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词条 Machine Zone
释义

  1. History

     Origin and first products (2008–2012)  Breakout games (2012–2015)  Rebranding (2016–2017)  Refocus (2018) 

  2. Marketing

  3. Game revenue and player purchases

  4. Products

  5. References

  6. External links

{{Infobox company
| name = Machine Zone Inc.
| logo = Hm39422 created.svg
| logo_size = 130px
| image =
| image_caption =
|trading_name = MZ
| former_name = Addmired (2008–2012)[1]
| type = Private
| traded_as =
| industry = {{hlist|Mobile gaming{{wbr}} software|Real-time computing|Cloud-based{{wbr}} networking}}
| genre =
| fate =
| predecessor =
| successor =
| founded = {{Start date|2008}}
| founder = {{ubl|Gabriel Leydon|Halbert Nakagawa|Mike Sherrill}}
| defunct =
| hq_location =
| hq_location_city = Palo Alto, California
| hq_location_country = United States
| num_locations =
| area_served = Worldwide
| key_people = Kristen Dumont, CEO
| products = {{ubl | Fire Age |Mobile Strike | A New Empire [2] }}
| brands =
| services =
| revenue =
| operating_income =
| net_income =
| aum =
| assets =
| equity =
| owner =
| num_employees = 550 ({{as of|2015|10|lc=yes}})[3]
| parent =
| divisions = Platform[4][5]
| subsid = {{ubl | Epic War LLC[2] | Epic Action LLC }}
| website = {{URL|mz.com}}
| footnotes =
| intl =
}}Machine Zone, Inc. (MZ) is a privately held technology company, founded in 2008 and based in Palo Alto, California. The company is best known for its widely advertised freemium mobile MMO strategy games Fire Age and Mobile Strike,[4] which have both simultaneously been ranked among the top ten highest-grossing mobile games.[8]

History

Origin and first products (2008–2012)

The company, which was originally called Addmired, was founded in 2008. In 2012, Addmired changed its name to Machine Zone, after raising $8 million in funding from Menlo Ventures.[9] Gabriel Leydon founded the company with partners Mike Sherrill and current Chief Technology Officer Halbert Nakagawa.[9][11] It was among the participants in Y Combinator's Winter 2008 Accelerator program for startups.[12]

The company got its start making AddHer and AddHim,[12] a pair of MySpace widgets that TechCrunch called "a Hot or Not-esque social network plugin."[14] Addmired later pivoted into the free-to-play game space, releasing 13 games between 2009 and 2012, including the iOS games Original Gangstaz, iMob and iMob 2, and Global War Riot.[9][14][17]

Breakout games (2012–2015)

Machine Zone released Fire Age in October 2012 in New Zealand and Australia.{{citation needed|date=February 2019}} According to VentureBeat, Leydon had used the 2012 venture funding to "bet everything on Game of War," putting a team of 80 people on an 18-month project to design and build a complex real-time strategy game, including creation of a messaging infrastructure and language translation layer that would allow worldwide participation in the game's alliances and chat.[3]

The company launched Mobile Strike, a modern warfare game, in November 2015.[2] In an advertising campaign that featured Arnold Schwarzenegger, the game was marketed as a product of a company called Epic War, later revealed to be a development studio of Machine Zone.[2]

Rebranding (2016–2017)

The company rebranded itself as MZ in 2016.[21] That year, a funding round valued the company at $5 billion.

In April 2016, simultaneously with rebranding itself as MZ,[21] the company announced the launch of a new platform as a service, leveraging the cloud-based networking infrastructure of its real-time gaming platform.[24][25] Using the existing technology developed to monitor hundreds of thousands of players in its real-time mobile games, the company developed and demonstrated a system for the government of New Zealand that included applications to view and manage public transportation more efficiently, including an ability to provide timely information, down to the second, on bus and train movements.[27]

In November 2016, Machine Zone announced that it was partnering with Square Enix to develop a Final Fantasy XV mobile MMO.[28] Through a subsidiary company, Epic Action LLC, Machine Zone released A New Empire in June 2017.[29]

Refocus (2018)

