Samsung has been hard at work when it comes to enriching its Galaxy ecosystem. The company is now consolidating a few of its services under a new Samsung Wallet umbrella. The new Wallet service will not only allow users to pay digitally but will be able to store digital IDs and keys.
Samsung’s hallmark e-payment service has, so far, been SamsungPay. However, if you use a Galaxy device, you will undoubtedly realise that a service called Samsung Pass prompts you to save your passwords or, in some cases, pops up when you want to use fingerprint or other biometric authentications. These services are now being united into a single service called Samsung Wallet.
The platform will bring together all password and payment services into a single touch point. In addition, it will also enable users to store digital versions of their identifications in the app. Items like flight tickets, loyalty cards, membership cards and even digital car keys will also fall under the new Samsung Wallet umbrella. To date, cars like the Genesis GV60 and G90 as well as the Hyundai Palisade currently support Samsung Wallet. Korean Air is so far the only airline to support digital boarding passes via Samsung Wallet.
The digital wallet relies on Samsung’s Knox protection. This framework has been so successful at beefing up security on an Android device that Google has baked a few of its features into Android natively. According to Samsung, data is secure and only the user can access sensitive information directly.
Samsung Wallet has launched in seven countries. These countries are the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, France, Germany, Spain and South Korea. There is no word when the service will begin launching in other countries just yet. If Samsung Pay’s development was any indication, we should see the list of supported countries expanding towards the end of the year.
Since the launch of Samsung Wallet on June 17, there were reports that Samsung Pay had stopped working on non-galaxy devices. There were some Samsung Pay executives that noted that the move is intentional and that Samsung Pay will not work on non-galaxy devices. However, it looks like Samsung has reversed course on the issue and fixed the issue via a patch.
It seems like HTC may be coming back into the mobile markets albeit in a very limited way. The company only recently released a new HTC Desire smartphone. Now, it’s releasing a new tablet – the HTC A101 – in Russia and South Africa. The new tablet is rather mediocre on paper and comes with specifications comparable to the Samsung Galaxy A8 or the Nokia T20 Tablets.
The 10-inch tablet comes with a 10.1-inch MIPI In-Cell display with an FHD+ resolution of 1920×1200 pixels. It runs on the UNISOC T618 octa-core processor. The processor comes with two large A75 performance cores clocked at 2GHz and six smaller A55 power efficiency cores. This processor will be complemented by 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. It also has support for microSD cards allowing for some additional memory of up to 256GB.
On the camera side of things, it comes with a dual camera setup for its main camera. It has a 16-megapixel, f/2.2 sensor with autofocus. This is complemented by a 2-megapixel, fixed focus ultrawide sensor. The HTC A101’s main camera setup is completed with a single LED flash. On the front is a 5-megapixel, fixed focus sensor for selfies complete with Beauty Mode and AI Face Unlock.
The HTC A101 itself is a slim, relatively small one. It measures only 8.4mm in thickness and 241.5mm in length and 160.3mm wide. It comes with two physical buttons: a volume rocker and a power button. Under the hood, it’s powered by a 7,000mAh battery with support for 5V/2A charging via USB-C. It also comes with mobile connectivity supporting 4G LTE connectivity and Dual SIM with Dual Standby.
Pricing & Availability
The HTC A101 will be available in Russia and South Africa. It will come in Silver and Grey. For now, it looks like the tablet will be retailing as the HTC A100 in Russia for ₽22,490 (MYR1,799.50).
BARCELONA, Spain, July 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Omdia released the white paper: “The enduring value of IP + Optical” at the 2022 Next Generation Optical Networking (NGON) forum held in Barcelona, Spain.
The white paper offers analysis of “IP over WDM” and “IP+Optical”, states t IP over WDM was initially designed for one specific cloud service provider niche application. For communications service providers (CSPs)”IP+Optical” continues to be the more practical solution for CSP network, application and operational needs.
As stated in the white paper, the IP over WDM (IPoWDM) concept has been around for many years. Its fundamental premise has always been the ability to deploy transmission optics within routing platforms to delayer and simplify networks.
However, the hardware and software standardization of IPoWDM are work in progress industry initiatives and a significant integration effort is shifted from the vendors to the CSPs.
