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Although the copyright for the older character version has lapsed, Disney emphasized that the copyright status of modern iterations remains unchanged. The earlier rendition of the Walt Disney Company's Mickey Mouse mascot has surged to the top spot among trending nonfungible tokens (NFTs) on the OpenSea marketplace. This comes as the character entered the public domain for the first time on January 1, specifically the version featured in the 1928 short film "Steamboat Willie." Notably, Steamboat Willie marked Mickey Mouse's inaugural public appearance. After nearly a century, the copyright for this particular character version expired, as U.S. law permits copyright to be held for a maximum of 95 years. In the wake of the copyright expiration, three NFT collections associated with the vintage mascot claimed the top three positions on OpenSea's 24-hour trending list. The NFT collection named "Steamboat Willie Public Domain 2024" secured the number one position, boasting around $1.2 million in trading volume. Another collection titled "Steamboat Willie" secured the second spot, while "Steamboat Willie’s Riverboat" claimed the third highest ranking. In addition to securing a prominent position on the 24-hour top charts on OpenSea, the Steamboat Willie Public Domain 2024 collection claimed the sixth spot, standing alongside popular collections like the Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) and Pudgy Penguins. The Steamboat Willie collection also earned the eighth position on the same list. While the copyright has lapsed for this rendition of the beloved mascot, Disney underscored that contemporary versions of Mickey Mouse will remain unaffected by the expiration of Steamboat Willie's copyright. According to a statement provided to CNN by a Disney spokesperson, the company is committed to preserving its rights in the modern iterations of Mickey Mouse and other copyrighted works. The spokesperson emphasized that Disney will continue to safeguard against potential consumer confusion arising from unauthorized uses of Mickey and their other iconic characters.

DAIN LEADERS, a prominent EduTech and Learning Experience Platform provider, has introduced Meta Campus, an advanced metaverse learning management platform. Meta Campus is designed to create a virtual learning environment in response to the rapid digital transformation and evolving landscape of higher education. Utilizing digital twin visualization technology, it transforms actual university campuses into detailed 3D models, optimizing campus maps to reflect each university's identity while integrating a learning management system. DAIN LEADERS collaborates with universities to support students in managing their learning records and activities seamlessly. Pioneering 'Career Path' in 2012, a competency-based portfolio system, the company has been at the forefront of innovation in higher education. Active participation in government R&D projects involving blockchain and metaverse technologies has further solidified DAIN LEADERS' position as an expert in the new generation education platform. With a global presence in countries like Singapore, Vietnam, Uzbekistan, the Philippines, Indonesia, and North America, DAIN LEADERS is actively contributing to the globalization of K-education. The company aims to enhance educational experiences by fostering a virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) content ecosystem for educators and learners. DAIN LEADERS offers diverse place templates tailored for lectures, consultations, and meetings, facilitating new learning experiences through avatars and chat systems. The company envisions establishing a meta campus ecosystem initially in Korean universities and subsequently expanding globally through an advanced EduTech platform in the metaverse. Changbae Lee, Head of Contents Business Division at DAIN LEADERS, emphasizes the importance of making the metaverse a dynamic environment for continuous student engagement and enjoyment of learning. The company is dedicated to shaping Meta Campus as a catalyst for a novel learning model and exciting opportunities for learners worldwide.

The departure of President and COO Gary Dale, along with Chief Studios Officer Tim Heaton, marks significant changes within the publisher's leadership. Sega Europe unveils a significant leadership shakeup, welcoming back former President Jurgen Post as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of West Studios and Regional Managing Director. Post, who previously played a pivotal role in Sega Europe's "period of exponential growth" from 2012 to 2017, resumes his position effective immediately. After a decade at Sega, Post had a three-year stint at Tencent and served as the CEO of Miniclip in 2020. However, alongside Post's return, Sega Europe bids farewell to two longstanding executives. President and CEO Gary Dale, who joined in 2018, is stepping down, while Chief Studios Officer Tim Heaton, who initially joined Sega in 2009 and assumed a leadership role in 2020, is also departing. The Sega group expresses gratitude for Dale and Heaton's contributions, wishing them success in their future endeavors. This leadership restructuring comes amid ongoing changes in Sega's European operations, marked by layoffs at Creative Assembly following the cancellation of the multiplayer title Hyenas. Sega attributed these adjustments to the "lower profitability of the European region," showcasing the publisher's strategic response to evolving market dynamics.

