Mochi Game Developer Fund Launches First Batch Of Online Titles

Browser-based games network Mochi Media has launched the first group of games supported by its Mochi Game Developer Fund, which is dedicated to helping sponsor, license, and publish online titles. The first three titles released through this program are Toge Productions' turn-based tactical squad MMO Planetary Conflict, BadViking's turn-based combat rescue game Toxers, and Juicy Beast's cake-stacking puzzler Feed the King. It plans to put out a fourth title called Snow Fort next. Set up in March, the Mochi Game Developer Fund is a joint effort with the firm's parent company, Chinese developer/operator/publisher Shanda Games. The fund has so far invested more than 400,000 to 20 developers from around the world, including South America, Europe, and Southeast Asia. The small Flash studios and independent developers that participate in the fund receive access to technical, design, and testing resources from Shanda Games, as well as development tools and distribution to Mochi Media's global network of 40,000 sites. "This initial group of games that we're launching today is just the start of a multi-year wave of games created by developers that may not have had a chance without the support of this fund," says Mochi Game Fund's general manager Justin Wong. "The fund is a shot in the arm to the growing, but still nascent, online game development community."