Playrise Digital Announces Fundraising to Support Launch of First Games

Experienced console game developers and long-time venture capitalist combine to create new company developing high quality games for phones and tablets

Playrise Digital Announces Fundraising to Support Launch of First Games
Liverpool, United Kingdom, July 09, 2012 --(PR.com)-- Playrise Digital (“Playrise”), the digital games company bringing console quality game development to mobile platforms, today announced that it has closed its first round of financing.

Mobile Gaming is the Future
“These funds will enable us to complete development of our first two titles, 'Table Top Racing’ and 'Hungry Baby? Happy Baby!', launching them later this year,” said Playrise CEO, Nick Burcombe. “The Playrise team members are highly experienced and have all worked for major console manufacturers in the past. It is clear that the fastest growing market in gaming is on mobile devices, phones and tablets, and we want to be at forefront of that trend.” It has been forecasted that the mobile games market will grow by 24% per year to 2014 while the console market shrinks by 2% per year*. Playrise is developing its games for use with both Apple and Android devices.

Console Game Pedigree
Burcombe, himself a veteran of Sony’s Liverpool Studio, and formerly Psygnosis, worked on Triple-A titles such as Formula One for PS3 and PS2. He is perhaps best known as the co-creator of the Wipeout series, one of the pivotal launch titles that established the Playstation brand as Sony entered the console market.

Funding
The funding has come from experienced venture capital investor, Simon Turton, previously of Index Ventures and Warburg Pincus. “Mobile device users are hungry for higher quality games and Nick, and his team, have the experience and skills developing leading console games to deliver a new generation of games for mobile platforms. The games that they have under development for launch this year are innovative, fun and visually-stunning," said Turton.

After leaving Sony, Burcombe advised a range of independent developers across Europe before deciding to found Playrise. “I saw the opportunity to do things differently in a rapidly expanding market. Finding the money was not easy but now we have the funds to develop our first games, reach profitability and build a sustainable business,” said Burcombe.

North West Development Hub
Playrise is a leading example of the success of a growing cluster of companies in North West England developing industry-leading games. “There are an amazing number of independent developers setting up camp in the North West. Being an independent games developer is an exciting place to be," says Martin Linklater from NWIndies, a grouping of independent game developers. "Playrise is one of the most promising of this new breed of developers," said Turton.

For more information, contact Nick Burcombe nick@playrise.co.uk or Simon Turton simon@playrise.co.uk Web: http://www.playrisedigital.com

* Data from Electronic Arts Inc. filing to the US SEC referencing Think Equity.
Contact
Playrise Digital
Simon Turton
011447768102290
www.playrisedigital.com
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