MZ announced in March 2018 that it was working with Hedera Hashgraph on a distributed cryptocurrency technology called hashgraph, a blockchain alternative.[30]

A change in leadership and direction took place in June 2018, when the company's board of directors replaced founder and CEO Gabe Leydon, in order to refocus the company on gaming.[31] According to Fast Company, Leydon left the company "ostensibly to run Satori", part of MZ's platform business since early 2017, as a spinoff "standalone business" focusing on the hashgraph project.[33] Leydon was replaced as CEO by Kristen Dumont, an attorney who had been the company's chief operating officer since 2015.[31] In a restructuring in July, Dumont laid off a large portion of Machine Zone's marketing team, approximately 125 jobs.[35]

In October, TechCrunch named the company the sixth most successful company from Y Combinator.[36] By December 2018, when the company hired Dan Nash as its chief financial officer, MZ had raised around $720 million in a new round of funding, with investors including JP Morgan, Anthos Capital, and Menlo Ventures.

Marketing

Approximately $40 million was spent on marketing Game of War: Fire Age in 2014.[38] Along with advertisements in digital and social media, television commercials were produced featuring model Kate Upton as the goddess Athena. The ads highlighted Upton's sex appeal as she led battles in fantasy settings that were compared to those in Game of Thrones.[39] The spots were introduced in the United States during an NFL Thursday Night Football game and were aired prominently during Super Bowl games and other sports events.[39][41]

Singer Mariah Carey replaced Upton, in late 2015, as the face of the game's advertising campaign.[42] In September 2015, the first commercial featuring a brief clip of Carey as Athena was previewed by TMZ.[43] Carey's agreement reportedly included "a seven-figure pay check; a 30-second commercial filmed by Alan Taylor ... and the use of her music in future promotional material."[42]

In February 2016, MZ spent an estimated three times more on television advertising than any other mobile gaming company, including spending an estimated $10.7 million on 3,265 airings of its Super Bowl 50 ad for Mobile Strike featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger.[45]

CEO Kristin Dumont, in a November 2018 interview with Fast Company, indicated a change of marketing strategy that would not be likely to include Super Bowl advertising.[31] Dumont stated a preference for marketing with "more measurable results", and called television advertising "kind of a rip-off, to be honest".[31]

Game revenue and player purchases

In August 2015, a former employee of Machine Zone was arrested and charged with stealing proprietary data that included "player spending habits broken down by time, location, age and other characteristics" which showed, for example, "which in-game items generate the most revenue and where in the game players often quit."[48] The monetary value of the data was linked by the Wall Street Journal to the fact that "about 3% of mobile-game players buy virtual goodies, such as extra turns and special powers. Most spend only a few dollars a month, while a tiny fraction known as whales – a name derived from casinos – plunk down $50 or more a month."[48]

Analytics by Slice Intelligence indicated that Game of War{{'}}s paying players each spent an average of $550 in 2015 on its in-app purchases, compared to $87 spent by the average player of mobile free-to-play games.[50][51] In March 2017, the company defeated a class action lawsuit on the basis that players who had sought damages for lost "virtual gold" at a virtual casino in Game of War "did not lose real money", according to the court.[52][53]

