Applications
FremantleMedia, Deep Silver to make console game for ‘The X-Factor’
MUMBAI: Deep Silver, the games label of Koch Media, has announced an agreement with FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) to produce a multi-territory console game based on the talent show The X Factor.
With versions for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Wii and PlayStation 3, the game will be available from Q4 2010 in multiple languages in numerous European territories where the show is made including the UK, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.
The game will look to capture the excitement and entertainment of the TV show and will include auditions, boot camp and judges’ houses levels as well as several game modes from individual career to duets and battles so family and friends can all enjoy together.
Deep Silver International Marketing Director Georg Larch says, “To be able to work with a phenomenal brand such as The X Factor is an incredible opportunity. The X Factor is a truly global brand which is instantly recognisable to thousands of gamers and TV fans around the world. With the developer, Hydravision Entertainment, Deep Silver will be creating a game that is a true adaptation of the show from the hilarity of the auditions to the excitement of the live show; we will be testing the singing skills of the player and will feature the sharp critique of the judges.”
FME executive VP licensing Europe, Middle East and Africa Mark Newton says, “The X Factor has proven a massive global success with local versions being produced now in more than 20 countries including France, Belgium, Denmark and more, and through FME’s global network we can take advantage of market opportunities and give fans even more ways to engage with the brand on different platforms. We needed partners with the same multi-territory approach and commitment to quality, so Hydravision and Deep Silver were a natural choice.”
The first series of The X Factor, coproduced by FremantleMedia company talkbackThames and Simon Cowell’s Syco TV, began in September 2004 in the UK.
A panel of expert judges from the music industry preside over initial auditions, with audience votes coming into play during the later live shows featuring the selected contestants in four distinct categories, one assigned to each of the four judges (14-24 year old boys, 14-24 year old girls, over 25s and groups).
The X Factor is open to all ages, styles, solo acts or groups. And the performers aren’t the only ones competing – it’s judge versus judge, artist versus artist. The format has been sold in over 20 countries.
Applications
With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
