MBR_ISSUE 40_Lowres

GAMING
Malta Business Review
Maltco Lotteries and Institute of Digital Games
partner to support the next generation of game researchers and game designers in Malta
By Gertrude Borg Marks
Maltco Lotteries and the Institute of Digital Games – University of Malta will be
presenting the outcomes of their two-year agreement made to increase the opportunities
of students in the field of digital games in a press conference to be held the 18th April at
18h30 at the Institute of Digital Games, University of Malta.
The completed projects will be presented
by Prof. Georgios N. Yannakakis, Director of
the Institute of Digital Games – University
of Malta whilst the two upcoming projects
falling under the agreement will also be
announced. The projects were made possible
due to a Maltco research grant of € 20,000 to
promote research and innovation in digital
games which allows researchers at the IDG
to hire students or alumni to an undertake
a project in their area of expertise. Projects
are selected by the Director of the Institute
of Digital Games, in consultation with the
faculty, on the basis of proposals submitted
by researchers. Each semester the most
interesting proposals are implemented with
the support of the Maltco research grant.
The first project to be completed entitled
“Something Something Soup Something”
was designed by Dr Stefano Gualeni with
the support of two of the Institute’s Master
students: Isabelle Kniestedt and Johnathan
Harrington. The game was an innovative
sortie into the possibilities of a “game as
interactive thought experiment” addressing
the unreliability and relativity of language and
our methods of communication. The game is
meant to demonstrate through the gameplay
that despite our best efforts for precision
in communication we are still faced with
ultimately indefinite, shifting concepts. The
project was well-received by the video game
community even featuring on Kotaku.com,
one of the most prominent international
gaming websites.
The second selected project “The New Born
World” is a story-telling game developed
as tablet application. The game will be
one of the first examples of hybrid board
game application to be used in conjunction
with social game play and is designed by
Dr Antonios Liapis with the support of one
master’s student, Konstantinos Sfikas and
one alumnus, Rebecca Portelli. The game also
builds on the One Tablet Per Child initiative
started by the Maltese government as it is a
storytelling game encouraging both literacy
and semantic creativity. Dr Liapis intends to
further examine the experience of human
and computer co-creation, his particular area
of expertise, through the designed game.
During this coming press conference, another
two new projects, one related to machine
learning led by Prof. Yannakakis, and one
related to immersion and story by Prof.
Calleja, will also be announced.
Present for this event will be; Prof. Alfred
Vella, the Rector for the University of Malta,
Prof Georgios N. Yannakakis, Director Institute
of Digital Games - University of Malta, Mr.
Vasileios Kasiotakis, Chief Executive Officer
- Maltco Lotteries Limited, Dr Panagiotis
Koustenis, Games and Statistics Manager
- INTRALOT, and also the creators of the
two complete funded research Dr. Stefano
Gualeni and Dr Antonios Liapis. Personnel
from both the Institute of Digital Games and
from Maltco Lotteries will also attend. MBR
About the Institute of Digital Games
The Institute of Digital Games is the centre for research
and education in game design, game analysis, and
game technology at the University of Malta.
Our work is at the forefront of innovative games
research. We explore games and play, uncovering new
playful and generative possibilities in game design and
technology. We delve into everything games can teach
us about ourselves.
Our multidisciplinary academic team spans computer
science, literature, game design, philosophy, media
studies, and social sciences.
Since the foundation of the Institute in 2013, we
have been involved in a number of EU (FP7, H2020)
and National funded research projects totaling over
10m Euro of research funding. Collectively, we have
published over 160 journals articles, conference
papers, book chapters and books in these last 5 years.
About Maltco Lotteries
Maltco Lotteries, a modern and dynamic company
established in 2003, holds the latest Licence and
Concession to operate the National Lottery of Malta
awarded in 2012. Maltco Lotteries provides highquality,
innovative and entertaining games (including
lotteries, sports-betting, fast games and instant games)
under the auspices of the Malta Gaming Authority
(MGA). Players can enjoy a friendly, secure and fun
environment in the Maltco Points of Sale, participating
in their favourite games, assisted by the well-trained in
high client service Maltco Lotteries Agents.
Maltco Lotteries has invested in the state-of-theart
gaming technology and services of INTRALOT;
guaranteeing security, trustworthiness, transparency
and a superior gaming experience. Certified in
Responsible Gaming, ISO/IEC 27001:2013 and Security
Control Standard (WLA SCS) by the European Lotteries
and the World Lottery Association, Maltco Lotteries
ensures the safest gaming environment through its
Agents’ retail network, the largest one in Malta and
Gozo, maintaining the leading position in the market.
Maltco Lotteries, has and exceptional track record
in Corporate Social Responsibility, with continuous
support to the Governmental Good Causes Fund and
numerous Maltese charitable causes alongside the
sponsoring of the local sports and athletes, sustaining
the Maltese Society, Culture and Well-being.
About INTRALOT
INTRALOT, a public listed company established in 1992, is
a leading gaming solutions supplier and operator active
in 52 regulated jurisdictions around the globe. With €1.1
billion turnover and a global workforce of approximately
5,100 employees (3,100 of which in subsidiaries and
2,000 in associates) in 2017, INTRALOT is an innovation
– driven corporation focusing its product development
on the customer experience. The company is uniquely
positioned to offer to lottery and gaming organizations
across geographies market-tested solutions and retail
operational expertise. Through the use of a dynamic and
omni-channel approach, INTRALOT offers an integrated
portfolio of best-in-class gaming systems and product
solutions & services addressing all gaming verticals
(Lottery, Betting, Interactive, VLT). Players can enjoy a
seamless and personalized experience through exciting
games and premium content across multiple delivery
channels, both retail and interactive. INTRALOT has
been awarded with the prestigious WLA Responsible
Gaming Framework Certification by the World Lottery
Association (WLA) for its global lottery operations.
For more info: Mr. Chris Sfatos, Group Corporate
Affairs Director, Phone: +30-210 6156000, Fax: +30-
210 6106800
email: sfatos@intralot.com website: www.intralot.com
Credit: MALTCO LOTTERIES Limited
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