plan is carefully thought out in order to provide the best possible result.
It Affects A Lot Of Indian People
Finally, you should know just how large this problem is. In India alone, corneal blindness affects over 2 million people. Despite the large figures coming from around the world, you’ll find that this is actually the biggest treatable blindness in India. Many people have been treated as a result of extensive research but there are still many people in this country who could use a cure.
Final Thoughts
If you were not familiar with corneal blindness before reading this article, then you should now understand some of the basics. Many people are not aware of the serious problems that corneal blindness can cause, and this is why finding the cure is so important. Hopefully, with the help of some well-known philanthropists, the cure will be found by 2030. For now, continue to educate yourself on this disease and consider what you can do to help others that are suffering with it.
Common business crimes and how to void them
Most common types of business crimes and how to avoid them
Businesses can deal with a number of white-collar crimes that are non-violent but are committed for financial gains. Small businesses, as well as large ones, can be at risk and taking several preventive measures is key, along with having a general risk assessment and management plan. In this article, we highlight some of the most common types of business crimes and provide information on how to avoid them.
Fraud
Included here are a series of deceitful acts committed for the purpose of obtaining money from the victim. This is a broader category that includes insurance fraud or Ponzi schemes, however, we will be referring to business or corporate fraud. This occurs when a company issues false statements or produces false documents that are used to hide the losses or illegal transactions. Maintaining a good internal control policy, training your employees to avoid fraud and working with good accountants are methods of avoiding business fraud.
If companies are accused of having committed acts that can be categorized as business fraud, a team of experienced criminal law solicitors in London can help entrepreneurs with business crime representation, as required.
Embezzlement
The act of taking money from a corporation, this can be enacted by employees who can find a manner in which they can use business funds or assets for their personal gain. Knowing your employees, as well as supervising the inventory, purchase orders and cash receipts are manners in which this action can be prevented. When needed, employers can also install security measures.
Tax evasion
Failure to pay the due taxes results in tax evasion, which is subject to penalties, as per the local tax laws. Companies can avoid being accused of tax evasion by working with a professional accountant who will file the tax returns accordingly. Tax evasion is different from tax minimization, which can be accomplished by legally using available tax deductions.
Money laundering
Money laundering schemes target businesses to make illegally sourced money legitimate through a transaction performed with an unsuspecting company. Businesses can avoid this by not accepting payments from unreliable sources and by implementing an anti-money laundering strategy that can include no-cash policies on transactions above a certain amount.
Protecting your business is possible by implementing a set of strategies and preventive practices as well as being aware of the possible risks.
The bizarre world of the Twitch millionaires
Money for playing games?
When Metro ran a story earlier this year that gaming is now bigger than the movie and music industries combined, it caused more than a few raised eyebrows. However, if you thought that simply meant people are sitting in their living rooms playing FIFA or Fortnite instead of catching a movie or listening to their Neil Sedaka CDs, think again.
In short, there is more to the gaming sector than gaming – just as there is more to the sports sector than playing sport. The eSport phenomenon has brought about the concept of gaming as a spectator activity, and the live streaming channel Twitch provides the platform for gamers to perform for their fans, often for long hours every day.
$500,000 per month for playing Fortnite
The name Richard Blevins probably means very little to anyone, but this unassuming 27-year-old from the Chicago suburbs is the man behind Ninja, the most famous Twitch streamer on the planet. Ninja started streaming in 2011, playing a variety of games, but it is as a Fortnite streamer that his fame has skyrocketed. He has more than ten million followers on Twitch, plus 7.5 million on YouTube. Ninja earns more than $500,000 per month from his streams.
Anyone who knows a little about the world of competitive gaming might well find this surprising. Sure, Fortnite is phenomenally popular as a game, but has not taken off to any significant extent as an eSport. Ninja’s streaming success shows just how complex this area of the gaming sector is becoming. People are not just watching Ninja’s streams to see how a game pans out, they are following him in almost a literal sense, to pick up tips and, perhaps, to emulate his success. In many respects, Ninja’s success is no different to that of many other social media influencers.