Asda has officially named its inaugural Chief Digital Officer, solidifying its commitment to leveraging data for enhanced customer offerings in its quest to become the UK’s second-largest grocery retailer. Matt Kelleher, formerly the Chief Information Officer at Morrisons, is set to assume the position in July. In his new capacity, Kelleher will oversee Asda's data and ecommerce functions, and post the completion of the ongoing technology transformation project 'Future,' he will also spearhead all technology-related aspects. This addition reinforces Asda's executive leadership team, led by co-owner Mohsin Issa. In a parallel development, Asda has introduced Atheeq Akbar as the Vice President of Commercial Finance, set to commence in June under the supervision of Michael Gleeson. Mohsin Issa, Asda's co-owner, expressed enthusiasm about these appointments, emphasizing the pivotal role of data and technology transformation in the company's ongoing evolution. Issa looks forward to integrating the fresh talents and skills brought by Matt and Atheeq into the Asda family during this transformative phase.

Gamefam, a prominent American game developer and strategist, has unveiled its inaugural State of Brands in Metaverse Gaming year-end report, examining the success of brands venturing into the digital realm. Throughout 2023, Gamefam recorded over 7.5 billion gameplay sessions across its network of 30 owned and operated games, surpassing a cumulative 29 billion gameplay sessions. Noteworthy collaborations with cultural phenomena such as Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, the NFL, Warner Music Group, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, Netflix’s Unicorn Academy, and Netflix’s Bakugan saw these brands engaging in gaming through integrations with Gamefam on platforms like Roblox and Fortnite. The report underscores that in 2023, Roblox and Fortnite emerged as the top game brands employed by brands to connect with Generation Z and Generation Alpha. As indicated by a June 2022 McKinsey report predicting that over 50 percent of live events could take place in the metaverse, Gamefam collaborated with the NFL and Warner Music Group to orchestrate the first-ever Super Bowl concert in the metaverse. Headlined by popular American rapper Saweetie, it became the highest-rated Roblox concert of all time. A key insight emphasizes that while every brand should have a metaverse strategy, it is not necessary to develop a standalone game. Brands can effectively reach millions of engaged players in existing popular games with a built-in player base, facilitating authentic and engaging brand integrations. The significance of virtual merchandise for game avatars has grown exponentially. In 2023, Gamefam introduced jewelry, apparel, hair, and more, resulting in the sale of 2.3 million virtual merchandise items. McKinsey's findings reveal that 79 percent of actively participating metaverse consumers have made a purchase. Joe Ferencz, the CEO and Founder of Gamefam, discussed the metaverse's impact on brands and the continued growth of gaming in the fashion, retail, and beauty sectors in an interview with WWD. When asked about the surge in brands like Puma, Hugo Boss, Fenty Beauty, and E.l.f. Cosmetics entering the metaverse and gaming universe in 2023, Ferencz highlighted the real and meaningful engagement these platforms provide, surpassing the passive nature of platforms like TikTok or YouTube. Roblox and Fortnite emerged as the preferred platforms for Gen Z and Gen Alpha, with users spending 43 percent more time on these platforms than on YouTube and TikTok combined. Discussing the evolution of the industry, Ferencz pointed to the substantial growth of branded experiences on Roblox, with a 50 percent year-over-year increase. Looking ahead to 2024, he anticipates moving beyond the proving phase, fueled by investments in developer and advertising tools by Roblox and Fortnite. Ferencz emphasized the importance of active engagement in playing Roblox and Fortnite, highlighting the challenges faced by activations that did not authentically integrate with the Roblox and Fortnite communities. Addressing key factors for successful gaming partnerships, Ferencz stressed the importance of authenticity and enhancing the gameplay experience. He provided an example of the NFL and Boss integration, creating user-generated content and mini-games for real-life sweatshirts. To measure ROI, Gamefam uses resources like Romonitor for experience analytics on Roblox and employs 3D telemetry on Roblox, offering unprecedented knowledge from movement to purchasing behavior. An illustrative success story highlighted the Boss event within Super NFL Tycoon, resulting in a 145 percent increase in visits and doubling peak concurrent players. In a year dominated by Barbie's popularity, 272 million fashion items were used to customize player avatars, showcasing Gamefam's success in creating custom in-game avatar fashion items. Discussing the future of the crossover between fashion/retail and gaming in 2024 and beyond, Ferencz emphasized gaming's growing popularity among today’s youngest consumers. McKinsey's projections of global spending on the metaverse exceeding $5 trillion by 2030 present extensive opportunities for retailers to tap into the vast market of digital natives who will shape purchasing power in the coming decades. Fortnite's creative mode and massive expansions offer significant potential for fashion and beauty brands to establish a presence and drive real impact.

