Gaming is a larger platform than film, TV, and music, forming a powerful media channel and opening vast opportunities for retail media and advertising.

In this episode of The Garage, hosts Dan Masamino and Evan Hovorka sit down with Greg Carroll, general manager of gaming experiences at Microsoft Advertising, to explore the nexus of gaming and retail media.

They explore the world of gaming advertising, showing how brands can create authentic engagements with audiences while preserving the integrity of the gaming experience. Take a deep dive into the potential of Microsoft’s ecosystem, which reaches over 3.4 billion gamers worldwide. 

From sharing stories about small-town origins to exploring how to turn offline data into actionable insights, this episode of The Garage offers a clear look at how hyperlocal advertising can create new opportunities for brands, agencies, and retailers.  

Episode highlights:

[05:26] The Evolution of Gaming — The evolution of how people interact with gaming and its relationship with advertisers, retail media, although new compared to films and TV has introduced the monetization of the industry. Greg discusses how he leverages different things to bring retail media to focus in this space while protecting the gamer. He shares how his expertise in advertising technology and passion for gaming merged to birth his journey.

[09:04] The Delicate Balance of Gaming Experience for Brands and Users — Enrich the experience and unlock something that people are passionate about and love. Greg describes the gaming space as one closest to sports. This strategy ensures the halo effect for brands and retailers and any disruptions to this experience can have negative consequences for both users and brands. Greg adds that the alignment of passions always creates a win-win situation.

[15:43] The Future of Gaming Marketing — Greg shares the importance of a multi-platform approach and the effectiveness especially in a mid-to-lower marketing process and how it helps brands reach gamers in relevant ways across board, highlighting The Prada Candy Crush partnership as one that showcases these interactive branded experiences. He explains that Microsoft’s gaming ecosystem offers a diverse range of interaction channels that optimize advertising performance and aligns messaging with gaming context and platform. He highlights The Prada Candy Crush partnership as one that showcases the  effectiveness of interactive branded experiences.

[26:34] How Gaming Influences Community Building — The Covid-19 lockdowns validated how important gaming was as an escape, allowing gamers not just to associate but also socialize. Social gaming platforms recorded a massive surge in participation – it was an absolute boom for gaming according to Greg. The platform creates meaningful connections between people as well as shared experiences and this has transformed gaming. He says that with the engagement levels comparable to traditional sports, gaming communities require a nuanced understanding and respect to ensure successful marketing integration.

Image Via Tatsujin

It has been a very long time since the Truxton game was last seen. Truxton Extreme is the new title in the franchise after more than 30 years, coming now with a big return. Tatsujin, who is the team behind this game (one of them is Masahiro Yuge from Toaplan), announced this one for PS5 in 2023. But later, not many updates came. Many fans thought it was maybe canceled. Now, finally, at Future Games Show, they revealed the demo and said the game will arrive on both PS5 and PC in 2025.

Truxton Extreme Demo Out During Steam Fest

Starting from June 9, you can now try out the demo of Truxton Extreme during Steam Next Fest. It will stay available until June 16 or 17, depending on where you live. This demo gives a good idea of how the full game might feel. Inside the demo, there are:

• Tutorial for showing game controls

• Story Mode with a bit of manga scenes and a new hero Ash

• Arcade Mode which is fast and more intense

• Heart Starter Mode (a little easier with revival after death)

Some people said it feels very old-school and nostalgic, while others praised the bullet speed in Arcade, saying it was just like before but sharper looking.

Gameplay Stuff and Modes Explained

Truxton Extreme still keeps the old school shooter roots, but also does some new stuff.

• Gameplay is vertical shooting, full of bullets and chaos

• Weapons like Truxton Beam, Thunder Laser, Power Shot and Homing Shot are back

• Bombs still exist too. very useful when surrounded

The 3 game modes include:

• Story Mode: It has 18 chapters with manga cutscenes by Junya Inoue

• Arcade Mode: Focuses on reflexes and score, no real story

• Heart Starter Mode: It’s ean asy way for those who are not good at this type of game

Look and Music Both Upgraded

Visually, the game has new 3D models, but don’t lose the classic feelings. Backgrounds, ships, bosses—everything has much more detailed textures than before. Music is composed by Masahiro Yuge, the same guy from original, and now he mixes old themes with new style which is also kind of catchy and exciting.

