Utopos raises $1 million to gamify machine learning with debut title Raivo

Utopos Games has raised $1 million to develop a new robot-battler called Raivo that it claims will be the first video game to gamify machine learning. 

The fledgling studio, which was founded by a veteran team who first worked together on the Command & Conquer series two decades ago, explains Raivo will allow players to collect and train a team of fighting robots that will enter into battles against bots trained by other players. 

The robots will apparently be capable of learning different fighting styles based on player feedback and demands, with Utopos describing the diligent droids as "intelligent, learning creatures."

"In Raivo, you raise your robots as if they are your pets. We have taken a lot of influence from Pokemon in that regard," explained lead designer and studio co-founder, John Comes, in a press release.

"When the robots fight, it happens autonomously, based on the training you have provided. In short, they fight the way you trained them to fight. This brings in elements from games like Dota Auto Chess and Championship Manager."

The game is currently scheduled to launch in Q2 2020, and will begin playtesting later this month.