Streaming success and failure
Ninja might be the best known, but he is only one of a growing number of Twitch millionaires. While most are famous for streaming games like Fortnite, Overwatch, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds and the like, the phenomenon is rapidly spreading to other areas of gaming. For example, playing casino online is immensely popular and is one area in which a little expert help could, literally, pay dividends. Little wonder, then, that casino streaming has become the latest growth sector on Twitch.
UK streamer Rocknrolla, for example, built a reputation as the biggest name in casino streaming on Twitch, with more than 20,000 subscribers. However, he also serves as an example of both the best and the worst of Twitch streaming.
Rocknrolla’s decision to run a 24-hour stream to raise money for charity was one he would ultimately regret. Having raised more than £16,000, everything went wrong in the final hours when an internet troll managed to get under his skin. The result? Rocknrolla lost his rag and his outburst led to a permanent ban on Twitch. Just like in the real world, living in the public eye in cyberspace can come at a cost.
The Advantages of Joining VIP Clubs
Joining VIP clubs can have several advantages including special offers that make enjoying your experience even more special. Most entertainment industries have a VIP club of some sort, as do many others.
Night Life
If gaining free access to some of the world’s best clubs with no queuing and access to the VIP area is your jam, The Worlds Finest Clubs is an example of how you can gain such advantages without being tied to one place. Membership gives you access to a concierge service, exclusive party invitations and a welcome surprise gift when you join. Even some cities do similar deals, worth checking out if you’re a regular on the town. If you have a regular spot, though, and it’s a chain, many offer a VIP club. They’re not the cheapest to join, but if you love to party, membership could save you a fortune.
Shopping
How would you like to be invited to exclusive previews of new ranges, to be the first to have your pick of special offers? These are available at many shopping outlets, Mallorca Fashion Outlet being just one of many. But that’s not all – there are other benefits, too, such as special day passes for member-only discounts. The great thing about this type of VIP club is that it does not usually cost anything to join: they just want your email address to be able to send you promotional material.
Online Casinos
You love playing online, but perhaps you’d enjoy it even more if you were a member of a VIP casino. Club Royale at Mr Green, for instance, has promotions and benefits to which only members have access. These include increased deposit limits, faster withdrawals, lower wager requirements, bespoke promotions and a personal account manager.
Sports
Most sporting events offer luxury to VIP members. In football, you can have access to the VIP lounge, watch the match from a VIP box, feast on delicious food as part of the experience and get to meet some of football’s greatest legends. VIP treatment at a football match comes with some price tag, but there’s an exclusive edge to watching great teams such as Barcelona and Manchester City play while being pampered, an experience you just don’t get watching from the terraces.
Entertainment
There are VIP clubs for entertainment all over the world. In Perth, Australia, the VIP Entertainment Club arranges for members to attend the opening nights of plays and movies, as well as the occasional chance of going to the media screenings. For some, being the first among their friends to see the latest film or play means a great deal and for just a small annual fee, the VIP club makes this possible. Very similarly, several UK cinema chains give you the chance to join as a VIP and extend your cinematic evening by first gaining access to a lounge.
Whether you have to pay or not, being a member of a VIP club entitles you to that special treatment we all crave deep down and, no matter what your interest, there’s surely a club for it.
Is Premier League sponsorship still a viable option?
Is Premier League sponsorship still a viable option? – Post Supplied.
Traditionally, sponsorship in sport has always been an attractive option for marketers. Over the years, sports have been able to accommodate near enough any type of brand or business; which is one of the many reasons why this type of marketing activity has been a favourite for many brands and businesses. So it will come as no surprise that with the resurgence of the English Premier League, there has been a huge amount of interest and money that have been associated with it.
The Premier League, the highest level of professional football in England is now considered by most to be the best known and most followed league in the world. This along with the fact that the league is projected to generate a huge 5.65 billion Euros in 2018/19, goes to show just why it is so expensive to either sponsor a Premier League team or even the league itself.