EMERGE Group, a prominent marketing technology firm based in Southeast Asia specializing in IP and gaming collaborations, is pleased to announce a strategic alliance with TZ APAC, a Web3 ecosystem builder empowering founders, creators, developers, and institutional leaders on the Tezos blockchain. In this collaboration, EMERGE Group will offer comprehensive marketing solutions and support for publishing partnerships to facilitate the seamless integration of Web3 games into the Tezos ecosystem. TZ APAC will harness EMERGE Group's industry expertise, expansive network of significant IPs, and advertising inventories to position Tezos as the preferred blockchain for the gaming community. EMERGE Group, recognized for collaborations with well-known names such as Moonton, Singtel, Shopback, and others, will play a pivotal role in advancing Tezos' presence in the gaming sector. Both industry leaders will work together to establish a smooth onboarding experience for promising game studios and cultivate a conducive environment by leveraging the substantial capabilities of the Tezos blockchain across both Web2 and Web3 gaming. Jason Lim, Business Development (Gaming) at TZ APAC, remarked, "This collaboration allows TZ APAC to rely on a partner that shares the common goal of empowering the gaming community with the necessary tools, resources, and network for success." He added, "Builders, gamers, and ecosystem partners can benefit from the comprehensive support provided by TZ APAC and the marketing prowess of EMERGE Group." Roy Kek, CEO and Co-founder of EMERGE Group, expressed gratitude, stating, "We are honored to be chosen by TZ APAC as a strategic partner in support of their global Web3 gaming initiative. The partnership underscores EMERGE Group’s dedication and expertise in Web3 gaming, having successfully collaborated on significant Web3 projects and driven impactful partnerships within the gaming sector." Tezos, an open-source platform, addresses key barriers to blockchain adoption for assets and applications. EMERGE Group's latest partnership aligns with its commitment to fostering the growth of both Web2 and Web3 gaming through its hybrid resource pool.

Tommy Hilfiger, the renowned designer lifestyle brand within PVH's portfolio, in collaboration with Joe Lamastra's Hilfiger Ventures, has partnered with Tilting Point to unveil a groundbreaking fashion video game. Scheduled for a January 2024 release on iOS and Android mobile platforms and accessible through Netflix for subscribers, the game, named 'FashionVerse,' introduces two-week virtual events called 'Pop-Ups.' These events, hosted in collaboration with leading fashion entertainment brands, offer players an immersive fashion styling experience within unique virtual worlds. FashionVerse's Pop-Ups showcase the latest collections from partner brands, rewarding players for completing specific challenges. Tommy Hilfiger's brainchild, FashionVerse, emerged from his vision to revolutionize fashion interaction through a dynamic, community-based gaming experience utilizing cutting-edge technology. Developed by Brandible, the game employs AI to create lifelike avatars, settings, and props, crafting a virtual landscape. In FashionVerse, players participate in design challenges to curate fashion ensembles, unlocking diverse clothing styles and staying updated on real-world fashion trends through state-of-the-art AI technology. Triumphs in challenges result in exclusive rewards. Expressing his ambition to democratize fashion, Hilfiger stated, 'It’s been a life goal of mine to make fashion more accessible… bring everyone together into one community, providing a more immersive experience.' Kevin Segalla, founder and CEO of cross-promotion platform Tilting Point, expressed enthusiasm for FashionVerse, highlighting its potential to empower players to explore personal style and connect with the fashion realm in new ways. The game is poised for collaborations with additional fashion brands, expanding its gaming universe.

