GamesBeat Next is connecting the next generation of video game leaders. And you can join us, coming up October 28th and 29th in San Francisco! Take advantage of our buy one, get one free pass offer. Sale ends this Friday, August 16th. Join us by registering here.
RallyHere is a backend services provider that supports the launch of live services games such as Smite 2 and those coming from ProbablyMonsters.
RallyHere is a backend technology company that makes it easier for game companies to launch multiplayer games. It’s a small team based in Atlanta that made it possible to create the multiplayer gaming in the title Smite. Its focus is on live services games, a new category that promises riches but, as recent events have shown, also raises a lot of challenges.
“You have to be steeled for failure and prepared for success in this industry,” said Stewart Chisam, head of RallyHere, in our interview. “It’s a real tough industry. Most games struggle. But if your game does explode (in a good way), the last thing you want to do is burn that lottery ticket. No one knows how their game is going to do before you launch it. We de-risk it.”
It’s a category of gaming that is full of opportunity and peril, as live services games like Smite have lasted for years while Sony’s recently launched Concord — envisioned to last for years as a live services game — flopped in the market and was canceled after just 12 days in the market. One of ProbablyMonsters‘ former divisions (sold to Sony), Firewalk Studios, made the Concord game with the hopes it would last for years. It didn’t. But ProbablyMonsters has more games in the works, and it has raised $250 million.
Advertisement
Join us for GamesBeat Next!
GamesBeat Next is connecting the next generation of video game leaders. And you can join us, coming up October 28th and 29th in San Francisco! Take advantage of our buy one, get one free pass offer. Sale ends this Friday, August 16th. Join us by registering here.
Chisam said in an interview at the Devcom game developer event in Germany that RallyHere’s job is to offload game developers by handling backend services tasks so the game makers can focus on the game. Hi-Rez Studios has created the RallyHere division to provide its technology to other game companies. The idea is to offload mundane yet critical tasks that game developers don’t have to do so they can focus on making a great game, said Chisam.
“We’re plumbing and infrastructure for these games. What’s going to set your game apart is your game not necessarily the plumbing. It will only set your game apart of the plumbing is bad. Strengthening that plumbing is an advantage we have,” Chisam said.
Advertisement
Chisam said that RallyHere has been crucial in helping its parent company bring Smite 2 to its current stage, just ahead of its launch. It’s a setup not unlike Epic Games and how it uses its game Fortnite to learn about development challenges and address them with improvements to its Unreal game engine. It’s like eating your own dogfood.
“Smite 2 will be interesting. Making a sequel to a live service game is an interesting challenge, but we’re very excited. It’s been great for RallyHere, providing the tech side. And of course, RallyHere is associated with Hi-Rez Studios, which is making Smite 2. It’s good synergy for both learning do a lot of interesting things,” Chisam said.
RallyHere is also accelerating the development of new titles from the Battle Barge and Hidden Grove teams.
Origins
Atlanta-based Hi-Rez Studios announced RallyHere in February 2023, and the goal in the first year or so was to find early customers to work with. That plan worked out. Now RallyHere has 40 people.
Chisam believes the lessons learned in working on the Smite titles will be useful to other game companies. The backend solutions paired with an expert engineering support team will help shape the success and longevity of live service games.
Advertisement
“Live service games like Smite 2 are incredibly complex,” Chisam said in a talk at Devcom. “You’re not just managing a game; you’re managing an entire ecosystem of players, sessions, servers, and data. That’s where our platform comes in.”
This kind of talk has been echoed by a number of other game backend solution companies, like Playfab, which was acquired by Microsoft.
Chisam said his company works with live services game makers before they launch so that they can manage their live services. He said a lot of customers seem to need help with the prototyping phase as well. A live service game has to have a lot of operations in place as it proceeds. The RallyHere team has enough veterans on it to help companies set up community management and support and more.
“In our view, a company like RallyHere is only going to be successful if our customers are successful, and it’s really important to get to get those other operational elements set up well. And we think over time, we’ll learn where there are opportunities to further automate some of those things and integrate them into the software tools,” he said.
Advertisement
Four key platform components
Chisam highlighted the four key components of RallyHere’s platform, connecting directly to the challenges all multiplatform, cross-progression live service game developers face.
He said the first thing to focus on is player management.
