译文/Translated：
- Bright Star Studios宣布获得70万美金的种子前融资，本次融资的主要投资方是Play Ventures，同时Galaxy Interactive 也参与其中。
- Unity Studios 前CEO Allan Kirkeby以高级监制的身份加入公司
- Popdog 和 SK Gaming联合创始人Andreas Thorstensson以顾问身份加入公司
- 其旗舰游戏MMORPG（大型在线多人角色扮演）游戏Ember Sword现已开放预注册
主攻下一代社交MMORPG（大型在线多人角色扮演）的游戏公司Bright Star Studios今天宣布获得了种子前的70万美元投资，本次融资主要资方是Play Ventures，Galaxy Interactive也通过其Galaxy EOS VC Fund参与了投资。这笔资金将用来扩充团队、加速上线第一个游戏。Unity Studios 前CEO Allan Kirkeby已经加入公司，担任高级监制。
Bright Star Studios主攻方向是创建新颖、 免费的MMO（大型多人在线）体验，实现玩家为中心的经济模式，解决本类型游戏中长期存在的问题。
“我们每一步都考虑了玩家体验。一般来说，进入MMORPG很慢，但是我们的游戏零摩擦，所以你可以直接开始游戏，不需要花很长时间下载和安装游戏。我们的业务模型也不包含盲盒和‘付费即胜利’的充值模式，这样我们的玩家就可以在一个公平的竞争环境中游戏，” Bright Star CEO Mark Laursen说。
我们的团队都是经验丰富的创业者，在游戏开发、开发人员软件工具、电子竞技领域我们的经验加起来超过70年。我们公司对游戏内物品也有特殊的机制。团队在搭建以玩家位中心的经济模式，这样玩家可以安全地和其他玩家在合法市场，而不是第三方灰色地带，交易游戏内物品。
“我们都感受过站内物品的灰色市场，这个市场价值高达几十亿美元，却不安全，玩家每天都受到欺诈。当玩家因为参与最终游戏内容获得我们给出的可收藏的数字饰品之后，他们应该真正拥有这些东西。他们应该能在游戏内或第三方市场自由地交易这些物品。那时候，我们才会觉得这个游戏是合理的。”Laursen继续说。
Bright Star Studio’s这笔70万美元的融资由Play Ventures领投，Play Ventures这个大基金会主要关注发展初期的游戏公司。参与这次投资还有Galaxy Interactive，它是通过其Galaxy EOS VC Fund参加的。
“作为投资方也作为游戏玩家，我们100%认同Bright Star Studio的愿景，我们都希望能够实现好上手、以玩家为中心、并且有开放的游戏经济的MMORPG游戏体验。我们相信，游戏世界玩家所有权提高能够促进更深入、更吸引人的游戏体验，我们也相信，想向玩家带来这个新体验，它们是正确的团队，” Play Ventures的合伙人Anton Backman说。
“我们经常在在寻找，看有哪些游戏开发者是专注推动某个类型的游戏的，”Galaxy Interactive的负责人 Sam Englebardt说，“Bright Star在做的是MMORPG领域，我们也很高兴能够看到Ember Sword如何改变MMO游戏体验。”
公司也邀请Allan Kirkeby加入，他是Unity Studios的前CEO，也是Game Hub Denmark的高级企业顾问。Kirkeby自己有26年的游戏开发和领导经验，他先前带领的公司主要做交互式3D开发，并因此获奖，这家公司是Unity® Technologies的创始人成立的。此外，Kirkeby还有在其它游戏公司的工作经验。接下来，他会带领Bright Star的游戏开发和运营部门。
Kirkeby说：“ 很高兴能加入Bright Star参与Ember Sword这项雄心勃勃的项目。这个游戏结合了传统的MMO元素，同时又让玩家能够拥有和交易游戏内的饰品收藏，这就会产生崭新的物品生态和强大的社区结构，而这是游戏世界前所未有的。”
Bright Star Studio的第一个游戏Ember Sword是一个跨平台、免费、开放世界的魔幻MMORPG游戏。
点击此处观看 Ember Sword最新的预告片
游戏将会提供一个巨大的沙盘式体验，玩家有完全自由，我们不会强迫玩家选择某个阶级或者角色，在游戏中，社区将通过获得土地所有权实现控制和发展，游戏还会引入了游戏内饰品交易的自由市场。
Ember Sword现在已经开放预注册，对体验服感兴趣的玩家可以在这里预注册。游戏预计将在2022年在全球发布。
点击此处查看相应资料。
关于 Ember Sword
Ember Sword是一个免费的大型多人在线角色扮演游戏（MMORPG），用户可以通过浏览器和电脑登录，游戏包含广阔、持续、魔幻的宇宙。
玩家可以创建角色、选择家园、带着选定的武器走向危险的世界，在这个没有阶级差异的动作游戏中证明自己的价值。打败怪兽、推翻BOSS、战胜其它玩家，你可以当和平的寻宝人探索世界，也可以担任炼器师或手工匠，以此扬名。游戏预期在2022年底上线。
关于 Bright Star Studios
Bright Star Studios是独立的游戏开发者和发布者，它主攻现代新颖有趣的社交MMORPG游戏。工作室现在正着力于其旗舰游戏，免费的MMORPG游戏Ember Sword。公司团队先前的经验包括一些3A和独立游戏，如激战、Aquanox、Kaos Wars、闪电战、Tank Wars等。
Bright Star Studios的顾问团队包括ESL的创建人和前CEO Jens Hilgers，Popdog 和 SK-gaming的联合创始人Andreas Thorstensson以及Robert Jønsson。
关于 Play Ventures
Play Ventures是关注于游戏初创公司的主要风投公司，它在新加坡和芬兰的赫尔辛基都有办公室。公司由游戏行业资深人物Henric Suuronen 和 Harri Manninen创办，这两个人现在已经离开Play Ventures，并分别加入King和迪士尼。Play Ventures在全球都进行投资，对象主要是在种子前和种子轮的游戏初创企业，我们主要关注的是免费的手机和PC端游戏以及游戏服务行业的初创公司。
获得更多信息，请访问www.playventures.vc
媒体请联系
Sune Thorsen
Bright Star
Phylicia Koh
Play Ventures
原文/Original：
- Bright Star Studios announces US$700K pre-seed investment led by Play Ventures with participation from Galaxy Interactive
- Allan Kirkeby, former Unity Studios CEO, joins as Senior Producer
- Andreas Thorstensson, Popdog and SK Gaming co-founder, joins as an advisor
- Their flagship MMORPG game ‘Ember Sword’ is now open for pre-registration
Bright Star Studios, a game developer focused on next-gen social Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Games (MMORPGs), today announced a US$700K pre-seed investment led by Play Ventures, with participation from Galaxy Interactive via its Galaxy EOS VC Fund. The studio will use the investment to expand the team and accelerate the launch of its first game. Allan Kirkeby, former Unity Studios CEO, has already come on board as Senior Producer.
