Former Playground Games Creative Director forms new AAA studio, Maverick Games
Mike Brown, who once was the Creative Director at Playground Games working on Forza Horizon 5 has created his own studio. Maverick Games is working on a premium AAA open-world game for consoles and PC. The studio also consists of other veterans from Playground Games, Tom Butcher, Matt Craven, content director Gareth Harwood and audio director Fraser Strachan. The Maverick Games team currently consists of only ten employees, but they look to add as much as 140 members to the staff. This was all revealed from an interview with Gameindustry.biz. “[In 2021] we shipped Forza Horizon 5, which was a thrill to work on,” Brown told GamesIndustry.biz. “As much as I had an amazing journey at Playground, I was asking myself, what’s next? Do I stick with this fun, good job? Or do I look for other opportunities? COO Harinder Sangha will be running the studio who is an award winning studio leader helping the formation of Sega Hardlight and Sumo Leamington. The goal for Mike Brown’s studio is to create games that will win many awards. It’s tough to say what type of game will be made from Maverick Games, but the expectation right now is a new type of racing game. All we know is that they are creating a AAA Open World game which can be a number of things. Are you excited to see what comes from Maverick Games? Source: Gameindustry.biz
A closer look at the technology behind online table games
Technology has progressed significantly over the past couple of decades, affecting various aspects of our lives and improving convenience. The casino industry has not been exempt from the technological gains the world has made. From an industry that was mainly dominated by brick-and-mortar casinos, the industry has quickly evolved, especially with the emergence of online casino games. These games, in their many variants, give us the casino gaming experience in the comfort of our homes. Some underlying technologies make this possible. Thus, in this article, we will be examining the technology behind online table games. Without further ado, let’s dive right in: Random Number Generator (RNG) Technology Have you ever been suspicious that table games you are playing at an online casino are rigged against you? Well, you are certainly not the first to have had that thought. Online casinos understand that people will only continue to bet on and play online table games if these games are made fair. This is why the Random Number Generator (RNG) technology is incorporated into games. RNG is a computer program that is designed to generate numbers randomly. To ensure total randomness, the technology creates vast sequences of numbers that don’t follow any pattern. Thus, at any point in time, a number or group of numbers can be selected from the sequence. This technology determines the aspect of online table games that would have been up to chance in a physical casino. For instance, when playing online roulette, RNG determines where the ball will land on the wheel. RNG technology is also used to determine the hands dealt in card games like blackjack and poker. In essence, RNG technology ensures the casino has no underhanded advantage and that the player has a fair chance of winning the game. Online Payment Since many online table games usually involve betting real money, these games have to offer a safe and secure way to process online payments. To achieve this, online casinos adopt several internet-based payment solutions which enable a player to deposit and withdraw money at the click of a few buttons. To keep transactions secure, internet-payment providers and online casinos use Secure Socket Layer, a leading technology that keeps online transactions safe. An example of an internet-payment provider typically employed for online table games is PayPal. OCR Software Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology has become increasingly indispensable for live gaming – a niche of online table games that allows players online to play with real dealers in actual casinos. OCR is of great importance to making the gaming experience seamless. It is used to track the symbols and numbers on cards as well as the numbers on the roulette wheel. This way, relevant information that the online player will need is gathered instantaneously. Furthermore, with OCR technology, players can be relatively confident that there is no foul play going on, and the winners in a game are known almost immediately. 3D Animation 3D Animation is a critical technology for many games, and online table games are not exempt. This technology is used specifically to improve the realism of the games and provide a more immersive gaming experience. It is how an online blackjack table, for instance, is made to feel like a real blackjack table. Similarly, with 3D Animation technology, various motions, such as the cards being dealt to players or the ball rolling on the roulette wheel, are made to feel realistic. Final Thoughts Currently, anyone can decide to engage in a casino game, all with a stable internet connection and a smartphone. However, this simplicity and convenience is powered by various interesting technologies, as we have shown in this article.
