Gaming
Disney India and Salman Khan announce the official mobile game on ‘Kick’
MUMBAI: You have enjoyed his dialogues, his dance moves and even his unique style… here is your chance to play Salman Khan in the newly launched Kick mobile game. Disney India’s Interactive business, today announced the launch of the official mobile game based on the most awaited movie of the year – ‘Kick’.
The game has all the elements of the movie – heroism, stealth, entertainment and above all, the game avatar of Salman Khan’s character himself! Superstar Salman Khan and actress Jacqueline Fernandez were present to launch the game amidst much fanfare. Salman Khan being his usual witty self, enjoyed showing off his gaming skills and entertained the crowd with his comments and sense of humour. The game is developed for both feature phones and smartphones (Android, Windows) to reach out to a wide audience of mobile users in the country. The iOS and feature phone version of the game will be launched along with the release of the movie.
In the game titled after the movie, the player takes on the role of Devil (Salman Khan’s movie character) and embarks upon a benevolent yet exciting journey where he robs from the rich and corrupt and deposits that money in the bank for philanthropic causes. The game sways in two phases letting the player experience robbing and escaping gameplays consecutively. The objective of a level is achieved only when the player manages to complete both the phases. The gamer will need to play in stealth style and escape the cops in grit. The gameplay includes numerous obstacles which include security alarms, lasers, manholes, street cones and more.
Commenting on the launch of the game, actor Salman Khan, said, “We (Sajid, me and the KICK team) wanted to create an interactive experience of our movie for the fans. The mobile game developed by Disney India is both exciting and easy to play which makes it fun and engaging. I hope my fans will enjoy playing the KICK game as much as I do.”
Producer and Director, Sajid Nadiadwala said, “Kick is a very special movie for us and we wanted to take the movie’s experience to all the audiences and give them a taste of the unique style of Salman’s film character and the essence of the movie through this game. The team has worked really hard to create a fun game and we are happy with the outcome.”
“The kind of movie that Kick is, its concept of action comedy, perfectly lends itself to making a game. The game based on the movie will give gamers and Salman Khan’s fans an opportunity to not only play as Salman Khan himself but also enjoy an immersive gameplay offering the essence of their favourite star’s movie. Salman and the team have been very excited about the game and worked closely with our team to make it happen. We are confident that the game will be a blockbuster hit just like the movie,” said Disney Idnia MD Siddharth Roy Kapur.
“Gaming today has emerged as one of the top entertainment sources on mobile phones in the country and Indians love Bollywood. By marrying the two, it extends the experience of the movie to consumers in an interactive environment through a highly engaging game,”said Disney India VP and head (interactive) Sameer Ganapathy.
Kick will hit the theatres worldwide on 25th July 2014. So get your gaming hats on and get gaming as Salman Khan this Eid!
Game now available on:
Android – Google Play Store link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.indiagames.kick
SYNOPSIS OF THE FILM:
On a train journey in Warsaw, apretty psychiatrist, Shaina, meets Himanshu, a police officer from India, for an arranged match. Both not wanting to marry, become friends and share their pasts.
Shaina shares the story of her ex-boyfriend Devi, a guy who lived only for his ‘Kick.’ She talks about his madness and their whirlwind romance, until one day he breaks up with her for a new kick and walks away, never to return.
Himanshu tells her about his glorious escapades and that he has finally met his match; an intelligent thief.
What they don’t know is that both their stories have one thing in common; Devi. He returns back into their lives under a new guise of having lost his memory. Behind it all, is a deeper mystery and an uncompromising mission, for which Devi is ready to lose his life.
What is the mystery of Devi and his real mission?
Do Shaina and Himanshu find their closure?
Releasing this Eid, Kick promises to be a complete wholesome action entertainer with Superstar Salman Khan at his natural best – An action hero and a passionate, naughty lover.
Gaming
MTG gaming chief Benninghoff joins NODWIN board as esports firm primes for IPO
The Gurugram-based esports firm is pursuing a public listing, has returned to profitability and is growing revenues by 42 per cent
GURUGRAM: NODWIN Gaming is moving fast. The Gurugram-based gaming and esports company has launched a pre-IPO fundraising round, appointed UBS as lead adviser for both the round and a subsequent public listing, and landed a heavyweight board director, all in one go.
The new board member is Arnd Benninghoff, executive vice president of gaming at Stockholm-listed Modern Times Group (MTG), who has overseen the group’s strategic investments and portfolio growth since 2014. He is no stranger to building things: Benninghoff has founded and built fifteen companies, served as chief digital officer at ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG, managing director of SevenVentures, and chief executive of Holtzbrinck eLAB. He began his career as a journalist at Deutsche Presse Agentur and various TV networks, holds a Diplom-Kaufmann in business and administration from the University of Münster, and previously sat on the board of Edgeware AB.
The numbers back the ambition
NODWIN is not pitching a story without substance. The company has returned to EBITDA profitability and posted a 42 per cent year-on-year revenue surge, reaching $58.5m in the first nine months of FY2026. The pre-IPO round will combine a primary issuance to fund global expansion through organic growth and acquisitions, alongside a secondary sale to give existing shareholders some liquidity.
Akshat Rathee, co-founder and managing director of NODWIN Gaming, said Benninghoff understands “the entire lifecycle of the gaming and media ecosystem, from the boots-on-the-ground reality of building startups to the strategic complexity of managing multi-billion dollar global portfolios.”
Benninghoff, for his part, said the company “sits at the intersection of sports, entertainment, and technology, making it one of the most exciting players in the global gaming landscape today.”
A portfolio built for the global south
Founded in 2014 by Rathee and Gautam Virk, NODWIN has quietly assembled one of the more compelling esports portfolios outside the Western hemisphere. Its properties include DreamHack India and Comic Con India, and it recently acquired StarLadder, the Ukraine-based tournament organiser behind premier events in CS:GO and Dota 2. The company also serves as a long-term strategic marketing partner for the Evolution Championship Series (EVO), the world’s most prominent fighting game tournament, helping push it into new geographies.
Its geographic focus spans South Asia, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Backers include Nazara Technologies, KRAFTON, Sony Group Corporation, JetSynthesys, and the founders’ investment vehicle Good Game Investments.
What comes next
With UBS running the books, a board freshly reinforced with European media and gaming expertise, and revenue heading in the right direction, NODWIN is laying the groundwork deliberately. The esports industry has burned investors before with big promises and thin margins. NODWIN’s return to profitability, combined with a real portfolio of owned intellectual properties across gaming, music and youth culture, gives it a more credible runway than most. The IPO clock is now ticking.