“At the heart of any great game is a strong connection with the players,” Chisam said. Whether it’s handling logins, linking accounts, or managing a player’s inventory and progress, the goal is to ensure players feel invested and enjoy the game without hiccups. It’s about giving developers the tools to engage and retain players over the long haul.
Advertisement
He also said the next component is sessions and server orchestration. Chisam then introduced Gameflow, explaining, “It’s our comprehensive solution that encompasses Session Management, Matchmaking, and Fleet Commander. Together, they form a powerful system that ensures players are grouped effectively and their sessions are hosted on the best possible servers. This combination balances performance and cost, ensuring that, no matter where your players are, they’re getting the best possible experience.”
RallyHere also focuses on publishing and LiveOps.
“It’s not enough just to launch a game,” Chisam continued. “You’ve got to keep it fresh, keep it engaging. That’s where our Publishing & LiveOps tools come in. These tools help developers manage everything from in-game purchases to rolling out new content and events. And with our Developer Portal, game dev teams can quickly adjust and respond to what’s happening in the game, keeping the community vibrant and the experience fresh.”
And finally RallyHere focuses on data and analytics. Chisam discussed the importance of data in making informed decisions about a game’s future.
Advertisement
“Our data and analytics tools give developers deep insights into what’s happening in their game. It’s not just about tracking KPIs; it’s about understanding player behavior, seeing what’s working and what’s not, and then making the right decisions to improve the game. Whether fine-tuning gameplay mechanics or identifying the best times to launch new content, the data we provide helps developers make smarter decisions that enhance the player experience.”
A shared vision: RallyHere’s collaboration with ProbablyMonsters
RallyHere’s platform isn’t just powering Smite 2; it’s also driving forward the work at ProbablyMonsters, an independent video game company known for its innovative approach to development. ProbablyMonsters has raised more than $250 million to date.
RallHere’s partnership is built on the same technological foundation that supports Smite 2, providing comprehensive live service operations for ProbablyMonsters’ upcoming titles.
Advertisement
Mark Subotnick, senior vice president of partnerships at ProbablyMonsters, said in a statement that RallyHere’s track record and deep understanding of game development were key factors in the decision to partner.
“RallyHere isn’t just another service provider,” Subotnick said. “They are also game developers who understand at a deep level what we’re trying to achieve and how to get us there.”
Subotnick emphasized the benefits of working with RallyHere, particularly in terms of reducing the operational headaches that often come with game development. “By having a trusted partner like RallyHere, we can focus on the game itself, knowing that our backend needs are expertly managed,” he added. This close collaboration has enabled ProbablyMonsters to accelerate their development process, moving quickly from testing to playtesting environments with RallyHere’s support.
RallyHere’s growing influence in live service gaming
The success of Smite 2’s alpha launch and the ongoing partnership with ProbablyMonsters highlight RallyHere’s growing influence in the live service gaming space. The platform’s ability to support games at scale, combined with its deep integration with developers, positions RallyHere as one of the games backend services leaders.
As Chisam pointed out at Devcom, the real work begins after a game’s launch. The collaboration between RallyHere and ProbablyMonsters exemplifies the mutual benefits of a well-aligned partnership, with both companies gaining increased velocity and success as they work together to bring new games to market. This partnership sets the stage for future collaborations that will continue to shape the landscape of live service games, Chisam said.
Advertisement
As Activision noted for Call of Duty, skill-based matchmaking is hard because game makers have to balance getting people into a match fast with putting the right combination of skillful players into the match to make the game close.
“I’d rather wait for minutes rather than get into a bad match,” he said. “If you have smaller numbers of players, the problem gets a lot harder.”
Typically, game companies don’t know what load a game can handle until they have lots of players. They can do testing when there are hundreds or small thousands of layers. But when it comes time to launch, there could be a million players or more ready to play the game. And they won’t want to wait.
Looking ahead
RallyHere is working with ProbablyMonsters on a couple of games. Going into 2025, Chisam said, “We’re now looking to more ramp up the sales and marketing and start to execute more on signing up a lot more customers.”
The tech and operations are stable, he said. Now customers with multiple games like ProbablyMonsters can ship them with a common platform. The result is common operations for publishing teams, marketing teams, community and support teams, and common data collection for key metrics.
Advertisement
“That’s really becoming a focus. We’re working with one other kind of multigame publisher we haven’t announced yet as well,” he said.
One of the tasks is to get players in and out of matches in a smooth game flow. Doing that successfully is a complicated thing to orchestrate, he said. There are multiple vendors in this space.
