Sanctor Capital’s Post

Game Devs / Gaming Startups / Studio Founders, which would you take? The Red pill or the Blue pill?? Would love to get industry friend's feedback on this. Is it even possible in 2024, in today's gaming landscape to succeed on a lean & self-funded option? I know the probable rhetoric would be "it depends ..." One path might not be the right for another. Let's say a founder with over 16 years experience in the biz, a lot of learnings, with a great vision for a casual-to-midcore game. Lean and self-funded until now + the ambition to exit in approx 10 years. Blue or Red? Or maybe Purple? 😕 #gamedevelopment, #gamedev, #gameindustry

NPC Labs just raised $21M to revolutionize web3 gaming. Here's what the founders (Ex Coinbase) are planning: Investors: Pantera Capital, Makers Fund, Hashed, Collab+Currency, Sfermion, Mirana Ventures, BitScale, & Mantle EcoFund. What's NPC Labs all about? Founded by Daryl Xu, Viktoriya Hying, and Sean Geng, NPC Labs aims to revolutionize on-chain gaming. As early contributors to Base, they noticed the real user engagement and utility beyond speculation in gaming. This inspired them to create a more engaging and user-friendly on-chain gaming experience. Here's how they're doing it: 🔹 Building B3.fun: A microservices-like Layer 3 ecosystem on Base. This platform allows for: - High transactions per second - Near gasless transactions - Seamless gaming w/out bridging networks 🔹 Developer-Friendly Infrastructure: B3.fun aims to be a one-stop shop for game developers, providing infrastructure, marketing, and distribution support so developers can focus on creating fun games. 🔹 User-Centric Experience: NPC Labs is committed to removing crypto barriers to entry, making it easy and enjoyable for gamers to dive into on-chain gaming. With B3.fun currently in testnet, it supports games built on Ethereum, Base, and other EVM-compatible blockchains, with plans to onboard games from other chains (like Solana) in the future. So what's next? Mainnet Launch: Scheduled for a later date, with details to be announced by B3 and its governing foundation. Potential Token Launch: The decision is up to the governing foundation. "Given the success and traction of Base, we were naturally excited to partner with NPC Labs on their vision to elevate the Base ecosystem with B3," said Franklin Bi, General Partner at Pantera Capital. Global Hiring: NPC Labs is based in the U.S. and currently employs just 5 people, with plans to expand to 10 by hiring across engineering, marketing, and global go-to-market functions. This is a significant step forward for the web3 gaming space, and NPC Labs is at the forefront. What are your thoughts on the future of on-chain gaming? Follow me for more insights the business side of web3.

I'm excited to announce a new partnership between InvestGame and GDEV Inc.! We are launching a new series of deep-dive analysis features focused on investments in the gaming industry. In our first feature, we analyze VCs' interest in the gaming industry. Is there a shift from pure gaming content to tech innovation, or is content still the main contributor? Please find the link to the feature in the first comment. Stay tuned and subscribe for more in-depth analysis! #investgame #gdev #gamingindustry #venturecapital #investmentingaming #marketanalysis

Pixelverse Powers Up with $5.5 Million Funding Spree Pixelverse, a cyberpunk-themed gaming ecosystem, has secured $5.5 million in a funding round led by prominent venture capitalists and gaming industry figures. This cash injection fuels their mission to expand their Web3 gaming platform, which boasts an impressive 5 million daily active users (DAU) within its first month. Pixelverse's unique blend of quest-based gameplay, accessible through both browsers and Telegram, has garnered significant traction. This early user base suggests a strong appetite for their brand of cyberpunk fun. The funding will be used to further develop their game ecosystem and reach a global audience. Investors in the round include venture capital firms like Delphi Ventures, Merit Circle, and Mechanism Capital. Additionally, angel investors including Sébastien Borget (founder of The Sandbox) joined the fray. This mix of expertise suggests confidence in Pixelverse's potential to shape the future of Web3 gaming. With a strong start and a war chest full of fresh funds, Pixelverse is poised to make a significant impact in the ever-evolving Web3 gaming landscape. Their focus on user engagement and accessibility positions them well to attract a passionate gaming community. #web3gaming #xogargames #web3 #gaming #racing PixelVerse Merit Circle Delphi Ventures Mechanism Capital BORGET Sebastien

Why are gaming companies especially vunerable to complete decimation as more agile startup disrupt with tokens and lootboxes? #AskGPT #Decimation2025 Gaming companies, especially established ones, are vulnerable to disruption from agile startups leveraging tokens and loot boxes because of the innovative and adaptable nature of blockchain-based economies, which align closely with the interests of the gaming community. Here’s a breakdown of why traditional gaming companies face this unique vulnerability: https://lnkd.in/gDMhfQuW

