Ask HN: Does YC fund video game start-ups?

14 points by waru 14 years ago | 7 comments
Looking through a pdf of YC-funded companies, I did find two game companies. One made a Facebook gambling app and is focused on making "quick, smart games at a very rapid pace" (http://www.crunchbase.com/company/gamador, http://gamador.com/), while the other makes iPhone entertainment apps like "Truth or Dare" and "Knock Knock Jokes" (http://pocketfungames.com/).

It's heartening to know that YC has funded game companies. However, I would classify these more as entertainment apps than video games. We (my co-founder and I) would like to simple entertainment apps like these, but also video games with more graphical and game elements (player-controlled characters and such).

I know that independent game developers aren't traditionally the biggest and fastest money-maker (though there are plenty of examples of independently-made games that went huge, like Alien Hominid). So I was wondering if there has been a case of YC funding a video game start-up that I've overlooked. Could we a stand a chance with such a proposal? Does YC have any history or interest in video game start-ups?

Personally, I think independent video game developers will have big role in the future, since the video game industry needs injections of innovation and originality that are hard to achieve when things get stagnated by the domination of huge companies that can't take risks on their multi-million dollar games (bypassing that to allow for more creativity is one of the points of start-ups, right?).

Also, if anyone has experience doing something similar, or has tips for other ways to get started in video games, I'd be glad to hear about it by email at wzwenator@gmail.com.

Thanks.

  • pclark 14 years ago
    • waru 14 years ago
      I don't want to get downvoted, but is it ok to post just to say thank you, even though it doesn't add to the discussion?
      • pclark 14 years ago
        people aren't that anal here :)
    • egometry 14 years ago
      • waru 14 years ago
        That looks like a really interesting company, thanks!
      • mkramlich 14 years ago
        I don't think that what YC provides and does well really "fits" what a fledgling video game developer needs. I can think of scenarios where it could fit. Just not in the general case.
        • waru 14 years ago
          Could you explain what you mean about YC not "fitting" with what a video game developer needs?