A recent report by MarketDigits sheds light on the evolving landscape of the global Metaverse in Education Market. Starting at USD 5.6 billion in 2023, the market is poised for an impressive leap to USD 54.2 billion by 2030, boasting a substantial Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 38.3% during the forecast period (2023-2030). Market Overview and Scope: The Metaverse in Education Market is undergoing a transformative wave, revolutionizing traditional educational approaches through immersive and interactive experiences. This amalgamation of virtual and augmented reality technologies is redefining learning paradigms, fostering engagement, and enabling collaboration. The report covers crucial components, including hardware (AR, VR, MR devices, interactive displays, and projectors), software (extended reality, gaming engines, metaverse platforms, 3D mapping, modeling, and reconstruction), and services (professional and managed services). Key Findings and Insights: Applications and End Users: The report delves into various applications such as learning, skill development, educational apps, self-regulation skills, cultural understanding, and more. Additionally, it analyzes end-user segments, including academic, K-12, higher education, and corporate sectors. Vendor Landscape: Major players shaping the Metaverse in Education Market include Adobe Inc., Avantis Systems Ltd., Axon Park, Devden, Fotonvr, Hatchxr, HP Inc., Kwark Education, Lenovo, Meta Platforms, Inc., Microsoft, Roblox Corporation, Samsung Electronics, Unity Software Inc., and more. Regional Dynamics: North America leads the market, with the report projecting significant revenue growth driven by startups crafting commercial metaverse platforms. The Asia Pacific region is also set for swift growth, fueled by international competitors' presence and substantial investments in enhancing product capabilities. Technology Evolution and Opportunities: The Metaverse in Education Market is emphasizing standardization and interoperability to ensure a seamless and collaborative virtual learning environment. Achieving this is crucial for breaking down silos and promoting the exchange of content and experiences across various virtual environments. The report identifies opportunities for developing engaging metaverse learning platforms and addresses concerns related to cybersecurity and privacy. The Hardware Segment Dominance: In terms of components, the hardware segment, including VR/AR headgear, sensory devices, and sensors, is anticipated to contribute significantly to the market. Manufacturers are focusing on creating more sophisticated hardware to enhance user experiences and immersion levels. Outlook and Future Trends: The report forecasts the Metaverse in Education Market to witness accelerated growth, driven by the demand for virtual classrooms, collaborative virtual spaces, and experiential learning environments. The metaverse's integration into education is set to revolutionize the educational landscape, offering innovative and interconnected learning ecosystems. Conclusion: As the market evolves, the Metaverse in Education promises to deliver immersive and engaging learning experiences, skills development for the future of work, and enhanced collaboration and social interaction. The report underscores the pivotal role of standardization and interoperability for a cohesive and integrated educational experience within the virtual learning landscape. For a detailed analysis, including company profiles, market positioning, and strategies, the full report by MarketDigits is available here.

