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Atari founder Nolan Bushnell taps Hollywood innovation to build audience for Global Gaming

Last updated: 02:05 24 Mar 2019 GMT, First published: 19:08 18 Mar 2019 GMT

Snapshot

The company embraces digital interactive entertainment as well as augmented reality, virtual reality and artificial intelligence

The "St. Noire" video game
  • Global Gaming adopted its gaming focus when it acquired X2 Games and brought Atari founder Nolan Bushnell aboard in December
  • The company purchased all the intellectual property rights to X2 Games including digital interactive games for Amazon Alexa
  • Another recent acquisition is Videre eSports, an e-sports betting platform expected to be launched later in 2019
  • Global Gaming has secured US$5.6 million in financing from the alternative investment firm Alpha Blue Ocean
  • Bushnell was recently named CEO and chairman of Global Gaming

What does Global Gaming do?

Global Gaming Technologies Corp (CSE:GGAM.U) (OTCMKTS:BLKCF) draws on technology to innovative games that challenge traditional design with limitless experiences.

Leveraging the existing technology of Amazon Alexa, the company emphasizes gameplay using virtual reality, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, high-fidelity graphic design and hardware integration. Its publishing studio was established by Atari founder Nolan Bushnell and Hollywood creative director Zai Ortiz.

Areas of focus include competitive video gaming as well as traditional mobile and console game platforms. A key objective for Global Gaming is to use cinematic visuals across all platforms in publishing games and content that are immersive in storytelling, bold in design and technologically innovative.

The company is headquartered in Toronto, with its primary game studio in Los Angeles.

Global Gaming’s key assets

A key segment is X2 Games, which Bushnell co-founded and Global Gaming acquired in December. Under the C$49.6 million deal, Global Gaming acquired all the intellectual property rights to projects including digital interactive games for Amazon Alexa. The first of those games, “St. Noire,” invites players to solve a murder mystery and was recently released exclusively on Amazon for pre-orders.

“St. Noire” is the first-ever cinematic board game powered by Amazon Alexa. The murder-mystery game takes place in the town of St. Noire, where players must question suspects using voice commands as well as piecing together clues to solve the case before time runs out. The company uses Hollywood talent for sound design, writing and voice acting. The game time is 20 to 30 minutes.

An Alexa speaker is required, and artificial-intelligence speaker technology is used to create a cutting-edge experience, according to people who used a demo at the 2019 Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. “St. Noire” was revealed to the public for the first time at the event’s Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ: AMZN) exhibition booth.

“‘St. Noire’ represents the first of its class,” Ortiz, co-founder, president and chief creative officer of X2 Games, said in a March statement. “This is a one-of-a-kind and revolutionary breakthrough in not just technology, but also in how humans interact with it in a positive and exciting format in everyday life. This is the beginning of the future of gaming.”

Customers can purchase the game at www.Amazon.com/dp/B07P693BG1 and view the trailer at www.st-noire.com

Ortiz is a Hollywood creative director described as the brains behind the design of J.A.R.V.I.S. in the movie “Iron Man.” He is also known for his work in the films “Tron,” “Sherlock Holmes” and “Mission: Impossible.”

The X2 deal calls for Global Gaming to publish other games stemming from Bushnell’s catalog of unreleased intellectual property. There are several other Amazon Alexa games under development, according to Global Gaming.

Global Gaming broadened its focus on gaming in March, when it agreed to acquire all the shares of Videre eSports Corp, a platform for e-sports, in which multiplayer video games are played competitively for spectators.

More than C$3 million has been spent on developing the platform over the past two years, according to Global Gaming. It is expected to be launched in the second quarter of 2019.

“E-sports is the future,” Bushnell said in a March statement. “Young audiences, large prize pools and thousands of entertaining games attract crowds to stream and attend these events.”

Inflection points

Global Gaming adopted its gaming focus when it acquired X2 Games and brought Bushnell aboard in December.

To expand its portfolio and enter into the e-sports market, the company agreed to the purchase of  Videre eSports and its betting platform in March.

Also in March, the company secured US$5.6 million in financing from the alternative investment firm Alpha Blue Ocean.

Contact Dennis Fitzgerald at dennis@proactiveinvestors.com

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