Ginger Joy, a Web3 spinoff from veteran UK mobile game developer Matchingham Games, has closed a £1 million fundraise.
Kent-based Matchingham Games is 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, who joins as art director, and Jeremy Stein from Epic/Tonic, who is the 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. The ownership of digital assets in one game can be transferred to others, while users can 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.
“We’re not just integrating blockchain tech; we’re redefining its role in gaming,” said Ibrahim Over, CEO at Ginger Joy Games. “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 spinoff, 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.”
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