“What we’re able to do is put one API that developers can develop to and then we’re able to go out and work with all of these vendors, plus the major cloud vendors like Azure, and orchestrate this for you, versus you having vendor lock in to any one of those players,” Chisam said. “If one of the vendors has a problem, we can seamlessly reallocate in the backend to another vendor.”
As far as pricing goes, Chisam said his firm is close to the enterprise subscription pricing of other rivals in the market, and RallyHere’s support for Smite 2 is a good proof point. The RallyHere team has grown to about 40 people. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hi-Rez.
Advertisement
As for big hits this year like Helldivers 2 and Palworld, Chisam said that if a game is extremely successful like those games, RallyHere can help a company pivot much faster and gain more advantages given the server orchestration and cross-platform work.
Disclosure: Devcom paid my way to Germany, where I moderated a couple of panels.
VB Daily
Stay in the know! Get the latest news in your inbox daily
As the startup landscape evolves, so do hiring strategies. With Big Tech downsizing and the labor market tightening, founders must navigate a conservative job market to attract and retain top talent.
The hiring landscape in 2025 will offer challenges and opportunities for those who can adapt. Founders now hold increased leverage, but respect for staff and retention of key players remain vital. How can entrepreneurs strike this balance?
Join us at TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 at Moscone West in San Francisco from October 28-30, for a conversation with Heather Doshay, partner, People & Talent of SignalFire; Lauren Illovsky, talent partner of CapitalG; and Roger Lee, CEO of Comprehensive.io to explore innovative hiring strategies that align with changing market conditions.
Meet the speakers
Heather Doshay, Partner, People & Talent, SignalFire
Heather Doshay brings nearly two decades of experience guiding startups toward success through strategic talent management. At SignalFire, a venture firm designed to meet founders’ needs with cutting-edge technology, Heather leverages her expertise to help companies capitalize on the talent flooding the market. Before joining SignalFire, Heather held executive roles at Webflow and Rainforest QA, and led the Candidate Marketplace at Hired. Her deep understanding of recruitment in the tech sector makes her a key voice on the current shift in hiring dynamics and how startups can recruit top performers in a post-pandemic world.
Advertisement
Lauren Illovsky, Talent Partner, CapitalG
Lauren Illovsky leads talent strategy across CapitalG’s portfolio, working closely with founders to refine executive recruiting and organizational development. Having previously worked at Accel and Andreessen Horowitz, Lauren’s experience spans various aspects of talent management, from helping CEOs transition out of their roles to identifying board members who can drive long-term success. Her deep insights into startup leadership make her an invaluable resource for founders who are navigating complex hiring challenges, particularly in the competitive startup ecosystem.
Roger Lee, CEO, Comprehensive.io
Roger Lee has revolutionized the way companies manage compensation with Comprehensive.io, which automates complex compensation processes. His company is dedicated to streamlining compensation management and increasing pay transparency, key factors in both recruiting and retaining talent in today’s competitive market. As the creator of Layoffs.fyi, a website tracking tech industry layoffs, Roger is uniquely attuned to the shifts in employment trends and compensation strategies in the tech world. Roger can offer practical solutions to founders grappling with compensation complexities in a tight labor market.
Now, X’s lawyers said the company had done exactly what Mr. Musk vowed not to: take down accounts that a Brazilian justice ordered removed because the judge said they threatened Brazil’s democracy. X also complied with the justice’s other demands, including paying fines and naming a new formal representative in the country, the lawyers said.
Strands is the NYT’s latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it’s great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.
SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don’t read on if you don’t want to know the answers.
Your Strands expert
Your Strands expert
Marc McLaren
NYT Strands today (game #203) – hint #1 – today’s theme
What is the theme of today’s NYT Strands?
• Today’s NYT Strands theme is… I’ve got you under my skin
Advertisement
NYT Strands today (game #203) – hint #2 – clue words
Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.
TRAIN
THEM
RIVER
ROLE
HATE
HATER
NYT Strands today (game #203) – hint #3 – spangram
What is a hint for today’s spangram?
• They keep you going
NYT Strands today (game #203) – hint #4 – spangram position
What are two sides of the board that today’s spangram touches?
First: left, 5th row
Last: right, 5th row
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE THEM.
Advertisement
NYT Strands today (game #203) – the answers
The answers to today’s Strands, game #203, are…
BRAIN
LIVER
HEART
KIDNEYS
STOMACH
LUNGS
SPANGRAM: INTERNALORGANS
My rating: Easy
My score: Perfect
As is so often the case with Strands, the key today was in working out what the theme was, because once you had that the answers were all pretty obvious. The theme clue of ‘I’ve got you under my skin’ was a nice one – cryptic, but not to the extent that you didn’t have any idea what kind of thing you could be looking for. I found BRAIN by accident, and that was enough to make it clear what the other solutions would be. Finding the likes of KIDNEYS and LIVER was easy enough, and once the spangram was in place there was very little room for failure.
Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.
Yesterday’s NYT Strands answers (Saturday 21 September, game #202)
ARENA
STADIUM
NIGHTCLUB
THEATER
FESTIVAL
SPANGRAM: CONCERTVENUE
What is NYT Strands?
Strands is the NYT’s new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It’s now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT’s games stable and can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.
I’ve got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you’re struggling to beat it each day.
Police can access a trove of data from smart speakers found at crime scenes that could be invaluable in solving murders or burglaries, say researchers. Data on recently recognised faces, internet searches and any voice commands received could be extracted even without the owner’s permission or assistance from the manufacturer.
Jona Crasselt and Gaston Pugliese at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany decided to explore how much information can be pulled from these devices after seeing news coverage of Amazon refusing to…
These days, when it comes to streaming services, you have your pick of options. Plenty of these come with a hefty price tag, and the major streamers regularly announce price hikes. However, consumers are feeling stretched thin and looking for ways to watch TV without breaking their budget in the process. That’s where advertising video on demand (AVOD) and free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) services come in. Options like Tubi, Pluto, the Roku Channel, and, more recently, Google TV are there to fill in the gap.
Tubi is one of the big players in this space, as an AVOD/FAST (we’ll refer to it as just free streaming going forward) service with more than 200,000 movies and TV shows and over 200 live TV channels — for free.
But just because it’s free doesn’t mean you should jump ship from all of your other streaming services. After all, can this Fox-owned free streaming platform really compete with the likes of Netflix, Hulu, and others? Here’s everything you need to know about Tubi.
Tubi is a streaming service with a twist: it’s free. The fast-growing company offers up a combination of on-demand movies and TV shows, originals (this would be the AVOD part), and live TV streaming channels (the FAST part) without you having to shell out for a monthly subscription. Think of it as a sort of commercialized version of Netflix without the subscription fees.
Since Tubi is free, you’re going to have to make some compromises, though. First and foremost, there are ads. They aren’t overwhelming, but they’re there. Second, the on-demand content is mostly older movies and shows rerun on cable and other broadcast services. However, while Tubi has yet to produce any of its own original content, the streamer has a ton of it made for the service that can be found in its Tubi Originals section. More on that below.
Advertisement
Tubi was bought by Fox in 2020 for $440 million, and recently reported more than 81 million monthly active users as of September 2024.
Don’t be fooled: There’s plenty to watch on Tubi — it boasts the largest catalog of film and TV titles of any AVOD service at 200,000, and offers more than 200 live TV channels for local news and sports. The free streamer also has more than 100 original titles with more on the way this year, spanning several genres including thriller, sci-fi, horror, romance, adult animation, and Black cinema titles. It’s also bringing in some original content from its siblings TMZ, MarVista Entertainment, and animated specialist Bento Box Entertainment.
In the meantime, sift through Tubi and you’ll find several diamonds in the rough. A quick five-minute search unearthed several decent selections, including Lovecraft Country, Boondock Saints, Ready or Not, The Witches of Eastwick, Independence Day, Vice, and the docuseries How It’s Made. Tubi also offers live TV channels across entertainment, news, sports, and more, including ABC News, NBC News Now, Fox, TMZ, People TV, the NFL Channel, Fox Sports, and MLB. There’s also a fairly impressive offering of shows and movies on Tubi Kids, including The Secret Life of Pets, The Dark Crystal, The Magic Schoolbus, Transformers: Prime,Strawberry Shortcake, and more.
The catalog isn’t available in 4K Ultra HD resolution and tops out at Full HD, depending on the age of the material. There’s no option to upgrade for a better viewing experience, either. Tubi is free, so if you aren’t happy with the experience as is, you will need to seek out an alternative. Fortunately, there’s no shortage of them.