Bright Star Studios focuses on creating trailblazing free-to-play MMO experiences with player-centric economies that tackle long-standing issues within the genre.
“We’ve really thought about the player experience at every step. MMORPGs have traditionally been slow to get into, but our zero-friction play means you jump straight into action without lengthy downloads and installs. Our business model is also free of loot boxes and pay-to-win practices, which creates a fair and competitive environment for our players,” said Bright Star CEO Mark Laursen.
The team consists of experienced entrepreneurs with a combined 70+ years of experience in game development, developer software tools, and competitive esports. The studio also has a unique approach to in-game items. The team is building player-centric economies, where players can securely trade in-game items with one another on legitimised marketplaces, instead of on third-party grey markets.
“We’ve all experienced the billion-dollar insecure grey markets for in-game items where people get scammed every day. It only makes sense to us that when we reward players with digital collectible cosmetics for participating in end-game content, they should truly own those items. They should be free to trade them inside our games or on third-party marketplaces,” adds Laursen.
Bright Star Studio’s US$700K seed investment round was led by Play Ventures, a leading early-stage gaming-focused fund, with participation from Galaxy Interactive via its Galaxy EOS VC Fund.
“As investors and gamers, we’re 100% aligned with Bright Star Studio’s vision of accessible, player-driven MMORPG experiences with open game economies. We believe increased player-ownership of game worlds allow for deep and engaging gameplay, and are confident that this is the right team to deliver this new experience to players,” says Anton Backman, Venture Partner at Play Ventures.
“We often look for game developers that are on to something in terms of moving a particular genre forward,” said Sam Englebardt, Head of Galaxy Interactive. “Bright Star is doing that for the MMORPG sector and we’re really excited to see how ‘Ember Sword’ changes the MMO experience.”
The studio has already lined up Allan Kirkeby, former CEO of Unity Studios and Senior Business Advisor at Game Hub Denmark, to come on board. Kirkeby brings 26 years of game development and leadership experience from his time at the award-winning interactive 3D development company started by the founders of Unity® Technologies, among other gaming companies. He will be leading game production and operations at Bright Star.
Kirkeby says, “I’m excited to join Bright Star to work on the ambitious Ember Sword project. Combining the classic and proven MMO formula while empowering players to own and trade in-game cosmetic collectibles will create entirely new item ecosystems and strong community structures that the gaming world has never seen”.
Bright Star Studio’s first game ‘Ember Sword’ is a cross-platform free-to-play, open-world, fantasy MMORPG.
Click here to watch Ember Sword’s latest trailer
The game promises a vast sandbox-like experience with complete player autonomy so that players are not forced to pick specific classes and roles, a world that the community controls and evolves over time through land ownership, and a free-market approach for in-game cosmetic items.
‘Ember Sword’ is now open for pre-registrations and players interested in early access to the game should pre-register here. The game is on track for a global release in 2022.
Additional assets can be found here.
About Ember Sword
Ember Sword is a free-to-play Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game (MMORPG) for browsers and PC with a vast, persistent, fantasy universe.
Players can create a character, pick a home region, and venture into the dangerous world with your weapon of choice to prove your worth in action-packed classless combat. Defeat monsters, bosses, and other players, explore the world as a peaceful forager of goods and rares, or make a name for yourself as a talented refiner and craftsman of weapons and armor. The game is expected to launch in late 2022.
About Bright Star Studios
Bright Star Studios is an independent developer and publisher of trailblazing, engaging, social MMORPGs for the modern era. The studio is currently working on its flagship title; the free-to-play MMORPG Ember Sword. The Bright Star Studios team has previously worked on AAA and indie games such as Guild Wars, Aquanox, Kaos Wars, Blitzkrieg, Tank Wars, and more.
Bright Star Studios also counts Jens Hilgers, founder and former CEO of ESL, Andreas Thorstensson, co-founder of Popdog and SK-gaming, and Robert Jønsson as advisors.
About Play Ventures
Play Ventures is the leading early stage gaming venture capital firm with offices in Singapore and Helsinki, Finland. Founded by gaming industry veterans Henric Suuronen and Harri Manninen, who have made successful exits to King and Disney respectively, Play Ventures invests globally in pre-seed and seed stage gaming startups and focuses on free-to-play mobile and PC opportunities as well as gaming services startups.
For more information, please visit www.playventures.vc.
For more media enquiries, please contact:
Sune Thorsen
Bright Star
Phylicia Koh
Play Ventures
原文链接/Original URL:
