Ginger Joy, the Web3 mobile gaming startup , has announced its most recent round of fundraising of £1 million. This capital will be used to develop mobile-native gaming ecosystems with blockchain-based interoperability.
Ginger Joy is a spin-off company of Leicester-based Matchingham Games, an established UK developer with nearly 500 million installations globally and over 120 staff members.
The new startup has been bolstered by a veteran management team from across the gaming sector, including Matchingham’s Art Director and CGI Supervisor to Netflix, Soner Yurtseven joining as Art Director and Jeremy Stein from Epic/Tonic joining as Product Development Manager.
Professionals from mobile games Fall Guys and Subway Surfers, as well as the animation studio PIXAR, have also joined Ginger Joy. The team will bring cross-sector gaming experience to Ginger Joy, going beyond a narrow focus on product design to user-generated content and Web3 infrastructure.
Ginger Joy will be one of the earliest firms to build natively mobile, interconnected games for Web3, rather than exporting browser-based games onto mobile platforms. The firm is hoping to use this early start to develop a mass-market mobile gaming ecosystem.
Web2 gaming allows for transferring users between games, but the blockchain technology underneath Ginger Joy’s Web3 products makes this process more efficient, meaning that developers can cultivate dynamic ecosystems that operate across several products. With economic interoperability, the ownership of digital assets in one game can be transferred to others, and experience interoperability allows users to unlock and use items between different games.
Ginger Joy will also look to apply blockchain technologies in advanced user acquisition strategies where individual players on other games can be precision-targeted for marketing based on their in-game credentials. Additionally, Web3 capabilities will be used to monetise user-generated content more comprehensively. Users who build in-game content that expands game modes and aesthetics will get a share of the revenue from these assets.
The team are also working on integrating artificial intelligence (AI), into the mobile gaming ecosystems. Features like AI-generated race tracks and game modes are based on past user behaviour, which reduces development costs and tailors the game world to user preferences.
Ibrahim Over, Chief Executive Officer at Ginger Joy Games, said: “At Ginger Joy, we're not just integrating blockchain tech; we're redefining its role in gaming. Our aim is to make the shift to blockchain so smooth for gamers that it feels natural. We know there’s a lot of hype around it but we’re not focused on that – we want real, tangible benefits for our customers. We want to elevate the gaming experience, with technology that enhances rather than dominates.
“The use of blockchain in our games is an option, not a requirement. We're committed to empowering our players, encouraging them to explore and embrace the blockchain out of genuine interest and curiosity. This player-centric approach is at the heart of our philosophy at Ginger Joy, where technology is a tool to enrich gaming, ensuring that the game and the gamer always come first.”
Russell Brown, Chief Business Development Officer at Matchingham Games, said: “To be at the forefront of integrating sophisticated blockchain technologies into mobile gaming requires exceptional technical expertise and creative prowess. The spin-off, a collaborative effort, is strategically designed to address these needs, expanding the team to incorporate new expertise and critical skills, ensuring Ginger Joy upholds and exceeds the high standards we're committed to.
Blockchain technology is at the forefront of enabling this revolutionary step. As we announce our spin-off, it's crucial to highlight how Ginger Joy is pioneering the use of this technology. They are adeptly harnessing it to build an interoperable ecosystem across their diverse gaming platforms.
This interoperability is not merely a technical feat; it's a strategic move, reflecting and expanding our vision for the future of gaming and allowing Ginger Joy to seamlessly integrate both the economic and experiential aspects of their products.”
Jeremy Stein, Production Development Manager at Ginger Joy, said: “Through my experience with industry giants like Gram Games, Tonic, SYBO, EA, and Jam City, I know what makes mobile gaming captivating. At Ginger Joy, we're not just engineering games; we're creating experiences that are fun, fair, and fantastically entertaining.
Ginger Joy’s games do not only embrace the latest blockchain and Web3 technologies, but also provide market-leading levels of player empowerment, ownership, and engagement.
At the end of the day, everyone at Ginger Joy shares the same passion for mobile gaming. We aim to craft the best product to ensure users have the most enjoyable experiences possible. While the technology is crucial, it is ultimately a means to the same end for all game developers – to create fun, fair, and exciting games. This is the fundamental philosophy that underlies everything we do at Ginger Joy – to create a genuine sense of joy.”