Round-Up: D.I.C.E. Poker, Mind Candy Funding, New Metaboli Capital

Today's wrap-up includes news on the AIAS' poker tournament based around the D.I.C.E Summit, as well as venture capital funding announcements for both ARG creator Mind Candy and European digital distribution company Metaboli, plus today's product news, GameSetWatch updates and Gamasutra job postings. - The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences has added a celebrity poker tournament to the 2006 D.I.C.E. Summit, to be held at Caesar's Palace on February 8, 2006. Participants in the tournament will include Thomas Keller, Edward Moncada, Scott Fischman, Perry Friedman, Max Pescatori, and Chris Ferguson. D.I.C.E. attendees can enter the tournament for a $25 fee as well as a $200 buy-in, and win special prizes if they can defeat any of the guest players. - Mind Candy, the developers of Perplex City, have received new investment capital from Index Ventures, according to a CNET News report. The alternate-reality game creators, who have twice written about ARG-related subjects for Gamasutra recently, will use the new capital to increase the scope of Perplex City, the first alternate-reality game to exist as its own project rather than as a marketing tool for a separate product. "We are extremely excited about this partnership and see enormous potential to build a global brand around puzzles and puzzle-solving," said Mind Candy CEO Michael Smith. - Also in investment capital news is European digital distribution company Metaboli, which has received 6 million Euros in a new round of funding from Intel Capital, Innovacom, and Alven Capital. The company, which offers its users several choices including a subscription model, will use the new funding to expand the number of devices its content can be used on. "Metaboli's success in the emerging digital entertainment market with 'gaming on demand' aligns well with our vision to enable consumers to get their entertainment content any time, anywhere and on any device," said Metaboli Content Services Group vice president Kevin Corbett. - Over at Gamasutra's newly launched sister game weblog GameSetWatch, new posts have been added discussing an interview with Half-Life 2 art-modder Adam Foster, a seasonal Blizzard cookie contest, and a special offer of support for a text adventure documentary, among other subjects. - Also updated today: product news including Metaverse's launching of its MMO game platform, plus today's Gamasutra job postings from companies including Filter/Talent, HopeLab, Linden Lab, and Midway Games.