Universal Music Group has made a strategic investment in a Swedish mobile games developer, Nuday Games.
Founded in Stockholm, Nuday Games says it is building a game platform ‘where new games, brands and subcultures combine’.
Through its UMG agreement, it is using assets from the world of music genres such as Rock, Hip Hop, and Reggae to build titles – as well as focusing on other areas with ‘passionate fan appeal’ such as Sci-Fi, Horror and Fantasy.
Nuday Games’ first game experience is Rock Science: The Rock Game of the Century, a trivia-based mobile app that’s free-to-play but contains in-app purchases. (A model also known as… freemium.)
Nuday says that the title aims to ‘turn knowledge about an artist into a social tool, building a community around the excitement and engagement of fans’.
Rock Science incorporates over 50 of Universal Music’s global rock artists and bands.
Consumers are offered add-on ‘packs’ such as Black Metal, Hardcore and Modern Metal. There’s also artist-branded packs from acts such as Korn and Danko Jones.
In addition, according to its official website, the Rock Science world includes a Motorhead-branded board game.
UMG’s investment comes as its parent, Vivendi, acquires a 10.4% stake in leading video games publisher Ubisoft, in addition to a 10.2% stake in mobile games developer Gameloft.
Per Sundin, Universal Music’s Managing Director of Sweden and SVP of the Nordic region (pictured), said: “This investment is yet another example of how we continuously explore new ways to keep our artists at the forefront of the latest digital innovations in music.
“We are firm believers in the potential of next-generation deep social networks to give artists platforms to communicate with fans.”
Per Sundin, UMG
“We are firm believers in the potential of next generation deep social networks to give artists new platforms for communicating with their fans.
“Nuday Games are leaders in this exciting area and we’re very pleased to be partnering with them to give our artists such an attractive new tool to strengthen the artist-fan bond even further.”
“Having Universal Music Group as a key strategic partner means to us a whole new dimension of reach – both to leading global artists as well as to relevant audiences to be engaged. Let There Be Games!” said Jorge Bravo, CEO and founder of Nuday Games.Music Business Worldwide
