SoftBank Ventures Korea Announces Investment in Video Game Creators TURBO
Brooklyn-Based developer is drawing global talent to craft “cross-screen” core titles
BROOKLYN, NY – MARCH 11, 2014 – SoftBank Ventures Korea (SBVK) today announced a strategic investment in TURBO, a freshly revealed Brooklyn-based game developer. With a pedigree that includes talent from such highly regarded and successful game makers as Nintendo, Sony, CCP, Riot, Rockstar Games, OMGPOP, Q-Games, KABAM, and Zynga, TURBO is comprised of a dream team of designers obsessed with refined gameplay mechanics applied to “cross-screen” design.
“We’re driven by the desire to create AAA-quality entertainment with multiplayer components across devices,” said Yohei Ishii, CEO of TURBO. “Natively developed cross-screen core titles with seamless functionality and fun have been elusive. We’re enabling elite development talent to innovate on today’s digital platforms because quality is what matters, not of-the-minute trends. We are thrilled that SoftBank shares our vision.”
“We’re working with TURBO because they have the seasoned background and visionary ideas to reinvent how games are played,” said Daniel Kang at SoftBank Ventures Korea. “Our meticulous investment choices have led to a strong position in gaming and we hope to benefit from the expertise of other subsidiaries of SoftBank Group, such as Supercell and GungHo. We look forward to furthering this success when TURBO’s first game is released in late 2014.”
TURBO is buoyed by the vibrant, growing creative scene in New York City. No place on earth is the worlds of game design, tech, and the arts colliding into such a supportive ecosystem of ideas and opportunity. The team at TURBO believes New York has the potential to drive the next wave of innovation in games, fueled by unparalleled cultural capital.
TURBO will be attending Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco, and in the coming months will reveal plans from the team for 2014 and beyond. For more information about culture and development at TURBO, visit www.TURBOStudios.com. To stay up-to-date with the latest from TURBO, follow along on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/TURBOStudios) and Twitter (@TURBOStudios).
About SoftBank Ventures Korea Corp.
Established in year 2000, SoftBank Ventures Korea is a venture capital arm of SoftBank Group. The SoftBank Group, is one of the largest technology and telecommunications corporations in the world, focused onmobile communications, broadband infrastructure, fixed-line telecommunications, and internet culture. SBVK has invested approximately USD 320M across 158 startup companies. SBVK is committed to investing in and supporting companies and entrepreneurs with disruptive technologies and innovative ideas to change the world.
About TURBO
TURBO. Brooklyn born. Founded in 2013, TURBO is an independent game development studio formed by a dream team of industry veterans who believe in building a business around killer games. When we’re not making games, we’re playing games and therein lies the difference.