In contrast to the multi-variant architecture of IPoWDM, IP + Optical continues to demonstrate enduring value for the CSP community.
CSPs can continue to quickly leverage best-of-breed technology developments. Networks can be managed with existing skill sets and resources. Major advances in wavelength management continue, both in the core, at scale, and at the edge.
Meets CSP’s desire to maximize spectral efficiency and total system capacity.
Omdia believes that IP+optical synergy will bring enduring value to CSPs.
If you ask for a recommendation for a personal listening gear; some sort of earphones or headphones for general purposes, more often than not we will tell you to go for Sony. There is a good reason for that. They make decent listening gear for all kinds of purpose in all kinds of price range. More importantly, if you have the budget to spare, they make some of the best personal listening solutions in the market.
Sony is also the maker of the most successful gaming console series the world has seen thus far. Technically, they are one of the biggest names in the modern gaming industry. They make some of the best gaming gears in the industry too. But that is only limited to their PlayStation gaming platform.
Because they have been so focused on releasing gears for their console platform, the PC gamer race have been quite neglected and left wanting. They could get their hands on Sony’s high-end Wh-1000X over-ear platform, to be fair. They do not get the taste of what Sony can really do for their games though. That stops now with Sony’s INZONE peripherals.
INZONE H9 – Wireless Gaming Headset at its Best
We want to compare this INZONE H9 to the Sony WH-1000XM5, but we realised that it is a completely different beast. It is a pure wireless gaming headset, which also means the only way you are going to get it to work is with either Bluetooth or an included USB dongle. The USB dongle even has a switch for you to switch between PC and PS5, depending on where you use your H9 on. Of course, for the best experience, you want to use the dongle.
Either way (Bluetooth or Dongle), you get access to the INZONE Hub PC software that gives you control over the INZONE H9 headset. You can control its eq, its noise cancellation levels, and more. Speaking of noise cancellation technology, you can expect the best-in-class noise cancelling experience with Sony’s knowhow in making the best noise cancelling headphones in the industry.
The INZONE Hub on your PC also activates Sony’s brilliant 360 Spatial Sound to precisely recreate environmental sound of any game. It is really like a virtual 3D audio or surround sound experience for your games. That way, you can precisely tell where your enemies are in within the game too, as per intended in most competitive games today.
The Sony INZONE H9 is also designed to ensure that you get the best audio experience you can get in whatever conditions. Its diaphragms are designed with a unique shape to accurately re-produce high-frequency sounds. Alongside the unique diaphragm is also some cleverly placed and designed portings to ensure you get highly accurate and powerful low-frequency sounds as well. The headset’s design should put you right in the center of the action.
It is also designed with comfort in mind obviously. Its soft cushions used on the earcups, and the headband is made with long hours in mind. To ensure that you can game with the headphones on for hours on end, the earpads are also designed to minimise clamping pressure on your head, just to ensure that you can game even longer than before. The INZONE H9 can last up to 32 hours on a single charge, you would want to have comfort on your side. You can even charge it while its being in use, just so that you can continue gaming even when the battery gets low.
Of course, it is always nice to game with your friends, it is always nice to chat with your friends during a gaming session. In intense situations, communication with your teammates becomes more important than ever. The H9 comes with a built-in mic that should allow you to communicate with your teammates seamlessly and precisely.
INZONE H7 – Long Battery Life, Precise Placement, Still Wireless
The INZONE H7 is everything its more premium brother, the H9 is. There are some things missing though. It does not come with dongle, for example. With Bluetooth 5.0 though, latency should be kept at a minimum, not wireless dongle minimum still though.
It also does not pack noise cancelling technology. Still, the passive noise cancellation should be good enough with clever synthetic materials that seals your ear properly, as long as you place it correctly but soft enough for you to game with for extended periods. It is the same material you can find on the INZONE H9.
It features even longer battery life than the H9. The INZONE H7 boasts 40 hours in battery life, longer than any other headphones of its kind in the industry. You can credit its rather long battery life to the fact that it does not have noise cancelling.