The massive worldwide viewing figures the Premier League attracts still makes it a very attractive sponsorship opportunity despite the cost, seeing an estimated 12 million people on average tune in worldwide to view each game. Many large organisations are still choosing to sponsor Premier league teams. For example, car manufacturer Chevrolet is spending approximately £53 million per year to sponsor Manchester United, while bank Standard Chartered have agreed a new deal with Liverpool worth £40 million a year, both of whom are included in the £300 million that is realised in sponsorship revenues by the top 6 clubs. However, it is not just the top clubs that are raking it in, but even struggling teams like Newcastle United are benefitting from very lucrative sponsorship deals. Currently, Mike Ashely’s club is with betting company Fun88, a deal that is valued at £6.5 million per year.
At the moment betting companies are dominating the shirt sponsorship of EPL teams, with 9 of the 20 Premier League teams featuring a betting company as the main sponsor on their shirt. This has been a relatively new trend, as 20 years ago shirt sponsorships were dominated by electronics companies, including Sanderson Electronics who actually sponsored two teams in the Premier League at the same time, Sheffield Wednesday and Southampton. The first club to feature the name of a betting company on their shirt was Fulham in 2002, when they were sponsored by Betfair.
The actual league used to have a main sponsor, that would be featured in the name, for example it has been previously Barclays Premier League, Barclaycard Premiership and before that the Carling Premiership. Now, the league has no sponsor which it is named after, however still has many big name sponsors. Coca Cola is now the official soft drink partner of the Premier League, joining other big name sponsors such as Tag Heuer, Cadbury, Nike, EA Sports and Barclays, who have now become the banking partner of choice for the league.
The kit sponsorships are also still dominated by major sporting brands. Adidas have the largest share of kits with 30% of Premier League clubs wearing an Adidas kit.
So it is clear by the presence of so many big brands associated with the Premier League and its teams, that it is definitely still an effective marketing strategy to get your brand out to a bigger audience. In spite of the substantial costs that are associated with this form of advertising, if a business can afford to do this, it is definitely worth it, as the audience for the Premier League is not going to drop anytime soon. This is why massive brands will continue to sponsor the Premier League, especially with the viewership not just limited to the UK, but also includes audiences from all over the world.
Premier League odds and views
With the Premier League proving to be as exciting as ever, the top teams of the competition are slowly but surely starting to show their faces. For punters, this is the perfect time to lock in the odds and maximise their profits when it comes to the finals. This has been a year of many stories, from team gossips to a few scandals here and there, but the games have remained as thrilling as ever.
Looking at the present points tally, Manchester City is on top. They remain undefeated with 13 wins and 2 draws and are listed at 2/9 odds to win the championship. If you still haven’t placed your bets, then do it now and make the most of the free bets and welcome bonuses that bookmakers give out. However, for a more spread out bet, make sure you look into Liverpool and Tottenham as they both are hot on the heels of Manchester City and quite ready to knock them off the top spot.
Golden Boot
When it comes to acknowledging the individual players, the Golden Boot of the Premier League is one of the top-most achievements anyone can have. Bettors can claim a number of free bets including up to £300 welcome bonus to enhance their winnings by placing bets on players like Pierre-Emerick and Harry Kane who are at 10 and 9 goals respectively at present. While Pierre is listed at 4/1 odds to walk away with the boot, Harry Kane remains a favourite with 9/4 odds. However, the magic of football is such that things can change in one game. So, it is essential to keep a watch on players like Sergio Aguero, Glenn Murray, and Callum Wilson who have scored 8 goals each so far.
What’s in the Future
There has been a growing trend of tweaking rules and procedures by FIFA in recent years. These new set of rules are having a dramatic impact on the way football is managed. The latest statement from the governing body hinted towards limiting the number of players on loans for clubs. This will undoubtedly affect a few clubs and their investments. Some of the other rules in question, but not finalised yet, include removing off-side and allowing only the captain of the team to speak with the referee if required. In the long run, if the loan rule comes into play, it will certainly add an exciting element for punters to bet on.
