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Cyan invests in tech startup, GamerZunion

GamerZunion offers gathering spot, information center for online players

A Spokane company launched by three area college students has landed its first major investment from Cyan Worlds Inc., the game company that developed the computer-game hits Myst and Riven.

Tom Sowa
Staff writer

http://www.spokesmanreview.com/business/story.asp?ID=19225

Cyan President Tony Fryman said the investment will translate into about 5 percent ownership of the startup, called gamerZunion. He declined to disclose how much Cyan invested.

GamerZunion was launched a year ago by Nate Brantingham, Austin Brantingham and Tye Hooley. All three attend Eastern Washington University.

The company, which is also using office space at Cyan’s north Spokane site, plans to make money by being a gathering spot and information center for online game players, said CEO Nate Brantingham. His brother, Austin, is the head of gamerZunion marketing. Hooley is the chief technology officer.

After years of preparation, Cyan released its latest game, Uru, last fall only to see the game’s publisher, Ubisoft, shut down the online version of the game after several months. The reason, Fryman noted, was an inability to attract enough players in the competitive online gaming market.

Any company, like gamerZunion, that crystallizes interest in online games could be beneficial to game-development companies like Cyan, said Fryman.

"Our release of Uru could have been more successful if a company like gamerZunion had been in place when we launched," he said.

Nate Brantingham did not say when gamerZunion plans to start its service. It’s currently working on establishing intellectual property protection and looking for another infusion of cash.

The company needs about $70,000 to move forward with early-phase development of the online interface for people who will use gamerZunion, said Brantingham. The business model for the company is based on charging monthly subscriptions from game players who would use gamerZunion to find more information and enrich their online game experience, he said.

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