Still, you get the same drivers the high-end H9 does. With INZONE Hub on your PC, you also have access to Sony’s clever 360 Reality Audio algorithm to make your games as immersive as they can be. It also features the same sort of porting from the H9 to ensure that you get the most accurate low-frequencies as possible on the headphones for more precise placements of your opponents and teammates in the game.
INZONE H3 – The Wired Option
If you prefer something more traditional, with the least latency possible, you want to game with a wired headphone. INZONE has that solution in the H3 as well. With a wired connection, battery life is not an issue as well. There are some things that you must give up though.
First, there is the cable management you might have to do. Other than the cable mess that you might have to think about, the H3 does not feature noise cancelling like the H9. Because the headphone relies on its cables to power the drivers, you cannot use it with most smartphones today unless you get a dongle.
Still, it is a rather powerful set of headphones though with a 40mm Neodynum drivers contained within the earcups, the same ones you can find on the H7 and the H9. While it does not look like it, there are some clever porting on the headphones to ensure that your low frequencies are perfectly and precisely produced.
It still works with INZONE Hub too. With INZONE Hub on your PC active, you get to experience Sony’s 360 Reality Audio at a fraction of the cost o the H9 and even the H7. Again, it is not a wireless headset, so it is as simple as it gets.
Price and Availabiliity
The All the INZONE headphones comes in white colour option. There are no other colour options for the headphones, because Playstation. The INZONE H9 will set you back MYR 1,299. The INZONE H7 that does not come with noise cancelling technoly will set you back MYR 1,099, while the most budget friendly option of them all, the INZONE H3 will set you back MYR 439. You can get your hands on one from any of Sony’s authorised retailers and concept stores nationwide. More information on the INZONE headphones can be found on their website.
When gaming consoles start pushing the boundaries of gaming with 120hz refresh rate at 4K resolutions, TVs have to get better. The latest-generation TVs made with gaming in mind have to keep up with the demands and now we see TVs with 120hz refresh rate. The thing is 4K 120hz is not a new thing in the world of high-end gaming. It is the standard in high-end PC gaming.
4K monitors are hardly popular, but they do exist. There is a good reason for that. PC monitors are usually optimised for a rather restrictive seating position. You are usually no more than 2 metres from your display. That means display sizes cannot exceed a certain size. With most gaming monitors from 24-inch to 38-inch, you do not get anything beyond Quad HD in resolution, because the differences with 4K is hardly noticeable or worth the fuss over.
At the same time, if you do have the gear to push gaming at 4K 144hz though, you would want something that can keep up. For that you get this one, a 42.5-inch behemoth of a gaming monitor that outputs at 4K resolution and at 144hz at its maximum. It is basically the dream of every hardcore gamer out there today,
You are paying quite a premium for it, at MYR 4,699. 4K 144hz is just a starting headline number for you. Delve deeper into the monitor and it really sings, or rather, displays wonders.
You get two HDMI 2.1 ports, for you to plug in two PCs, two next-generation consoles, or a combination of both. Both HDMI 2.1 allows you to take advantage of 4K 144hz or 120hz standards. Of course, your cable needs to be able to handle that much data going through it too, so you might want to consider splurging on a good set of cable.
The monitor also acts as a KVM USB hub with USB 2.0 and 3.0 ports, whis is rahter useful if you have multiple PCs set up with the 42.5-inch behemoth of a monitor. There is also a USB Type-C port that supports PD charging at 30W, which allows you to fast charge your smartphone.
On the business end, it has a display that pushes up to 1,000 nits of goodness into your eyes. The 1,000 nits’ brightness also gives it a DisplayHDR 1000 certification which also means that HDR images and videos should look rather good on the display. Additionally, colours should really pop as well with 90% DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage. At the same time, it is colour precise with Delta E<2.
Out the back, other than the ports, there is a mood RGB strip that you can synced with your music and other medias. There is also Acer ColorSense and LightSense technologies that allows the display to automatically adjust the colour temperature and brightness of the displayu according to the situation to protect your eyes. With ProxiSense, there is a proximity sensor that also detects the user’s presence in front of the display and dims the display to save power and to protect sensitive content from being displayed on the large format display.
Price and Availability
The Predator CG437KS is now available from Acer’s eStore and its online retail partners on Shopee and Lazada. You can get them from any of Acer’s authorised resellers too. As mentioned, it will set you back MYR 4,699. You can only get it in one colour option, black, as usual.