Bench Warmers
When the Premier League started, all that people could talk about was the growing tension between Mesut Ozil and his Arsenal manager Unai Emery. This was amplified when Ozil was left out of games, although officially it was stated that this was due to health issues. Now, we see a similar tension between Manchester United’s Jose Mourinho and team members Pogba and Lukaku. They both were benched for the majority of the game against Arsenal. An astute bettor will keep note of such things and also pay attention to the latest odds that place Arsenal at 80/1 and Manchester United at 500/1 to win the championship.
Posted: 24th, December 2018 | In: Online-PR, Sports | Comment
West Ham players pot the red and screw back
Image: Betway
Betway, sponsorss of the 2018 UK Snooker Championship, invited West Ham players Marko Arnautovic, Mark Noble, Robert Snodgrass and Javier Hernandez down to their local boozer for a coaching from former World Champions Steve Davies and John Parrott. A fame of ‘Crazy Snooker’ kicked off – that’s snooker with obstacles.
Loads bantz as the lads try to knock the ball up the Bendy Wendy, through the Helter Skelter, over the Water Wheel, on the Runaway Train and avoid the Trap Door:
Spotter: Betway
Premier League – News, Views, Teams, and Players
Premier League – News, Views, Teams, and Players.
With the Premier League proving to be as exciting as ever, the top teams of the competition are slowly but surely starting to show their faces. For punters, this is the perfect time to lock in the odds and maximise their profits when it comes to the finals. This has been a year of many stories, from team gossips to a few scandals here and there, but the games have remained as thrilling as ever.
Looking at the present points tally, Manchester City is on top. They remain undefeated with 13 wins and 2 draws and are listed at 2/9 odds to win the championship. If you still haven’t placed your bets, then do it now and make the most of the free bets and welcome bonuses that bookmakers give out. However, for a more spread out bet, make sure you look into Liverpool and Tottenham as they both are hot on the heels of Manchester City and quite ready to knock them off the top spot.
Golden Boot
When it comes to acknowledging the individual players, the Golden Boot of the Premier League is one of the top-most achievements anyone can have. Bettors can claim a number of free bets including up to £300 welcome bonus to enhance their winnings by placing bets on players like Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Harry Kane who are at 10 and 9 goals respectively at present. While Pierre is listed at 4/1 odds to walk away with the boot, Harry Kane remains a favourite with 9/4 odds. However, the magic of football is such that things can change in one game. So, it is essential to keep a watch on players like Sergio Aguero, Glenn Murray, and Callum Wilson who have scored 8 goals each so far.
What’s in the Future
There has been a growing trend of tweaking rules and procedures by FIFA in recent years. These new set of rules are having a dramatic impact on the way football is managed. The latest statement from the governing body hinted towards limiting the number of players on loans for clubs. This will undoubtedly affect a few clubs and their investments. Some of the other rules in question, but not finalised yet, include removing off-side and allowing only the captain of the team to speak with the referee if required. In the long run, if the loan rule comes into play, it will certainly add an exciting element for punters to bet on.
Bench Warmers
When the Premier League started, all that people could talk about was the growing tension between Mesut Ozil and his Arsenal manager Unai Emery. This was amplified when Ozil was left out of games, although officially it was stated that this was due to health issues. Now, we see a similar tension between Manchester United’s Jose Mourinho and team members Pogba and Lukaku. They both were benched for the majority of the game against Arsenal. An astute bettor will keep note of such things and also pay attention to the latest odds that place Arsenal at 80/1 and Manchester United at 500/1 to win the championship.
The commercial impact of the World Cup
The commercial impact of the World Cup
It’s safe to day that the World Cup is one of the greatest shows on earth. With a global audience measured in the billions rather than millions, almost half of the planet has tuned into this years’ competition, and records have been set in countries like England, where over 23 million (not including those in pubs and fans zones) tuned in to their quarter final appearance against Sweden. With so many eyes on the pitch, the opportunity for businesses to share their message with a ridiculous number of people at once has turned the World Cup into a highly commercial affair.
From the pitch-side hoardings to the adverts that run during the half time break, international football’s biggest tournament becomes something of a circus for advertisers. It’s estimated that an additional $2.4 billion is added to the global advertising market thanks to the World Cup, and brands in England can expect to pay as high as £500,000 for a 30 second spot should the English national team make it to the final. Then there’s the official tie ins, including official beer, official TV set, and even official chocolate bar. Even brands that aren’t associated with FIFA (or indeed football) tend to jump on the World Cup bandwagon too, using the tournament to get some publicity and exposure.
