User-generated content in the field of video games has been making huge leaps in recent years. The big three entities - Fortnite Creative, Roblox, and Minecraft have all been competing for positions at the very top of this emerging domain of video game creation.
However, besides these businesses, there are also other ventures aiming to get a piece of the UGC pie. One of them is a tech and game development startup called Jamango. This Irish startup aims to create a platform that will effortlessly enter the existing UGC space and offer a big benefit that could quickly entice new users. Jamango recently raised 2.4 million euros, which signals they offer a solid concept.
Jamango's product is a platform by the same name, which should allow users to quickly and easily build their own games.
As a creator tool, the platform is basing itself on a so-called block-building principle. That means that content creators can simply build their worlds, props, characters, and anything else either by combining basic elements or by bringing them directly to the game's world as finalized assets. That process involves no middleware software like tools for modeling, rigging, and so forth. Instead, everything is already in the game's toolsets and ready for deployment in a user-generated game.
In terms of gameplay mechanics, Jamango is also on par with the big three competitors, offering a no-code editor. With it, gaming content creators can engage with simplified systems for setting up rules, scoreboards, devices, and other interactive elements of a game. No programming or coding knowledge is needed. The last element of Jamango is the key selling point.
The big gaming creation platforms all require creators to download software. Jamango, on the other hand, will be fully browser-based. Players and content creators will simply log into their accounts from their browser and start building games or enjoying them.
This is a huge benefit, and likely one of the reasons why the company managed to raise over two million euros. During the pre-seed funding round, Jamango got support from Delta Partners and Elkstone, but also funds provided by a range of angel investors. All of them clearly see a huge potential for a platform like this, especially for younger content creators who just want to try their hand at making games.
The mission statement of Jamango is to empower the gaming creators of the coming future. However, the startup, presently holding a single-digit number of employees, is not sharing when that future might begin. According to its official website, the platform is in a closed Alpha phase, which should consist of a working prototype.
The website also lists some already created UGC experiences and games. A strong influence of Minecraft can be noticed here, at least in terms of visual aesthetics. Similarly, Jamango is showing off some of their gaming creators in their community. Yet, their Discord server presently holds just 300 individuals, showing that the community around Jamango is just beginning to form. For a venture like this to take off, they need a few thousand creators just to start things up, so Jamango still has some way to go. However, for the first phase, the funding should help the creators to keep it going and continue to develop the platform.
Still, a few million euros can only take you so far. In order to finish the development and eventual launch of Jamango, the company will have to catch the eye of many more UGC creators and gamers interested in signing up to the platform.