Founders often come to me, Brian Cho and Jason Yeh to take advantage of our combined gaming and consumer expertise. Particularly focusing on how to tap into Discord’s vast and engaged user base. Today, we published a guide for start-ups on how to unlock product distribution across the platform. Check out the guide on the Patron blog linked in the comments below! Discord has become ground zero for start-ups building towards a future shaped by games. Whether it’s new ways to interact with AI, trade stocks or beta test with a community of early users, having a Discord presence is often an essential part of a start-up’s go-to-market strategy. Discord is used by ~200 million people every month. Over the next decade, we think this number will grow substantially as another billion people start playing multiplayer games and engaging in an internet that is more interactive and community driven. Building on Discord? Get in touch. #founders #discord #startups #seedstage #discordvcfunds #venturecapital

If you had to take a guess, which industry do you think makes the most money: music, movies, or video games? 🤔 Did you consider anything other than Video games? 🎮 The gaming industry makes more money than movies and music put together. That doesn’t mean the gaming industry didn’t feel the economic hit recently. Companies laid off workers, and funding dropped in 2023. However, VCs are optimistic for 2024. 💼 Last year's fundraising, as per a report by VC Konvoy Ventures, saw an approximately 70% decrease compared to 2022. 📉 Despite some challenges, the gaming industry had many successes in 2023. Games like Baldur’s Gate 3 and Hogwarts Legacy sold millions of copies. The industry is expected to reach $229 billion by 2030. 🎮💰 Josh Chapman mentioned in a recent chat that the gaming scene will return to normal growth in 2024 after the gaming and crypto investment frenzy during the pandemic. 📈 With gaming moving from mobile to cross-platform, which costs more but pays off, and AI just starting, startups get new opportunities with trends. Some of the major investments were made in 2023. 💡 Gusto Collective Kooply AVALON Nifty Island 🏝 Konvoy #gamesindustry #games #videogames #gamingtrends #techinvestment #gamedevelopment #industryinsights #industrygrowth #digitalentertainment #innovation #gamingcommunity #virtualworlds #futuretech #businessgrowth #aitechnology

🎮🛠️ Web3 tech improvements are beginning to catalyze the promise of Fully On-Chain Games. The latest from BITKRAFT Ventures shed light on Fully On-Chain Games (FOCG), a "hard form application" innovation in the gaming industry. Some implications for web3 gaming venture investing: Interoperability: FOCGs leverage blockchain to store game logic and virtual goods, ensuring true permissionless ownership and transparency. This shifts control to players, enabling a decentralized ecosystem where game assets are tradeable and usable across multiple platforms, heralding a new era of interoperable gaming universes. New Business Models: FOCGs disrupt traditional revenue streams by decentralizing control and enabling player-driven economies. In-game items and experiences can be monetized independently by players separate from ad networks, similar to how modding in games has shown demand for user-generated content. I'm excited about mod-to-earn models, in addition to Free (money) to Play models. Early-Stage Opportunities: The infancy of FOCGs represents a prime investment window. Early investments here can capitalize on solving technical and UX challenges, positioning investors at the forefront of blockchain gaming. Cross-Game Ecosystems: Investment in platforms that facilitate asset interoperability across games is crucial. This interoperability is similar to how app stores revolutionized mobile gaming and apps. ⚠️ Some challenges to consider: Technical Hurdles: Issues like latency and high transaction costs pose significant challenges. FOCGs, currently best suited for simpler games, need innovations such as ephemeral chains and battle rollups to improve performance and reduce costs. User Experience: Simplifying blockchain interactions, such as managing wallets and paying gas fees, is essential. Investments in UX improvements will be critical to attract mainstream gamers, who are accustomed to the seamless experiences of traditional games. Game Play: At the end of the day, FOCGs must attract and retain their player communities with fun mechanics. These may enable new social experiences. 🔗 Full insights here: https://lnkd.in/eSRbid-H #Web3 #Gaming #VentureCapital #OnChainGaming #FOCGs

22 Year Old Innovates Roblox Tools For Developers At just 22, Zander Brumbaugh has turned his passion for Roblox into a groundbreaking venture that's catching the tech world's attention. What began as a childhood fascination with the platform evolved into a successful career in game development, with his creations attracting over 500 million visits and peaking at 80,000 concurrent users. Yet, Brumbaugh’s journey didn’t stop there. Noticing a gap in the tools available to developers, he set out to build Gamebeast, a platform designed to empower game creators with the sophisticated tools they need. Gamebeast, launched late last year, is filling a crucial void in the gaming industry. The platform offers developers the ability to make real-time adjustments to their games without requiring a new release or disrupting active play. This feature is particularly valuable in a market where immediate data-driven decisions are essential for maintaining player engagement. Brumbaugh's experience consulting for major entertainment studios like Netflix and NBCUniversal highlighted the industry’s need for these advanced tools, which Gamebeast is now addressing. J2 Ventures A16Z GAMES SPEEDRUN the mini fund Spaceport.xyz Le Zhang Christine Keung Roblox Zander Brumbaugh Gamebeast #Gaming #Roblox #Gamebeast Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/exMxhNDs