One of the largest advertising deals of the World Cup has come from InBev, the company behind beer brand Budweiser. The ubiquitous ‘Light up the World Cup’ campaign has seen Budweiser become the most exposed beer of the tournament, and when news emerged of the massive spending associated with the World Cup campaign, share prices rose by a staggering 2.1%.
Football-mad consumers may be allowing non-football organisations to boost profits, but for companies who make money out of football year-round, the World Cup can be something of a cornerstone. Sports betting companies can see some of their biggest profits as both regulars and new customers look to try and make some cash from their predictions, and the number of betting adverts tends to rocket in countries with developed gambling industries. It’s not just sports betting where opportunities arise either, and other parts of the gambling world can take advantage of such a huge demographic. Take slots games for example, for a gambling company to feature a slot game on their site that revolves around football at this time of year is an easy way to drive traffic to the website, with football fans potentially enticed by the opportunity to play a fun new game that has a theme to match their interests. The Champion’s Goal online slots game at sites like Roseslots.com does precisely this, there are plenty of unique features that capture the interest of football fans, as well as those that don’t know much about the game. Players can get involved from as little as 20p and wager a maximum of £100, this is the beauty of online slots, they cater for a wide range of people and budgets. Jumping on the bandwagon in this way can be a hugely successful business technique, and one that can only be admired.
In domestic football tournaments, kit sponsors often dominate player’s clothing, but it’s the kit manufacturers who can cash in at the World Cup, with no other advertising allowed on both home and change shirts. This means big money for national teams, with kit brands paying big money for the chance to have their equipment shown off during games. Nigeria may have stolen the limelight with their best-selling kit from Nike, but France were the biggest winners, with the team walking away with a gigantic $54 million this year from their Nike deal.
Players are also the big winners at each World Cup. The opportunity for businesses that come from associating their product to a sporting superstar rocket during the tournament, especially if the particular players manage to go far in the tournament. From former England goalkeeper Joe Hart advertising shampoo to Lionel Messi drinking a deeply unhealthy Pepsi after a game of freestyle soccer, the opportunity to cash in is massive for bigger names. It’s no surprise that Messi is one of the highest paid players at the tournament, and his share of Argentina’s £5.04 million collective team salary will certainly top up the bonuses he’ll receive for advertising during his short time at this years’ tournament.
For the host nation Russia, the World Cup has been seen as a great opportunity to boost the country’s economy. With millions of fans flocking to stadiums and fan zones all over the country and of course hundreds of thousands of international fans paying to see their teams play, the opportunity for improved tourism is of course a valuable income stream. But what about the legacy once the football has finished?
Russia has spent an estimated $11 billion (a 6th of their 2016 defence budget) on preparations for the World Cup, which includes several new stadia and infrastructure, but whether this new hardware is enough to create a long-lasting economic effect remains to be seen. After Brazil hosted the tournament in 2014, sad images appeared of the shiny new Maracana stadium in a state of disrepair, with not enough money remaining to maintain the little-used World Cup arenas. With Russia’s economy not exactly in the strongest place right now and 70% of the $11 billion budget coming from public spending, we may end up seeing a World Cup which actually has a negative effect on the economy.
The biggest winners at the World Cup however are FIFA. The tournament organisers may have been through a (still unresolved) period of corruption, bribery and general controversies plagued by greed, but money is still the number one priority, with football more of an afterthought. With Western companies like Mastercard avoiding the toxic FIFA brand this year, Chinese companies have filled the gap (despite China not appearing at the World Cup), and a mammoth $6.1 billion is expected to line FIFA’s coffers by the time the tournament is over, even after the $400 million prize money has been dished out. Naturally, none of this goes back into grass roots football, begging the question of who is really benefitting from this vast sum of money.