Samsung Malaysia has announced three new colours for their latest flagship – the Galaxy S22 Ultra. The S22 Ultra is already available in a splattering of colours including white, black, burgundy and green. Samsung’s latest additions to the lineup are Graphite, Red and Sky Blue. These colours will be available exclusively through Samsung’s own online store at Samsung.com. It will not be available in their official stores on LAZADA or Shopee.
These colours are just aesthetic choices which allow for a little more personability when it comes to choosing your own Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. Aside from that, they come with the same insides as the already available colours. The smartphone runs on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Mobile Compute Platform with up to 12GB of RAM and 512GB of onboard storage. It has a colour-accurate 6.8-inch, AMOLED 2X display with support for the latest and greatest S Pen.
Source: Samsung
The exclusive colours have one teeny difference from the currently available selection – they come with a black frame. The ones currently available have a little bit of customisation when it comes to the metal frame or trims. The black colour comes with black trim, the white comes with silver while burgundy and green have their respective colours. These combinations give the smartphone a more unibody feel. The black accent on the new colours allows the colours to pop more making them a tad bit more stylish.
Pricing & Availability
The new colours are not immediately available though. They are available, on pre-order, starting on July 4th 2022 until July 14th 2022. These new colours are also only available for the 12GB RAM with 256GB storage version of the S22 Ultra.
During the pre-order, purchases of the Galaxy S22 Ultra in these colours will be entitled to an eVoucher worth MYR800. This voucher can be used when buying select Samsung smartphones, wearables and accessories on the Samsung Online Store. You can also take advantage of an immediate rebate of MYR600 when you trade in your old device.
Xiaomi took to the stage to announce their new flagship series – the Xiaomi 12S series. The series has multiple entries and has the Xiaomi 12S Ultra as its centrepiece. The new flagship is the first device in what looks to be a long-term partnership with Leica when it comes to imaging and photography.
You’re Gonna Leica this – the Leica Summicron 1:1.9-4.1 / 13-120 ASPH. camera system
The Xiaomi 12S Ultra comes with the Leica Summicron 1:1.9-4.1 / 13-120 ASPH. camera system. Yep – that’s a mouthful. The new co-engineered system marries Leica’s camera technology with Xiaomi’s smartphone prowess. It’s a Triple sensor setup with the new, 1-inch Sony IMX989 sensor as the main sensor. The 50.3-megapixel sensor comes with Quad Bayer technology which promises better image capture in both low- and normal lighting and an aperture of f/1.9. It also comes with Octa-phase detection Autofocus which apparently allows it to focus faster. The main sensor is complemented by a 48-megapixel f/2.2 Sony IMX586 ultra-wide sensor and a 48-megapixel f/4.1 Sony IMX586 periscope sensor. These sensors also use Quad Bayer technology.
Source: Xiaomi
The main sensor uses an 8P Aspherical Lens. This helps reduce glares and also helps with imaging performance overall. All of the sensors have Pixel binning which increases the quality of the photos taken by the camera thanks to an even larger hybrid pixel size. Binning essentially creates larger pixels by combining four pixels in the sensor. The Xiaomi 12S Ultra also comes with HyperOIS technology and boasts even better image stabilization thanks to an innovative approach of taking the time between images (7ms) to stabilize and reset the sensor.
In addition to the hardware, Xiaomi and Leica have worked together in developing the software. The result? Two shooting modes that bring Leica’s signature elements into your smartphone. The “Leica Authentic Look” hearkens back to Leica’s signature aesthetic. It brings the vibrancy of true-to-life colours and the depth and emotion of Leica’s surrealism. The resulting photos are colourful or monochrome with a sense of depth. Xiaomi and Leica’s collaboration is more apparent with the “Leica Vibrant Look”. This look brings Xiaomi’s know-how with mobile cameras to Leica’s signature aesthetic. The resulting pictures are more vibrant and work to capture the feel of the moment.
