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[Jose92]

Blizzard, Rockstar Veterans Raise $5 Million For New Studio Lost Lake

The newest addition to Seattle’s line-up of gaming studios has attracted a huge cash investment ahead of developing its first-ever game.

www.forbes.com

A new, cross-platform game studio founded by veterans of Blizzard, Rockstar Games, and ArenaNet has a bold vision–and investors are showing huge faith in its team of industry experts, courtesy of a multi-million-dollar seed round.


Seattle-based Lost Lake Games–a six-strong outfit with experience leading a number of gaming’s most successful franchises including StarCraft, Guild Wars, Warcraft II, H1Z1, and Diablo–has secured $5 million in a fundraiser led by BITKRAFT Ventures, the world’s first venture capital group focused on esports, gaming, and interactive media.

Given the resumés of its three co-founders, this highly valuable financial injection may not be all too surprising. Heading up Lost Lake Games are:

• James Phinney, the former lead game designer at Blizzard (Diablo, Warcraft II, Starcraft), director of game design at ArenaNet (Guild Wars), and creative director at Undead Labs (State of Decay);
• Joe Pikop, character artist for Rockstar Games, ArenaNet, and Motiga; and
• Mark Pottorf, gameplay programmer for Motiga, DayBreak, and Highwire (H1Z1, Golem, Quantum Conundrum, Dark Void, and Gigantic).

 

[AlteredForms]

Great, more open-world shit.

 

[a multicultural team of v]

Honestly, if I was a game dev producer with any sort of credible proven track record I would be putting together a team, quitting, and starting my own studio. There seems to be so much damn money flowing around for this shit that if you had even a few key guys with a nice resume you could get serious funding to build out a full studio.

 

[Concern]

And...... acquired in 3....2.....1

 

[wolffy71]

Who's gonna acquire them tho

 

[Concern]

Who's gonna acquire them tho

At this point idk lol.

This acquisition shit is annoying af. Want to hear about games, not acquisitions anymore.

 

[SJRB]

Phil Spencer after reading this:

 

[mejin]

I smell organic growth.

 

[AJUMP23]

Studio should have been called "Triple P".

 

[Tiago Rodrigues]

Phil Spencer after reading this:

Most MS acquisitions are well established studios with lots or some valuable IPs as well.

New studios is Sony's thing tbh. Kind of like Haven, Firewalk, etc...

But who knows at this point, lol.

 

[Vaelka]

This the same studio people were assmad about because it was just guys lol?

 

[lh032]

Who's gonna acquire them tho

Herman Hulst is contacting them now.

 

[Punished Miku]

If you're a dev, literally just open a studio. Put together some demos and staff. Then sell it and pocket several million. Then carry on working like you were initially.

Best time to go indie and start your own thing. Everyone wants a piece.

 

[TheMan]

5 million? That’s nothing

 

[Bernkastel]

Most MS acquisitions are well established studios with lots or some valuable IPs as well.

New studios is Sony's thing tbh. Kind of like Haven, Firewalk, etc...

But who knows at this point, lol.

Yeah, Compulsion Games, Double Fine, Undead Labs, InXile, Obsidian and Ninja Theory are established studios with lots of "valuable IPs". And they are rumored to be acquiring IOI. I remember when they were accused of being cheap and "buying AA devs" before Zenimax. The other day someone posted they won't buy Certain Affinity because "Microsoft does not see value in small devs".

 

[reinking]

Honestly, if I was a game dev producer with any sort of credible proven track record I would be putting together a team, quitting, and starting my own studio. There seems to be so much damn money flowing around for this shit that if you had even a few key guys with a nice resume you could get serious funding to build out a full studio.

..and then be bought out for the REALLY big bucks.

 

[Coolwhhip]

Yooka Layle was proof being part of a legendary company doesn't mean you are legendary.

 

[chromhound]

Who's gonna acquire them tho

Tencent lol

 

[Jaguar Victory]

 

[ZywyPL]

If I was an indie team, especially one that's just launching, I'd hit MS in exchange for GP day one release. That's how for example the Ascent was made.

5 million? That’s nothing

Well give them that money then.

 

[GHG]

This is what's so funny about all this acquisition shit. The developers and talents that made the studios getting acquired worth the amount they are have either fucked off and left or will fuck off and leave at some point post acquisition. And then, these new studios made by the same people will get acquired in the future if they have good games/ideas.

At some point the major publishers will realise that they can skip the fluff and just focus on talent acquisition instead of studio/publisher acquisition.