Chances are that if you own a (modern) device that can connect to the internet, it supports Tubi. The streaming service is accessible via your web browser and as a mobile app for both Android and iOS. It’s also available on streaming devices and systems such as Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Google Chromecast, Android TV, TiVo, and as we mentioned above, it was recently added to Google TV. There are even dedicated apps for the PlayStation 4 and Playstation 5, as well as Xbox One, Series X, and Series S.
If you don’t own a set-top box or streaming stick, you may be able to install it on your television itself. If you’re a Comcast Xfinity X1 or Cox Contour cable customer, you can add it to your plan. Plus, owners of Samsung, Sony, Vizio, Hisense, or LG smart TVs can find the Tubi application available in their respective app store. If you’re outside the U.S., however, the list of supported devices varies from country to country.
Given the nonexistent price, there isn’t a whole lot to Tubi when it comes to features. If you want to watch something aimed at mature audiences, you’ll need to register for an account — and that’s where the tools come in. Doing so will allow you to continue watching where you left off (on any device), create a queue, and receive recommendations based on your viewing habits.
You can’t get something for nothing in this world; if you want to watch a show for free, you’re going to need to put up with an ad or two, both before and during the show — you know, just like in the olden days. The ads aren’t as intrusive as you might think. You’ll typically watch a 20-second ad before your show starts and then sit through a 40-second commercial about halfway through.
And partly because it’s owned by Fox, Tubi has a surprisingly deep well of content. Some of it might even be more recent than you’d expect. And that makes sense, because more recent (and popular) content draws in more views, and that means more eyeballs on advertising, and more money in everyone’s pocket.
Let’s not look this gift horse in the mouth, though: Tubi is free, and for that reason alone, it’s worth sifting through the catalog in the hopes of striking gold — which is happening more frequently lately. After all, if you find at least one thing you like, it was time well spent.
Advertisement
In summary, we don’t think makes sense to have Tubi as your only streaming service. But it is a no-risk platform with some really interesting and quality niche content for fans. And with the growth of AVOD and FAST services such as Tubi, Pluto, Plex, The Roku Channel, Amazon FreeVee and more, customers are thinking more about dumping their subscription services like Hulu, Netflix, and Disney+, and putting up with ads, which may not be as intrusive as you might think. Either way, adding a free-streaming service like Tubi to your roster is risk-free, so why wouldn’t you?
Apple finally introduced the new iPhone 16 series earlier this month. The Cupertino tech giant has now begun shipping the new iPhones to the early buyers. As soon as the iPhone 16 started shipping, the first teardown video of the iPhone 16 Pro surfaced online. YouTube channel REWA Technology has posted a teardown video of the iPhone 16 Pro, which gives us a sneak peek at all the internals of the new iPhone.
The teardown shows that Apple has made a lot of design changes under the hood of the new iPhones. Notably, another YouTube channel Disassembling Parts has posted a teardown of the iPhone 16 Pro Max variant.
iPhone 16 Pro teardown reveals a compact and more densely packed motherboard
As you can see in the teardown video below, the iPhone 16 Pro features a considerably smaller motherboard. Compared to the iPhone 15 Pro, the motherboard on the 16 Pro is smaller and is more densely packed. Furthermore, the overall layout of the components is quite different. The new iPhone 16 Pro model also features better heat dissipation too. However, the tighter space could make repairs harder.
A metal-encased battery, larger camera assembly, and non-removable Camera Control button
Furthermore, the iPhone 16 Pro video reveals that Apple has packed the phone with a metal-encased battery. This is expected to aid with heat dissipation. Also, the 3,582mAh battery is 9.4 percent larger than the 3,274mAh power-cell of its predecessor.
Advertisement
The teardown shows that the camera assembly on the iPhone 16 is larger than the one on its predecessor. This is due to the inclusion of the 12MP periscope telephoto lens. However, the selfie camera module is slightly smaller this time around.
The video also reveals that the new Camera Control button is non-removable as it is laser welded. Also, the company has separated the microphone from the charging port. The inner shell of the new iPhone is made from aluminum and graphite.
iPhone 16 Pro Max teardown reveals its battery is still encased in black foil
The iPhone 16 Pro Max’s teardown video shows that the bigger phone’s battery is still encased in black foil. You may be wondering why this one’s battery isn’t encased in steel. Well, this is due to the large size of the iPhone 16 Pro Max, which automatically provides better heat dissipation. Since there’s a lot more internal room, the company could get by without putting the phone’s battery in a steel case.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login