Partnering with Adobe and Dolby
Keeping photography centerstage, Xiaomi and Leica have also worked with Adobe to enable RAW capture on the Xiaomi 12S Ultra. The RAW capture on the 12S Ultra allows you to capture your images in DNG format preserving all the image data so you can edit and manipulate the image on programs like Adobe Lightroom. Adobe Lightroom will come equipped with a special profile for the 12S Ultra which will allow it to show you the actual image captured without you tinkering. Lightroom will be able to load the profile automatically from the image metadata.
When it comes to video capture, the Xiaomi 12S Ultra is the first smartphone to come with the ability to capture Dolby Vision HDR video. This brings a wider colour depth to video than HDR10+, allowing you to impart more emotion and character to your video shots. It will also help with low light performance.
Still Powered by Cutting Edge Tech
While it may seem like the Xiaomi 12S Ultra is all about the camera, the series still comes packed with cutting-edge technology under the hood. The whole Xiaomi 12S series runs on the new Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 mobile platform which ups the performance of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 by nearly 10%. The new Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 is fabricated with TSMC’s new 4nm node which allows for better energy efficiency with a 21% smaller core and 10% boost in both CPU and GPU performance.
Source: Xiaomi
Xiaomi has also equipped the Xiaomi 12S series with a brand new cooling system which it touts as more efficient than currently available vapour cooling systems. The technology mimics the hydrostatic system of a leaf and its capillaries. This mimicry allows the system to dissipate heat more effectively and quicker than traditional vapour cooling systems. In fact, Xiaomi is touting a 100% better thermal conductivity.
The Xiaomi 12S series comes with a Samsung AMOLED display with 2K resolution. The panel comes with an E5 material which helps increase brightness. The display has a peak brightness of 1,500nits. On the 12S Ultra, the display comes with 1-120Hz AdaptiveSync Pro which allows it to hit 1Hz refresh rates when viewing text and 120Hz when gaming. The other regular 12S and the 12S Pro come with 120Hz AdaptiveSync. Across the board, the displays are calibrated with 100% coverage of the P3 colour gamut and support Dolby Vision.
Xiaomi 12S Pro Source: Xiaomi
The smartphones come equipped with Dual 5g connectivity with a 4×4 MIMO modem. They also support Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 with support for Qualcomm’s Snapdragon sound and aptX Adaptive.
The smartphones come with Xiaomi’s Surge G1 Battery Management chip and the Surge P1 fast-charging chips. These chips work in tandem to help preserve battery health while extending battery life and reducing charging time. The Xiaomi 12S Ultra comes with a 4,860 mAh single cell, silicon-oxygen anode battery which supports 16A output current. The Ultra supports 67W wired fast charging, 50W wireless fast charging and 10W reverse fast charging. The Pro sports a smaller 4,600mAh with support for 120W wired fast charging and 50W wireless fast charging. The regular 12S comes with an even smaller 4,500mAh battery which has support for 67W wired and 50W Wireless.
Pricing & Availability
The Xiaomi 12S Ultra will be available in Mainland China in the near future. It will be available in Classic Black and Verdant Green. It’s will be available in three variants 8GB+256GB, 12GB+256GB and 12GB+512GB. The 8GB+256GB version will be priced at CNY5999 (MYR3,951.18) while the 12GB + 256GB will retail at CNY6,499 (MYR4,280.08) and the 12GB+512GB version will be priced at CNY6,999 (MYR4,609.82).
The Xiaomi 12S and 12S Pro will be available in 8GB + 128GB, 8GB + 256GB, 12GB + 256GB and 12GB + 512GB variants. Pricing for the 12S starts at CNY3,999 (MYR2,633.90) for the 12S while the 12S Pro will start at CNY4,699 (MYR3,096.10).
Pursuing Happiness in Children’s Dreams of Independence
SAN MATEO, Calif., July 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Leading provider of online interactive classes, Allschool, launched “Celebrate Independence Day” classes for kids 3-15 years old. The Allschool USA-themed class series will be running from July 4th to 18th for those who wish to pursue a meaningful educational challenge during the summer holidays. Whether surrounded by family, stuck indoors due to COVID-19 restrictions, waiting for fireworks to start, or just looking for something extra to do while on vacation, Allschool is an ideal educational companion for children.
Allschool strives to give students the opportunity to choose their own path and forge their own dreams. With this event, Allschool is exploring Independence Day and the American Dream to inspire students to choose their own passions.
