Rolocule Games is a game development studio creating realistic, casual, and social video games for tablets and smartphones. They design games using emerging technologies such as AR, VR, IoT, and AI. From designing award-winning Rolomotion™ technology for Apple to the recent Eagle Eye, which was an SXSW 2019 Innovation Awards finalist, Rolocule is emerging as amongst the leaders in leveraging cutting-edge technology in game design and experiences.Rolocule created the official Australian open Tennis VR game in association with Australian open and Infosys. Their impeccable business ethic about being nimble and flexible has got them rapidly developing multiple games and pivoting, as industry change has become a case study at the world’s top business schools, Harvard and IIM-B.
Founder: Rohit Gupta
Total funding raised: INR 6 Crores
2020 status: Operational in Pune
Number of rounds: 4
Co-investors: Blume Ventures, Mumbai Angels, CIIE
- Why did you invest in Rolocule Games?
Other than being intrigued by the gaming sector, Rolocule had a fantastic team. What swung my decision was when they were trying to create a game which would utilize your smartphone as a gaming paddle, similar to how the Wii Remote functions. Their game Super Badminton for the iPhone was a huge hit – big enough that they were invited to Cupertino by Apple in 2013.
- What were the risks involved with an investment in Rolocule Games?
Like with any gaming company, it’s a zero-one risk; it’s either a success or a failure. Rolocule was going to be a success and a fantastic winner in our portfolio, or they were going to shut down. Creating, publishing, and promoting a game is an expensive proposition, and funding would only give them a few chances to succeed. It was also possible that the games would not be received well, and if there were 2-3 failures in a row, it considerably reduces the chances of following games being a success.
- Where do you place your investment in Rolocule Games when you see the success of games like FIFA, PokémonGo, etc.?
In my opinion, the two aren’t comparable. Apart from the difference in budgets, games like the FIFA series are licensed brand names from the organizations and backed by AAA game studios like EA Sports. PokémonGo has Nintendo’s name behind it, and Pokémon is a sensation on its own. Just these reasons are enough to set them apart, overlooking the fact that games like FIFA are updated and released annually. Rolocule exists in a different gaming space where they’ve integrated the technology in smartphones to software, allowing players to use it as a racquet or a paddle, like the Wii Remote.
- What are your learnings from your investment in Rolocule Games?
It taught me to be more realistic about zero-one plays, where you need to know when it’s not working and stop pumping more money into it. Initial success is not a guarantor for long-term success. It also taught me that not everything could be gets written off as simply; Rolocule went from becoming a game developer and publisher to just a developer of games. I’ve also learned that the defensibility of games is lower than usual. Similar to how most movies have a shelf life of 4-6 months, you have to reap everything you can in that window of opportunity.
- Would you invest in a similar startup today?
Yes, but with some caveats. As an investor, I would want better control. With the experience of backing a zero-one style business, I have a much better understanding of the space, and I would invest in an entrepreneur like Rohit again. Still, in terms of the venture, I would be more careful about the valuation and evaluate success, keeping in mind that initial success is not a guarantor of long-term viability.
