Revolving Games, a mobile free-to-play game publisher, has gone Web3. The company announced on Friday that it had received an additional $13.2 million in seed funding from various investors, bringing its total budget to $25 million.
Pantera Capital led the latest round, which included Animoca Brands, Polygon, Dapper Labs, and Rockstar Games founder Dan Houser.
Houser is a seasoned game producer who worked on Rockstar’s “Red Dead Redemption” and “Grand Theft Auto” franchises. He has now joined the advisory board of Revolving Games as an advisor and investor.
Animoca Brands stated that they are proud to be investors in Revolving Games.
Animoca Brands co-founder Yat Siu and Pantera Capital’s Paul Veradittakit said in a statement that they were “proud” to be investors in Revolving Games. According to a press release, Revolving Games, founded by three brothers Saad, Ammar, and Shayan Zaeem, will use the newly raised funds to create “decentralized” games.
“Our vision is simple: to create AAA-quality games that stand out among the best launches at top gaming conventions like Gamescom and E3!” Said Saad Zaeem, co-CEO of Revolving Games “We will be able to strengthen our technology and build a more scalable and fully decentralized gaming future,” co-CEO Ammar Zaeem said in a statement.
Revolving Games is already working on two confirmed titles. The first is a 4X strategy MMO blockchain game based on “Battlestar Galactica,” developed in collaboration with Gala Games and NBCUniversal. It was first announced at this year’s Galaverse conference.
The second is “Skyborne Legacy,” a Nintendo-inspired cooperative RPG on Polygon. While it won’t be officially announced until October, Skyborne’s Twitter feed has been active with some odd posts from what appears to be a mascot or character in the upcoming blockchain game.
When asked about their target audience, Revolving Games co-CEOs Saad and Ammar stated that their primary goal is to attract “traditional gamers.”
These co-CEOs, however, are not crypto “Moonboys.”
“Not every game will or should implement NFTs,” the Zaeem brothers explained. “Moreover, if you incorporate NFTs into your game, you must do so in a way that enhances the user experience rather than simply serving the purpose of monetization.”
So, what should traditional gamers know before embarking on a Revolving Games adventure?
The creators want their games to be free to play with an opt-in economic system.
“The general misconception is that getting into Web3 gaming requires an investment,” they said, adding that “the industry has largely flipped from what was successful in Web2 free-to-play (frictionless awareness-to-discovery) to gated access requirements (paywalls, wallets, and investments).”
The Zaeem brothers want to offer AAA titles with less commitment from players rather than requiring upfront payments or “scholar” systems.
“We believe that before committing their hard-earned dollars to support our games, players should be able to experience our games for free, invest their time in learning our world, and ultimately decide whether or not we’ve provided the experience they were looking for.”