Allschool believes choice is integral to good education. Educational Researcher, Dr. Marzano, has found that student choice in the classroom is tied to increased performance, effort, and interest. The Celebrate Independence Day class bundles are intended to facilitate an environment of learning-by-choice and lead to more invested learners.
Free up Quality Holiday Time
Quick and impactful classes are an ideal way to spend some quality time during the holiday weekend while waiting for BBQs, fireworks, or on a ride to New York for a family gathering.
A new survey by Cars.com™ reveals that 88% of American travelers plan to drive to their holiday destinations over Independence Day weekend. Allschool is the perfect on-the-go learning tool for kids who need practical stimulation on long rides.
Affordable and Accessible Holiday Choice
The current 30% off deal for ‘Independence Day Classes’ gives everyone a chance to spend in a more meaningful way and get more for less.
Suitable for any kid with an internet connection. Experience awesome learning tools, engaging teachers, and build connections with classmates from diverse culture.
New Knowledge and Expanded Views
With a variety of topics such as history, art, and culture, learners get a chance to expand their world views and knowledge.
Open children’s mind, and transform perception in a powerful way.
Introducing the classes, Allschool Co-founder Jack Shan said, “The 4th of July is the perfect time to launch a series of USA-themed classes to celebrate the holiday. We hope all American kids can achieve their own independent dreams and become independent mentally and physically. Follow their own interests to live in a healthy and meaningful lives. When students choose their own path, they are more invested and engaged, and we are here to give them more choices for their education.”
The new series features five themed classes, each dissecting an important part of American society.
American History
Travel back in time and learn about the children of America from different decades
Learn about the history and values of 6 past American monies
American Culture
Learn about different cities and their unique subcultures
Explore other subcultures such as the American Deaf Community
American Art
Create wonderful Independence Day crafts such as firecrackers by using household items
Learn to draw American-inspired fashion, and design fashion dolls
American Travel
Check out the Big Apple with a guided tour in Alaska, Wisconsin, and more
See Lady Liberty in all her glory in New York
More Special Cultural Classes Incoming
The Allschool ‘Celebrate Independence Day’ classes are the first step in the company’s mission to spotlight different cultures and highlight their qualities and differences. In the future, more special class bundles will be released in order to help learners continue to grow and explore their own interests with as many options as possible.
About Allschool
Allschool is an innovative online platform that delivers highly interactive small-group live classes to children worldwide. Through Allschool, learners can enjoy a variety of premium live classes – including mathematics, languages, visual arts, game design, and more – delivered by thousands of devoted and talented teachers from all around the world.
An expert in online education, Allschool has developed a set of innovative purpose-built teaching and learning tools that bring meaningful changes to learning outcomes, allowing students to immerse themselves in a rewarding, gamified, and interactive environment that empowers them to explore and pursue their interests while making schooling fun and enjoyable.
Pursuing Happiness in Children’s Dreams of Independence
IFS strengthens Executive Leadership Team and focus on Customer Experience and Success Services.
LONDON, July 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — IFS today announces the appointment of Mark Moffat as Chief Customer Officer. In his role, Moffat will ensure that all aspects of IFS’s Customer Experience and Success Services strategy support the growth plans of the company, specifically in relation to customers’ experience with IFS and in realizing value from IFS’s technology in their business with IFS Success Services.
Creating outstanding Moments of ServiceTM for its customers has been the company’s true north since its inception, Moffat’s appointment shows the company’s unwavering commitment to this goal. IFS has created momentum by being recognized as a Gartner Peer Insights Customer Choice across a number of categories over the years, demonstrating that its strategy is paying off.
Commenting on the appointment, Darren Roos, CEO at IFS, said: “Mark is a leader with a strong reputation for developing outstanding customer relationships; they value his empathy and visionary mindset in helping them achieve transformational results no matter their levels of maturity.” Roos added: “There could not be a tighter alignment with our own customer success strategy and our unrelenting goal to deliver a great experience and help all our customers realize value from their investment in our technology. I am delighted to have Mark join us and bring his strong multinational and industry expertise to IFS.”