Venture-backed tech firm Rare Sense, specializing in AI, has revealed a disruptive AI tool reshaping the landscape of fashion photography. This innovative technology empowers fashion brands to create high-end photoshoots for real-world fashion items using Artificial Intelligence, eliminating the need for elaborate, time-consuming, and expensive traditional photoshoots. Traditionally, fashion brands invest significant resources in complex photoshoots involving models, makeup artists, locations, photographers, and extensive post-production. These shoots can span weeks to months, placing strain on both time and finances. Rare Sense's AI tool offers customization options previously unattainable in conventional shoots and aligns with the industry's sustainability trend by reducing the demand for physical resources. Sophia Pervez, Chief Sales Officer at Rare Sense, emphasizes the tool's impact on fashion photography, providing creative freedom while circumventing logistical challenges and costs. The AI facilitates unprecedented creative control, allowing creative directors to customize models, poses, lighting, and locations, transcending traditional limitations. Key Features of Rare Sense's AI Tool: Unprecedented Creative Control: Empowering creative directors to customize models, poses, lighting, and locations, transcending traditional limitations. Cost-Efficiency: Slashing product photography expenses by up to 90%, eliminating costly elements like models and locations. Time Optimization: Rapidly generating stunning photoshoots, expediting marketing campaigns compared to prolonged timelines of conventional methods. Rare Sense currently offers a concierge AI service for fashion brands, covering campaign shoots, lookbooks, editorials, and social media visuals. The company aims to introduce AI assistants enabling brands to autonomously create photoshoots, moving toward a 'text-to-photoshoot' service. Operating across nine countries, Rare Sense collaborates with 50+ fashion brands, influencers, and gaming apps. However, in the competitive landscape of fashion photography, Rare Sense faces challenges from rivals like Botika, Picaai, and Blend AI Studio. These platforms leverage Generative AI to transform product photos into professional fashion shots, challenging Rare Sense's innovative position in the industry.

Immutable's highly anticipated Passport is set to revolutionize the sign-up experience for online games and marketplaces, significantly reducing user churn and drop-outs during the onboarding process. The global gaming leader officially launched Immutable Passport within five web3 games and marketplaces, including Gods Unchained, Blocklete Golf, Bleacher Report Watch2Earn, TokenTrove, and AtomicHub, with a combined user base exceeding 500,000 individuals. Immutable Passport simplifies the traditionally complex sign-up and onboarding processes associated with online gaming. Offering a universal profile, it enables players to seamlessly carry their identity, achievements, and digital assets across different games and marketplaces. The solution has garnered attention from industry experts, with VanEck, a top 10 ETF issuer with over $65 billion in assets under management, praising Immutable's commitment to delivering an exceptional user experience and overcoming technical challenges in web3 gaming. The Passport streamlines onboarding through passwordless sign-on and automated wallet creation, providing users with a new dashboard experience to discover games, manage funds, link third-party wallets, and oversee in-game items. Immutable Passport not only eliminates the complexities of traditional sign-up processes but also boasts higher conversion rates compared to email+wallet onboarding, as indicated by an Immutable case study. A key strength of Immutable Passport lies in its ability to address the significant challenge of user acquisition for game developers. By offering a unique, secure identity to each user, the Passport ensures easy access to games and marketplaces while guaranteeing the seamless transfer of assets, funds, and achievements between different platforms. Immutable President and Co-Founder Robbie Ferguson highlighted the Passport's positive impact on user acquisition, transaction conversion rates, and overall player experience. He stated, "It increases user acquisition, optimizes transaction conversion rates, and gives players a smooth, seamless experience that enables them to explore new worlds and participate in new economies like never before." Immutable Passport, a non-custodial solution, emphasizes user security by never holding private keys or engaging in transaction signing. Game studios can leverage Passport to drive adoption across mainstream audiences, maintain enterprise-grade security, and access meaningful player analytics. Additionally, players benefit from a secure digital wallet and protection against fraud across web3 games and marketplaces. Leading web3 game Gods Unchained, with over $52 million worth of cards exchanged and 450,000 registered players, has embraced Immutable Passport. To celebrate the debut, Gods Unchained Passport users will receive a free NFT (in-game cosmetic item) airdrop until December 31st. Immutable Passport's launch partners also include Bleacher Report Watch to Earn (B/R W2E), a loyalty program within the digital arm of Warner Bros. Discovery. B/R W2E utilizes web3 technology and smart contracts to enhance the sports viewing experience for its 175 million sports fans, offering rewards and real-time gamification.

