Former Take-Two CEO's New Blockchain Game Publisher Wants the Next 'Grand Theft Auto'
*By Chloe Aiello*
Former Take-Two CEO Kelly Sumner is looking for the next big game. But rather than investing hundreds of millions, his blockchain-based video game publisher Planet Digital Partners is targeting mid-level games often ignored by big publishers.
"Electronic Arts, Take-Two, Activision ($ATVI), etc., they are spending hundreds of millions of dollars on a game, expecting to be ... getting billions. And the kind of middle, where there's sort of really good, exciting games, isn't there," Sumner told Cheddar Friday.
Planet Digital launched a Security Token Offering on Thursday with the goal of democratizing game development and funding alternative games. The company is offering 38 million "Rocket Tokens" at $1 per token to accredited investors. Sumner said he expects investors will be paid dividends as soon as the first quarter of 2020.
"This raise will allow us to actually go out and find maybe the next 'Grand Theft Auto,' maybe the next 'Guitar Hero,' because they started off ー not as billion dollar franchises ー but they became billion dollar franchises," Sumner said.
For investors, the token launch represents investment in a portfolio of games. Three games in the pipeline for distribution so far are Cabela's "The Hunt," "Cooking Mama," and Bass Pro "The Strike." Sumner admitted they aren't games he would necessarily play, but said they have a promising market.
"We're not trying to get the next soccer game or the next 'Call of Duty,' etc. We are looking at the opportunity of investing $5 million into a game, $10 million into a game ー a game that will have revenues of $50 million plus, where our competitors ... won't even get out of bed for that," he said.
Sumner also said blockchain offers opportunities for Planet Digital, not only in funding and security, but in interactive game-play. He said there's potential to introduce interactive trading features between game players and game watchers, which could unveil a whole new element to game play.
"Blockchain brings some really interesting opportunities," he said.
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A decade ago, long before streaming services, the amount of binge-watching viewers could take part in was slim. Now, streaming services have established binge-watching as a viewing norm. However, how can viewers know when they've crossed the line from innocent entertainment to harmful addiction? Judy Grisel, professor of psychology at Bucknell University, joins Cheddar News to discuss a new study that identifies psychological predictors of problematic binge-watching.
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Students in the Chicago Public School system will head back to class tomorrow at long last. The move comes after four days of canceled classes due to clashes between teachers and the city, including Chicago Mayor Laurie Lightfoot. National Educational Reporter at USA Today, Richard Erin, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