When is It Coming and Where

Right now, no final date for full game release, but it said it will be in 2025 for PC and PS5. Tatsujin even held a long livestream on June 8 to play the demo and talk about it.

You can wishlist the game on Steam and also join discussions in community forums.

ALSO READ: Wuthering Waves 2.5 Beta Recruitment Begins

So, Truxton Extreme might have been gone, but now it’s back and looks pretty solid in the demo. While some things can be better polished, the core gameplay feels very alive. If you liked the old shoot ’em ups or want to try something challenging, don’t miss this demo during Steam Fest. The full version is not far too much now.

Spribe is stepping into the spotlight as the proud sponsor of the Best Ortak Partner category at this year’s Ortak x B.F.T.H. Arena Awards! With a 10,000 FTN prize pool on the line, this award will spotlight the partner who’s gone above and beyond,driving results, building strong alliances, and making waves in the Ortak ecosystem.

The Harmony Meetup 7 and Ortak x B.F.T.H. Arena Awards 2025, which will take place in Yerevan, Armenia on 8-11 July, gathers industry leaders to celebrate innovation in iGaming. This prestigious event offers a unique opportunity for sponsors to gain exclusive visibility, align with the forefront of digital innovation, and connect with key players shaping the future of the industry. Join us and showcase your brand on a global stage.

A defining moment of the event will be the unveiling of FTN’s 7 dimensions, an ambitious framework that positions Fasttoken as a leader in designing the future of digital innovation. Spanning decentralised solutions, immersive experiences and financial empowerment, these dimensions encapsulate the expansive potential of the FTN ecosystem. Ortak x B.F.T.H. Arena Awards 2025 presents an unparalleled opportunity to align your brand with this transformative journey.

Shoot fireballs for your health!

It’s been said that sports participation in Japanese schools has been on a steady decline in recent years. It would seem that tossing the old ball around and climbing ropes has taken a backseat to tossing grenades and climbing rusty ladders out of the stygian depths of a demon-infested video game underworld.

There’s also the tendency for sports to ostracize those with less physical strength and coordination, making it a traumatic and depressing ordeal for some. So, in an effort to make sports both more inclusive and glitzier, Shizuoka Nishi High School in Shizuoka City has become the latest to adopt the AR sport of Hado into their physical education curriculum this June.

▼ Welcome to Hado

Hado is brought to us by Meleap Inc., whose CEO Hiroshi Fukuda always wanted to shoot fireballs from his arms as seen in video games and TV. In the sport, players wear an AR visor and wrist terminal and get into teams of three before taking the court. When the battle begins, one arm is used to shoot fireballs and can be charged by holding it up. The other arm can be raised to also raise a shield and is charged by keeping it down.

Through their visors, each player can see a ring divided into four segments in front of all the other players. Points are awarded for each segment hit and the team with the most points after 80 seconds wins.

Also, before playing, everyone can use their arm terminal to set their stats. You are allowed to allot up to 10 points across four skill: Bullet Speed, Bullet Size, Charging Speed, and Number of Shields that can be deployed at one time. This allows players to augment their own natural ability during games either by balancing them or enhancing existing strong points.

Playing in this way lets students enjoy a more level playing field so kids of all shapes and sizes can compete together while still getting a lot of exercise and eye-hand coordination practice.

Hado is currently played in 100 schools in Japan and 300 around the world. Adults also play the game and the Hado World Cup was held in Shanghai, China on 24 May. The entire event was streamed online and can still be viewed on YouTube, so I won’t spoil it by saying which of the 18 participating countries won if you want to watch it.

Of course, it’s also possible to go full AR game with Hado and still get some exercise in. Team-based games like Hado Monster Battle let you and your friends work together to take out a giant beast with your fireball-throwing skills.

I have to say, it makes me a little jealous that kids today can do this in gym class when all we had when I was their age was a parachute… Aw, who am I kidding? The parachute was awesome, but this is really cool too.

Source: PR Times, Hado
Featured image: PR Times
Insert images: PR Tines, Hado
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LONDON, UK – Brand partnership agency Miai+ has unleashed a dynamic brand activation to celebrate the upcoming launch of Doom: The Dark Ages, Bethesda’s latest addition to its iconic action franchise. In collaboration with Kramer Guitars, the revered name in metal and rock since the 1980s and gaming titan Xbox, the campaign redefines the concept of immersive fan engagement.