Ludo.ai, having integrated AI into game development tools for three years, is now harnessing generative AI to unveil a cutting-edge text-to-video generator tool for game developers. Tom Pigott, CEO of Ludo.ai, announced the beta release of the Video Generator tool, emphasizing its revolutionary impact on game development. He stated, "At Ludo, we understand the increasing costs associated with game development, especially for indie developers. With our Video Generator, we're simplifying the ideation and creation process, enabling developers to portray their ideas visually, offering a realistic glimpse of their games in action." Pigott acknowledged the transformative potential of generative AI, which has gained prominence in the past year. He noted, "I feel like the past couple of years, we were more just trying to educate people and tell people these tools are going to be transformative and impactful. But a lot of that work was taken care of with Open AI and ChatGPT and the other image generators." The Video Generator transforms text prompts into engaging gameplay videos, allowing game developers to create compelling content in a matter of seconds. Pigott highlighted Ludo's commitment to simplifying the game development process, stating, "It allows for a lot of flexibility and speed. I think 2024 will certainly be a year in which AI-generated video is just going to be everywhere." The tool, currently producing three-second videos, accelerates experimentation and prototyping, minimizing the risk of lost development hours. Pigott emphasized the Video Generator's role in enhancing productivity and driving creativity, positioning it as a game-changer for developers worldwide. He stated, "It saves you from all of the repetitive work and variations, and for the small game companies, it gives them a competitive advantage to democratize things a little bit for a very low price." Ludo.ai, having previously addressed pre-production challenges, now provides a comprehensive suite of tools for ideation, image generation, and video generation. Pigott commented on the company's goal, saying, "Our goal is to be the go-to platform for small and medium-size studios to come to for AI tools." Pigott expressed confidence in the widespread adoption of AI-generated video, foreseeing its ubiquity in 2024. Despite rapid AI acceleration, Pigott dismissed concerns about job displacement, envisioning game developers evolving into curators and editors of game assets. An innovative beta feature allows developers to process pre-created video footage through the Video Generator, enabling experimentation with new features and elements. Pigott downplayed concerns about competition, emphasizing Ludo.ai's focus on providing a suite of tools tailored to gaming developers. He concluded, "We're optimistic about 2024, and I think this video tool will be super interesting." Despite opportunities for external funding, Pigott noted that Ludo.ai has prioritized slow and sustainable growth, currently generating its revenue. With over 30,000 users, the platform transitioned from a free model to monetization a few months ago, aiming to become the go-to AI-powered platform for small and medium-sized game studios. Looking ahead, Pigott anticipates the next frontier for AI in 3D asset generation, envisioning its gradual progression from user-generated content to professional ranks, despite acknowledging the inherent challenges in dealing with complex physics.

Dubai-based metaverse initiative VYUG achieves brand registration in Dubai and strategically establishes production hubs in Singapore, the USA, and India, signaling a pivotal advancement in reshaping global virtual experiences. With an unprecedented $370 billion investment and an active pursuit of seed funding, VYUG positions itself as a prominent player in the expanding metaverse landscape, targeting an audience of 82 billion people. At its core, VYUG envisions a transformation of virtual interactions by seamlessly integrating virtual reality, augmented reality, and the internet. The project places a strong emphasis on ethical and safety standards, aiming to provide unparalleled opportunities for employment, education, and entertainment within its inclusive metaverse. Renowned Indian singer and host Aditya Narayan shares insights on VYUG, envisioning a future where individuals can enjoy concerts from the comfort of their homes. He highlights the transformative experience, where people not only witness but also feel the energy of live concerts without leaving their homes, marking a revolutionary shift in entertainment. As VYUG shapes the metaverse landscape, it emerges as a trailblazer, redefining human interaction with technology. The project influences how people learn, socialize, and thrive in an increasingly digital world, heralding an exciting evolution in the metaverse revolution.