No longer the realm of the "gamer" subgroup, video games have become part of everyday culture.
Most people can name at least one video game that has impacted them, whether it be a free-to-play mobile game or a big-name console hit. One reason for that? Games have become incredibly diverse. Creativity thrives in gaming, and with every new release, developers find different ways to tell their stories and different ways to expand the realm of virtual possibility.
In Boston, gaming companies are growing and innovating faster than ever before. To keep track of all the new developments, we’ve put together a guide of eight big names in the Boston gaming startup scene. Let’s press start.
Gamer Sensei
Gamer Sensei, one of our 2017 50 on Fire finalists, is an esports-focused coaching platform that connects players of all skill levels with professional coaches in their game of choice. Dubbed “sensei” by the company, these coaches provide personalized skill training for both individuals and teams. “I think it’s the way of the future when it comes to esports coaching at the collegiate level,” said Tim Loew, executive director of the Massachusetts Digital Games Institute. The company closed a $4 million Series A funding round in 2017.
Sonic Bloom
Sonic Bloom is the creator of Koreographer, an audio plug-in for Unity that makes it easier to synchronize music with gameplay. Its best uses include lip-syncing in dialogue scenes, rhythm game creation, and music-based gameplay and effects. Sonic Bloom was founded in 2014 by childhood friends Justin Stanizzi and Eric Robinson. In 2016, it was selected to participate in the MassChallenge accelerator. The company's newest program, Bard, is a search tool spanning multiple unlicensed music libraries.
Mightier
Mightier is an app-based gaming experience that helps children learn how to regulate their emotions. By using technology that monitors heart rate, Mightier assesses the player’s emotional state. If children grow upset while playing, the games get harder, showing them that the world around them is influenced by their emotions, emulating real-life situations. “We knew games could mirror this,” co-founder Jason Kahn told BostInno in 2018. “Games could be a mirror of life.” Mightier raised $7 million in a funding round last month.
Vivox
Vivox is a cross-platform text and voice communication tool that allows gamers to communicate while playing collaborative games. Players can also change their voices to better fit their characters, and the volume of those voices can change based on characters' positions onscreen. Although it was acquired by Unity in January, Vivox operates independently and now has been incorporated into more than 125 games worldwide. It recently partnered with Phoenix Labs to expand player-to-player communication in Phoenix Labs’ first title, "Dauntless."
VirZoom
VirZoom, a Cambridge-based VR company, is the creator of VZfit, a stationary bike add-on that uses VR games to motivate exercise. The equipment includes two applications for Oculus Quest & Go, as well as a wireless crank sensor and thumb controls that attach to the bike. VZfit’s addictive, reward-based games help users feel more encouraged to work out. This month, VirZoom partnered with XRHealth, a medtech company that specializes in VR and data analysis, to help clinicians track their patients’ recovery progress in hospitals and rehab centers.
FirstBlood
FirstBlood is an esports startup platform that hosts online game tournaments. It awards prized through its enterprise blockchain technology and allows players to directly challenge each other in competitive matches. FirstBlood’s lead developer is Joe Zhou. In 2016, the company raised the equivalent of $5.5 million in the cryptocurrency Ether.
Proletariat
Proletariat is a Boston-based game development company specializing in games that implement live-streaming as a core feature. Some of its main releases include "Streamline," an arena game with full live-stream integration, and "StreamLegends," a Twitch extension that allows channel communities to venture out on quests together. Its next title, "Spellbreak," a battle royale RPG, is currently in development.
Tactai
Although Tactai’s technology could play a role in fields other than the gaming industry, it’s a must-mention simply because of its incredible potential. Tactai is developing a touch-enabled interface for VR so that users can feel real objects in VR, just as they would in real life. It’s basically Wonkavision from "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," but with admittedly fewer giant chocolate bars. The company's first product, Tactai Touch, allows the user to feel a variety of different materials by gliding their finger over a touchscreen. Although the technology is still being developed, it has huge potential for gaming and could lead to an entirely new level of player immersion.