Mark Moffat, Chief Customer Officer at IFS, added: “I have been following IFS’s amazing growth and transformation journey over the last three and half years; the results are inspirational. Being given the opportunity to shape IFS’s customer experience and focus further as the company targets further growth is truly exciting. I very much look forward to building on the great foundations that have been established and to working closely with customers everywhere to elevate the value IFS delivers and help companies grow their business in turn.“
Moffat brings to IFS a wealth of experience working with customers across multiple sectors in some of the largest global multinationals, advising on technology strategy, M&A, and business transformation. In his most recent role, as CTO and UK & EMEA Technology Consulting Leader for PwC, Moffat was responsible for bringing technology at the heart of the PWC organization across service lines, sectors and markets.
IFS develops and delivers cloud enterprise software for companies around the world who manufacture and distribute goods, build and maintain assets, and manage service-focused operations. Within our single platform, our industry specific products are innately connected to a single data model and use embedded digital innovation so that our customers can be their best when it really matters to their customers – at the Moment of Service™. The industry expertise of our people and of our growing ecosystem, together with a commitment to deliver value at every single step, has made IFS a recognized leader and the most recommended supplier in our sector. Our team of 4,500 employees every day live our values of agility, trustworthiness and collaboration in how we support our 10,000+ customers. Learn more about how our enterprise software solutions can help your business today at ifs.com.
Contact: Adam Gillbe – EMEA & APJ IFS, Director of Corporate & Executive Communications Email: press@ifs.com Phone: +44 7775 114 856
Mairi Morgan – LATAM, USA, CANADA IFS, Director of Corporate & Executive Communications Email: press@ifs.com Phone: + 1 520 396 2155
Diablo Immortal hasn’t been receiving the best post-launch coverage in the media. This comes as players have begun playing beyond the game’s story and into its open-world gameplay. Like Diablo III, the game brings a whole lot of additional content after its story including competitive modes, treasure hunting and more. However, it seems like Activision Blizzard has chosen to use gamers’ enthusiasm for the franchise as a means to rake in the money through microtransactions.
Source: Activision Blizzard
It’s not the first time that Blizzard has tried to take on microtransactions. In fact, the company had one of the biggest faux pas with their failed auction house in Diablo III. But that isn’t holding them back from giving it another go. This time, their attempt has them being the center of a renewed conversation about microtransactions and pay-to-win. In fact, even before it was available, it has already run afoul of gambling legislation in the Netherlands and Belgium. The list of countries in that list might grow as the conversation was already started when EA made a similar attempt a few years ago.
The Diablo Immortal Controversy – Diablo says “Gacha”
While there is nothing new about games and microtransactions, Activision Blizzard’s take on it in their first mobile Diablo game, Diablo Immortal, has fans saying that the company is Diablo incarnate. From reviews and forums, fans are claiming that these microtransactions have severely broken the gameplay in the game; at times making it unplayable particularly when it comes to PvP (Player v. Player)
Source: Activision Blizzard
So, like all Diablo games, Diablo Immortal does have a story. Apparently, the story stays true to Diablo’s roots. It builds on the story between the events of Diablo II and Diablo III. However, as players progress beyond the current story, gameplay takes a severe turn for the worst.
Instakill by Paying
Like Diablo III, players are able to take on other players to test their character build and game prowess in PvP battle. However, Blizzard has made this portion of the game severely unbalanced as it focuses on a gacha mechanic. While players don’t pay for loot or equipment, they do pay for “gems”. These gems then give them boosts to their equipment. It’s these boosts that make the game so broken. In some online game plays, seasoned Diablo players – who have not paid for these gems – are instakilled when meeting players who are paying. The severe imbalance in the mechanic has made the game unplayable for players who aren’t paying.
Pay Exorbitantly and be Rewarded
It’s not that players are against developers monetizing their work. It’s Blizzard’s implementation of the mechanic in Diablo Immortal. In Diablo Immortal, there are five gems which players can pay to roll. For each gem, players can roll a version of it with up to five stars. Free to play players can do this by completing an Elder Rift. Each run of an Elder Rift will reward players with a Legendary gem. However, if you are less willing to wait you can “enhance” these rifts with a payment of up to USD$25 (MYR110.33).