With this years’ World Cup generating so much money, the World Cup is going to continue being just as much about the commercials as it is about the football. The World Cup adverts from the likes of Adidas have indeed become part of the fun, and advertising is now just part of the World Cup experience. It’s also easy to forget that domestic leagues are just as commercial, and with record-breaking Premier League TV rights of £3.5 billion this year plus hundreds of billions made by the clubs in it, the World Cup actually seems like a reasonable little tournament…
Cancerians win more awards than any other star sign
This infographic below shows winning trends for 236 celebrated individuals in film, music, sport and more. If you’re going to play online slots check out if the planets are aligned.
Betway looked at the star signs of winners of the world’s most prestigious awards in TV and film, music and sports, theatre and literature. Can a trend be found? Are Leos as successful as they think they are? Or are we living in the age of the crab?
Posted: 17th, July 2018 | In: Online-PR, Strange But True | Comment
What Does the Future of Online Gambling Have in Store?
What Does the Future of Online Gambling Have in Store?
Gambling online, especially casinos, are an increasingly established part of the UK gambling scene, and are attracting more people all the time. As the UK’s Gambling Commission reported in 2016, online gambling has eclipsed older forms like betting shops and the Lottery, generating £2.6 billion in revenue that year, a figure which has only grown since.
From figures like that, it would seem that the UK’s online casino sector is flourishing, but what does the future actually hold, and what can customers expect when they sign up to gamble online in the next few years? Much will happen the over next decade, that’s for sure!
Much due to that the UK market is getting crowded, and new gambling operators will have to bring something new to the table to be able to reach out. There are several promising fine tech start-ups with the vision to change the future of online gambling. The company dreamz.com launched a new dynamic and personalised casino platform, that for sure will be interesting to follow. PlayOJO.com went another way and focused on the approach towards customers with transparency and fairness, instead of the fine tech enhancement. Some focus on new innovative bonus rewards. Others stick to the old concept, and the questions is if they will survive this tough start-up climate.
So, what can we expect to see in the future?
VR is going to become mainstream
At the moment, some sites allow members to play card games with video croupiers, creating an immersive atmosphere which comes pretty close to classic casinos. But this kind of experience is going to look old fashioned fairly quickly.
VR has been promising to reshape casinos for a while, but real changes are on the horizon. Expect online casinos to create virtual lobbies where players can access their favourite games, as well as VR card tables where you’ll be able to interact with your fellow players.
Support will also be enhanced, with VR-trained staff on hand to advise members about the games on offer, how to stay safe, and how to experience everything the casino has to offer.
Get ready for a currency revolution
The other major trend in online casinos is the steady advance of crypto-currencies as a means of payment. Currencies like Bitcoin are likely to be favoured by gamers because they allow an unprecedented degree of anonymity (particularly in jurisdictions where laws make gambling difficult).
Crypto-currencies are also aiding in the globalisation of online casinos. Because they can be converted anywhere in the world at very little cost, they allow casinos to operate almost anywhere. And with no banks acting as middlemen, the cost of processing gambling transactions should be lower.
The only drawback is the air of suspicion surrounding these currencies. However, in places like the UK, we can expect legislation to normalise the use of crypto-currencies, and their extension to online casinos seems inevitable.
That’s not everything, of course. As mobile phones become more powerful, players can expect faster, more feature-rich user interfaces, and slots which pack in incredible amounts of audio and visual content. It might not pan out like this, of course, but the future is exciting and casinos which capitalise on these trends will be the ones we hear about in 5 years time.
Music matters – setting the right environment for trading
Every year, there are more and more of us getting into Forex trading. No longer is it seen as beyond the reach of the hobby investor, the home worker or the student who wants to earn a little money on the side. Today, we have trading apps that are free to download, supported by trading tutorials that show us how to use them.
Is it really that easy? Of course it’s not, if it was, everyone would be doing it and driving Ferraris, and unfortunately, life just doesn’t work that way. The point is, there are lots of ways to make money trading, but in the currency market more than others, there is a real sense of yin and yang. When you make money trading, for example, GBP/USD, that means someone somewhere has lost money trading USD/GBP.
