Blade Games Raises $4 Million

Blade Games Inc., a provider of game development systems and outsourcing services, has raised $4 million in first-round funding led by California Technology Ventures. The company was formed earlier this year via the merger of Digini Inc. and Vyk Games. Digini had raised a small amount of funding from California Technology Ventures, while Vyk had raised capital from China Seed Ventures.

 

PRESS RELEASE

On the heels of its company formation announcement last month, Blade Games World, Inc. (http://www.BladeGamesWorld.com) announced an initial round of investment totaling US $4 million. The round is being led by California Technology Ventures.

“We are pleased that California Technology Ventures shares our vision to create a new breed of integrated game development solutions and market place for everyone from the hobbyist to the professional game developer,” said Tony Garcia, CEO of Blade Games. “Our teams, both here in Seattle and in China, have already begun to expand our offering.”

“The global video game market has significantly grown in recent years, and we believe that innovation will continue to drive market success in the future. Having invested in the game space for many years we believe this business model can be game changing,” stated Alex Suh, Managing Director of California Technology Ventures. “Blade Games offers such a remarkable solution that it will significantly expand the capabilities of the market by enabling a much lower cost to entry, which will in turn help to introduce new business opportunities and – more importantly – greater ideas for interactive entertainment to the lives of millions around the world.”

“Blade Games is breaking down the barrier to entry even further by making XNA development easier than anyone could have imagined,” said Tom Sperry, President of Blade. “With the resources the merger brings to the table, the newly formed company combines a value proposition for the industry that will fuel growth and creative ideas, which we think will be recognized as a gold standard in the foreseeable future.”

Blade3D is a revolutionary “all-in-one” game engine and authoring platform that enables every developer from the individual to the professional team to build their dream game. The innovative application removes the traditional barriers to success with its low-cost, highly robust tool set. The intuitive, easy to navigate interface seamlessly blends all disciplines of game creation, from artist to designer to programmer. The subscription-based technology works with Microsoft XNA game development platform, allowing for easy publishing to Xbox 360 and Windows. To assist with development, Blade3D’s first-ever integrated asset Marketplace is designed to put “in-game” resources a mouse click away. Blade3D is available with price points of $14.95 per month for hobbyists and students, $29.95 per month for independent developers, and $99.95 per month for professional developers.

About California Technology Ventures

California Technology Ventures, LLC (CTV) is a venture capital fund that makes direct investments in technology and life science companies. CTV has built a strong reputation for its entrepreneurial approach to investing and working with companies. CTV believes in guiding entrepreneurs through the strategic, operational, and management decisions critical to a company’s success. CTV actively leverages their global resources, people, and capital to help their companies achieve category leadership.

About Blade Games World, Inc.

Based in Bellevue, Washington, with offices in Shanghai and Nanjing, China, Blade Games is the newly formed company combining Digini and Vyk Games. The company offers a complete video game development solution accessible to any and all developers, from the students to the professional studio. The company is led by a strong executive team with management experience from Electronic Arts, Microsoft Game Studios, Microsoft Visual Studio, Motorola, and Lucas Arts. Additional information about Blade3D, including price points and product offerings are available at http://www.BladeGamesWorld.com.