The drop rates of higher rated Legendary gems are estimated at about 1%. That said, the rate at which players are actually seeing higher tier gems are appalling. This is because players can actually pay good money to roll and re-roll gems with a slightly higher chance to get them. At the time of writing, there have been multiple estimates that place the cost of specc’ing out a single character at USD$100,000 (MYR441,303.30). This estimate excludes the cost of rolling and getting 5-star gems for each “awakened” legendary gem. Each awakened gem has five smaller gems for you to roll as well.
Still Raking in the Moolah
As much as the community has been up in arms, it doesn’t seem to have affected Activision Blizzard’s bottomline. The company has reported earned a whopping USD$24 million in the two weeks since its launch with over 5 million downloads of the game itself. It’s worth noting that the initial launch of the game has been delayed in the Asia Pacific region, including Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. It will only be making its debut on July 8. So, there may be more whales waiting to jump on the Diablo Immortal gacha machine. However, the initial success of the microtransaction laden game, may have bigger implications moving forward.
Diablo IV Could Receive the Brunt of the Retaliation
The severe imbalance of game play and Activision Blizzard’s attempt to cash-grab on a free-to-play version hasn’t affected the company’s bottom-line. However, it could spell an uphill battle for the upcoming Diablo IV. While the game is one of the more anticipated titles in the near future, the controversy surrounding Diablo Immortal has all but eclipsed the release date announcement at the Bethesda-XBox showcase. If you missed it, Diablo IV is set to release sometime in 2023.
Source: Activision Blizzard
With the conversation surrounding the franchise being about the broken gacha mechanic of Diablo Immoral Immortal, excitement about Lilith and the upcoming game has been damped. Instead, long time players and fans are more concerned about the microtransactions that will plague the new game. Developers behind the upcoming title has tried to distance the two games in a Twitter reply after its release reveal.
😀
D4 is coming out as a full price game built strictly for PC/console audiences. The game is huge & there will be tons of content after launch for all players. Paid content is built around optional cosmetic items & eventually full expansions. We will be sharing more info soon!
The fact of the matter is, even with a small group of players airing their woes, Diablo IV has more to lose. With the immense coverage the issue has gotten on news sites, YouTube and Twitch, the issue is becoming top of mind when it comes to Diablo as a whole. This could result in less people purchasing the game at launch or at all. Diablo, as a franchise, is running the risk of not getting new players and losing casual ones.
Losing Momentum Early
Why is this bad? Well, casual players usually play the game to experience the story-telling that the franchise has become so popular for. They also play a part in driving the interest in the post game game-play. Hardcore fans will buy the game regardless of the press. However, they are a small fraction of the bigger picture. Activision Blizzard may cause casual players to be completely alienated by their cash grabbing in Diablo Immortal.
Source: Activision Blizzard
As die-hard fans will undoubtedly get the game at launch, the game is depending on casual gamers to thrive after the initial boom. Casual fans are the ones that will buy the game months after its launch as the hype dies down. This continued sales is what Activision Blizzard has to lose. However, if they continue to bank of gacha mechanics and microtransactions driving their revenue, they will be dealing with another failure on their hands. Just like Star Wars: Battlefront II, players – even hardcore ones – will not continue to back a company that doesn’t respect them. As a Diablo fan, this one hopes that they realise before it’s too late.
Diablo Immortal in Asia – An Opportunity to Make Good
It’s not too late for Activision Blizzard. With their upcoming launch of Diablo Immortal in Asia, they have a golden opportunity to make things right. While they claim that the delay to July 8 was to commission resources for better game-play, we can’t but wonder whether they expected the initial backlash from “western” audiences.
That aside, the company does have the chance to alter their implementation of the gacha mechanic universally to ensure the longevity of Diablo Immortal and the franchise itself. Unlike Genshin Impact, it doesn’t have that “kawaii” factor to draw in new players as it continues to fumble. Of course, this may hurt early adopters, but if Diablo is worth anything to them, they should look to the future of the franchise.
They will also need to shift the conversation to Diablo IV sooner rather than later. Making things right will help with doing that. With the initial burst of outrage or praise, player sentiment will undoubted swing in the Diablo IV’s favour. In fact, it could shift the tone for the company altogether. Something it desperately needs overall.
View original content to download multimedia:
