Avatar Reality, developer of the virtual world platform Blue Mars, announced it's raised $4.2 million from venture capitalists including Henk Rogers and Kolohala Ventures. The startup says it has raised more than $13 million to date. The startup launched its platform Blue Mars back in 2009. It's a 3D virtual world, also categorized as a massive multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG). Although, it takes this idea a little further than say a game like Blizzard's World of Warcraft, one of the most popular MMORPG's out there right now.
The Blue Mars platform lets artists, game and application developers create and distribute 3d games and applications on the platform. Earlier this year, the company began selling virtual land to third party developers. Users can buy a 'city' starting at $30 bucks per month. Prices go all the way up a 'Metropolis' which costs almost a whopping $7,500.
The platform basically allows anyone with gaming development knowledge build and monetize off their own virtual world. Users can bring on thousands of players to their 3d world and maybe sell them virtual goods or offer other features like mini games within the virtual world. In December of 2009, Avatar Reality added a feature to its platform which lets users interact with Flash based programs within these immersive spaces .
The Honolulu and San Francisco-based company has a pretty solid leadership foundation. It was founded back in 2006 by Henk Rogers, who pretty much introduced Tetris to the world, and Kazuyuki Hashimoto, who was the former CTO of Squaresoft (makers of Final Fantasy) and also vice president at EA.
Jim Sink, CEO of Avator Reality commented in a press release, "this investment is a strong endorsement of the progress we've made towards providing the next generation in virtual world platforms."
