Turkish mobile game studio Fuse Games has received a $2m investment in a funding round led by investment firms NFX and Lakestar.
As reported on Turkish media outlet Webrazzi, the Istanbul-based company is looking to include artificial intelligence to improve game mechanics and player experience in their portfolio of shooter titles. The investment is reflective of the popularity of mobile game startups in the Turkish entrepreneurship ecosystem.
In our interview with Ludus Ventures partner İsmet Gökşen, he discussed the Turkish mobile gaming market, commenting that it “is well-positioned for growth in the future, with 63 new gaming startups founded just last year, despite facing macro challenges.”
However, he also noted there were potential issues that would need to be overcome by companies in the country. “This means focusing on global investments and considering investment strategies for future rounds. While Turkey is currently strong in ‘soft’ categories such as hypercasual, casual, and puzzle games, there is still room for growth in the mid-core genres which require a different set of skills and strategies,” he said.
Approaching midcore with AI
Fuse are one of the companies stepping up to the challenges laid out by Gökşen earlier this year. Shooters can be many things, from casual to hardcore, but the intent to engage with AI in order to drastically change the challenge, design and player experience to appeal to the widest possible audience is a new approach for the market.
The use of AI has been hotly debated, with many weighing in both for and against its use. But it’s been attractive to investors due to its recent popularity and the as-yet unclear potential it may possess. With competent game design backing it, many potential investors will be watching companies like Fuse Games to see what they do with this technology.
