Entertainment
KGF 2 to be available on this OTT platform very soon: Check here
Amazon Prime Video has acquired the digital streaming rights of Yash starrer KGF: Chapter 2. The blockbuster movie will stream in Hindi, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, and Malayalam languages on Amazon Prime Video. However, the date of the film’s OTT release has not been confirmed yet.
Meanwhile, KGF: Chapter 2, which hit theatres on April 14, has grossed over Rs 100 crore on the first day of its release. The movie-goers as well as the critics are in awe of Yash’s stellar performance in the film.
The film has made Rs 134 crore at the box office on its first day of release. The Hindi version collected more than Rs 64 crore on the first day while the film made Rs 28 crore in Karnataka. The Yash starrer also fetched Rs 30 crore from Telugu-speaking states, while it earned Rs 8 crores each from Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
KGF: Chapter 2 is directed by Prashanth Neel and bankrolled by Vijay Kiragandur under the banner of Hombale Films. The film is a sequel to the 2018 film, KGF: Chapter 1.
Bhuvan Gowda has handled the cinematography while Ravi Basrur has composed soundtracks for the film.
KGF: Chapter 2’s plot follows the story of Rocky (played by Yash), who after establishing himself as the kingpin of the Kolar Gold Fields, must retain his supremacy against enemies and government officials at the same time while coming to terms with his past.
Made on a budget of Rs 100 crore, KGF: Chapter 2 is the most expensive Kannada film till now. It is also the first Kannada film to be released in IMAX theatres.
The film was originally scheduled to release in theatres on 23 October 2020, to coincide with the Dussehra festival. However, the release was deferred multiple times due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
KGF: Chapter 2’s post-credits scene showcased the final draft of K.G.F: Chapter 3, hinting at a sequel. Prashant Neel had also said earlier that if the audience loves KGF: Chapter 2, we could think of continuing the franchise.
Entertainment
Casino Days Reveal Internal Data on Most Popular Smartphones
International online casino Casino Days has published a report sharing their internal data on what types and brands of devices are used to play on the platform by users from the South Asian region.
Such aggregate data analyses allow the operator to optimise their website for the brands and models of devices people are actually using.
The insights gained through the research also help Casino Days tailor their services based on the better understanding of their clients and their needs.
Desktops and Tablets Lose the Battle vs Mobile
The primary data samples analysed by Casino Days reveal that mobile connections dominate the market in South Asia and are responsible for a whopping 96.6% of gaming sessions, while computers and tablets have negligible shares of 2.9% and 0.5% respectively.
The authors of the study point out that historically, playing online casino was exclusively done on computers, and attribute thе major shift to mobile that has unfolded over time to the wide spread of cheaper smartphones and mobile data plans in South Asia.
“Some of the reasons behind this massive difference in device type are affordability, technical advantages, as well as cheaper and more obtainable internet plans for mobiles than those for computers,” the researchers comment.
Xiaomi and Vivo Outperform Samsung, Apple Way Down in Rankings
Chinese brands Xiaomi and Vivo were used by 21.9% and 20.79% of Casino Days players from South Asia respectively, and together with the positioned in third place with a 18.1% share South Korean brand Samsung dominate the market among real money gamers in the region.
Cupertino, California-based Apple is way down in seventh with a user share of just 2.29%, overshadowed by Chinese brands Realme (11.43%), OPPO (11.23%), and OnePlus (4.07%).
Huawei is at the very bottom of the chart with a tiny share just below the single percent mark, trailing behind mobile devices by Motorola, Google, and Infinix.
The data on actual phone usage provided by Casino Days, even though limited to the gaming parts of the population of South Asia, paints a different picture from global statistics on smartphone shipments by vendors.
Apple and Samsung have been sharing the worldwide lead for over a decade, while current regional leader Xiaomi secured their third position globally just a couple of years ago.
Striking Android Dominance among South Asian Real Money Gaming Communities
The shifted market share patterns of the world’s top smartphone brands in South Asia observed by the Casino Days research paper reveal a striking dominance of Android devices at the expense of iOS-powered phones.
On the global level, Android enjoys a comfortable lead with a sizable 68.79% share which grows to nearly 79% when we look at the whole continent of Asia. The data on South Asian real money gaming communities suggests that Android’s dominance grows even higher and is north of the 90% mark.
Among the major factors behind these figures, the authors of the study point to the relative affordability of and greater availability of Android devices in the region, especially when manufactured locally in countries like India and Vietnam.
“And, with influencers and tech reviews putting emphasis on Android devices, the choice of mobile phone brand and OS becomes easy; Android has a much wider range of products and caters to the Asian online casino market in ways that Apple can’t due to technical limitations,” the researchers add.
The far better integration achieved by Google Pay compared to its counterpart Apple Pay has also played a crucial role in shaping the existing smartphone market trends.
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