More than just the finance
The natural conclusion is that you need to make sure you are on the right side of the trade. That’s true enough, and it demands expertise. When anyone poses the question “How can I become a successful Forex trader?” The immediate answer they are likely to get is to put in long hours learning their trade, analysing the markets and understanding the various financial indicators and Forex tools they will need to use.
That’s certainly good advice, and you will not get far as a trader without doing so, but there is more to it than that. The currency markets are subject to such subtle changes, and can be influenced by so many variables, that sometimes you need what can only be defined as intuition in order to make the right calls at the right times.
You can have all the knowledge and training in the world, but if your mind is not in the right place, and you are not fully focussed on what you are doing, your profits will ultimately suffer, of that there is no doubt. So how can you channel your inner trader and optimise your performance? For a start, you need to be working in the right environment.
Music and mindset
If you are sitting on the sofa with a half eaten pizza at your side and Bloomberg running all day long on the tube, you probably feel as if you are cutting the right dash as a serious trader. You couldn’t be more wrong. For a start, the guys and girls on the screen will predominantly be saying the same old things over and over, and for another, you need to be focussed on what you are doing, not what some journalists and commentators are saying.
By all means get your fix first thing in the morning as you drink your coffee, and maybe again later in the day over that pizza, but otherwise, switch the TV off and get some music playing.
Now this is dangerous territory, as musical taste is a very personal thing, and what works well to focus one person can be the world’s biggest distraction and irritant to another. So with that caveat in mind, let’s find out what the researchers think.
Scientists over at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York spent months assessing the effects of music on our concentration, mental function, perception and satisfaction while working. Sadly, there is no detailed explanation of the research itself, but one can only assume that it subjected test groups to everything from Mozart to Motörhead and asked them to concentrate on complex tasks, which must have been a wonderful spectacle to witness.
They concluded that sounds of nature, such as chirping birds or running water proved to be the most beneficial according to all the test parameters, provided that the sounds were not looped or repetitive.
They also found that as a general trend, instrumental music was more conducive to focus and productivity than words. Intuitively this makes sense, as when we are hearing words, we will listen to and mentally process them. This confirmed previous findings by another team of researchers at an engineering college in Bangalore, who went so far as to conclude that music played at a tempo of 60 BPM was most conducive to relaxation, stress reduction and mental clarity.
Other considerations
Music is important, but is not the only environmental factor to consider. As a trader, you might think that all you need is your smartphone, so you can conduct your trading from anywhere, but this is never going to deliver the best results. The phone app is great for keeping an eye on things on the go, but when you need to seriously focus, a large screen and a traditional keyboard are the tools of choice.
Also, ensure you are in an environment that benefits from as much natural light as possible, and invest some money in a proper chair and desk. With these in place, you will have the optimum operating environment to be fully attuned to what you are doing and make the most of your innermost skills, as well as exercising the expertise you have picked up through those hours of study.
A Chinese clickfarmer at work on her apple iPhones
If you’re too busy to tweet yourself, you can outsource the task and others to the woman above. She’s a clickfamer installing apps on a screen of Apple iphones. The more installs an app has the higher it ranks on Apple’s marketplace.
For a $11,000 one-off payment – plus $65,000-a-week for upkeep – you too can ensure your crappy appy hits the Top 10 of free apps. You can hire a cheat / marketeer to game the system on China’s Taobao.
The original photo was tweeted on Weibo with the caption, “Hard-working App Store ranking manipulation employee.”
Apple tries to prevent PC-based iPhone emulation programs (bots) made for this purpose and bans apps that use them, so manual labor is the best way to ensure the closest simulation of actual users.
A search for “app store ranking manipulation” (刷榜 app store) on Taobao, China’s most popular C2C ecommerce site, reveals dozens upon dozens of vendors selling similar services. Their prices are listed as one yuan, but it’s more likely that the real negotiations take place through direct chat.
Can you hire out your iPhone for the day to do this? Asking for a friend.
