Smartwatches are probably here to stay, and one of the first game developers dedicated to this new platform is getting an injection of cash to make the next generation of wearable entertainment.
Everywear Games, which produced the Apple Watch-optimized app Runeblade, has raised $2.25 million (2 million euros) in seed funding. Silicon Valley capital firm True Ventures led the round with participation from fellow investment organizations Lifeline and Sunstone. Everywear intends to use this money to push forward with more games designed specifically for Apple and Android smartwatches. It’s one of a number of companies that is trying to get in early with wearable games with the expectations that consumers with smartwatches will generate spending on a level that is comparable to phone and tablet apps.
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True Ventures partner Om Malik, who is joining Everywear’s board as part of this deal, explained that he was convinced once he saw the company’s Runeblade smartwatch game.
“It was clear to me they understood what kind of entertainment works on a smartwatch,” said Malik in a canned statement.
Now, with funding and a growing market, Everywear will have to prove that smartwatches can support the kind of dedicated gaming and spending that has made the mobile gaming industry so lucrative.