Spotter: JWZ
Posted: 3rd, January 2017 | In: Online-PR, Technology, The Consumer | Comment
Sponsored Post: Ray Parlour and Amy Chiles play the Blackjack Strategy Guide
Blackjack is the most popular casino card game in the world because it’s fast, simple and you most likely first played it as a child. Like all games of chances, it’s odds-based. Before you play it’s vital to know these odds and how to use them. you might call it skill, but it’s just knowledge and recognising when to minimise risk. One good place to start is the Blackjack Strategy Guide at online casino 888.casino.
Helping to promote Blackjack are Ray Parlour, aka the Romford Pele, and pre-pregnant assisted-ginger Amy Chiles. Electrodes were placed on the seats of both players and one bad call resulted in the dealer pressing the buzzer and delivering shock therapy.
Parlour was cautious, as you’d expect from the former footballer whose first room-mate at Arsenal was Paul Merson. Parlour says they were “gambling every day”, but unlike his addict team-mate he never lost more than he could afford to. That’s a strategy everyone should adhere to.
Be an England team mascot with the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK
The Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK and online fundraising platform Givergy are offering you the chance to be an England team mascot for the World Cup qualifiers. England will play Malta, Spain and Scotland at Wembley stadium, and every player will be accompanied by a mascot.
Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK is a charity set up by Stephanie Moore MBE in memory of the World Cup winning captain. It raises money to help with research and treatment of bowel cancer.
To be in with a chance of becoming a mascot – you must be child aged 7-11 – enter here.
For more information visit www.bobbymoorefund.org
How to Stay on Top of your Finances this Christmas
How to Stay on Top of your Finances this Christmas
While Christmas is undoubtedly a fabulous time of year, it’s also an expensive one! Some people start planning and saving in January, let alone October, especially when they’re part of a large family with lots of gifts to buy and mouths to feed. It’s essential that, when the festive period comes around, you stay in control of what you spend and keep an eye on your finances so that you’re not suffering once it’s all done and dusted.
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Lily Allen’s Lost Baby Used To Market The Fertility Show: PR Hell
LILY Allen has lost her baby. Her bereavement is public property as celebs and tabloid media battle to show who cares the most on Twitter and in print. But they look noble compared to the Fertility Show’s PR team which see a marketing opportunity in a couple’s crisis:
“As Lily Allen announces her second miscarriage in just 3 years, ‘recurrent miscarriage’ is tackled by experts at this week’s Fertility Show.”
Nice. And what’s recurent miscarriage , then? Lily Allen has miscarried twice:
Recurrent miscarriage (ie when miscarriage occurs 3 or more times) is highly distressing…
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Teachers Use Nominative Determinism To Label A Child
PRESS Release of the day comes from a parenting club that tells us that 49% of teachers make assumptions about a child by their name. Yeah, only 49%. All that hard work endured by mum and dad as they try to name their bundle is not all that important.
Also, 57% of the teachers say the naughtier children, the Jacks and the Chardonnays, tend to be more popular with their peers than the Lionels, Hyacinths and Nevilles.
More than a third of teachers said the naughtiest pupils were often the brightest and the more sensitive; while two–thirds said they often were not.
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Posted: 8th, September 2009 | In: Online-PR, Reviews | Comments (4)
Poker Is Not A Sport Of Courage, Conviction And Confidence
ACCORDING to the Poker Stars advert poker “is a sport of courage, conviction and confidence.”
Yeah, poker is a sport. Who knew that those slobs sat round a table counting bits of plastic were sportsmen?
The Advertising Standards Authority sees the ad and begs to differ.
The ASA tells the poker operator to take the posters down, leaving us to wonder which bit of their claim was the most ludicrous?
Posted: 28th, September 2008 | In: Online-PR | Comments (9)
Spare Rib: German Butchers Say Eat More Women
SAYS the sign on the side of the butcher’s van: “Meat Products, Fresh Service”. The legend is illustrated by the image of a naked woman.
Germany’s national advertising council says the adverts by G&M Fleischwaren Frischdienst are degrading and anti-woman.
“Such an advert blatantly violates the council’s codes on discrimination and degradation in advertising,” says the council. “
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Posted: 13th, September 2008 | In: Online-PR, Strange But True | Comments (4)