Products

  • Fire Age
  • Mobile Strike
  • A New Empire

References

1. ^1 {{cite journal |title=Hedera Hashgraph and MZ unveil next-generation blockchain alternative |first=Dean |last=Takahashi |date=March 13, 2018 |journal=VentureBeat |url=https://venturebeat.com/2018/03/13/hedera-hashgraph-and-mz-unveil-next-generation-blockchain-alternative/ |deadurl=no |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190101220219/https://venturebeat.com/2018/03/13/hedera-hashgraph-and-mz-unveil-next-generation-blockchain-alternative/ |archivedate=2019-01-01 }}
2. ^1 {{cite journal |title=Game of War developer MZ layoffs strike marketing team |first=Jeff |last=Grubb |date=July 11, 2018 |journal=VentureBeat |url=https://venturebeat.com/2018/07/11/game-of-war-developer-mz-layoffs-strike-marketing-team/ |deadurl=no |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190212182533/https://venturebeat.com/2018/07/11/game-of-war-developer-mz-layoffs-strike-marketing-team/ |archivedate=2019-02-12 }}
3. ^1 2 3 4 {{cite journal |title=How the maker of mobile hit Game of War unpivoted itself |first=Jared |last=Newman |date=November 7, 2018 |journal=Fast Company |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/90263128/how-the-maker-of-mobile-hit-game-of-war-lost-unpivoted-itself |deadurl=no |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20181121045609/https://www.fastcompany.com/90263128/how-the-maker-of-mobile-hit-game-of-war-lost-unpivoted-itself#post__main |archivedate=2018-11-21 }}
4. ^1 {{cite journal |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/mz-gambling-idUSL2N1GU1YP |title=Machine Zone defeats gambling-loss class action in 4th Circuit |first=Barbara |last=Grzincic |date=March 17, 2017 |journal=Westlaw News |agency=Reuters |deadurl=no |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20181211010222/https://www.reuters.com/article/mz-gambling-idUSL2N1GU1YP |archivedate=2018-12-11 }}
5. ^1 2 3 {{cite journal |title=Addmired nets $8 million Series B, changes name to Machine Zone |first=Kathleen |last=De Vere |date=March 27, 2012 |journal=Social Times |publisher=AdWeek |url=http://www.adweek.com/socialtimes/addmired-nets-8-million-series-b-changes-name-to-machine-zone/523001?red=im |deadurl=no |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160404183325/http://www.adweek.com/socialtimes/addmired-nets-8-million-series-b-changes-name-to-machine-zone/523001?red=im |archivedate=2016-04-04 }}
6. ^1 {{cite journal |title=One Nerd to Rule Them All |first=Robert |last=Kolker |date=March 5, 2015 |journal=Bloomberg Businessweek |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2015-game-of-war/ |deadurl=no |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160325170528/http://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2015-game-of-war/ |archivedate=2016-03-25 }}
7. ^1 {{Cite press release |author1=Rubenstein Associates |author2=MZ |url=http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161107006256/en/Machine-Zone-Square-Enix-Announce-Partnership-Develop |title=Machine Zone and Square Enix Announce Partnership to Develop FINAL FANTASY XV Mobile MMO Game |date=November 7, 2016 |publisher=Business Wire |location=Palo Alto, Calif. }}
8. ^1 {{cite web |title=These Are the Most Successful Companies from Y Combinator |first=Kate |last=Clark |date=October 17, 2018 |website=TechCrunch |url=https://techcrunch.com/2018/10/17/these-are-the-most-successful-companies-to-emerge-from-y-combinator/ |deadurl=no |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/76HdsAS8o |archivedate=2019-02-18 }}
9. ^1 {{cite web |first=Tom |last=DiChristopher |title=Machine Zone is using video game tech to make your city's buses run better |website=CNBC |date=May 26, 2016 |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2016/05/26/machine-zone-is-using-video-game-tech-to-make-your-citys-buses-run-better.html |deadurl=no |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160526165130/http://www.cnbc.com/2016/05/26/machine-zone-is-using-video-game-tech-to-make-your-citys-buses-run-better.html |archivedate=2016-05-26 }}
10. ^1 2 {{cite web |title=Y Combinator Demo Day Roundup for Spring 2008 |date=March 14, 2008 |first=Mark |last=Hendrickson |website=TechCrunch |url=https://techcrunch.com/2008/03/14/y-combinator-demo-day-roundup-for-spring-2008/ |deadurl=no |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160317054311/http://techcrunch.com/2008/03/14/y-combinator-demo-day-roundup-for-spring-2008/ |archivedate=2016-03-17 }}
11. ^1 2 {{cite web |title=Freemium Game Dev Addmired Rebrands as Machine Zone, Lands $8M from Menlo Ventures |date=March 27, 2012 |first=Chris |last=Velazco |website=TechCrunch |url=https://techcrunch.com/2012/03/27/freemium-game-dev-addmired-rebrands-as-machine-zone-lands-8m-from-menlo-ventures/ |deadurl=no |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160322185502/http://techcrunch.com/2012/03/27/freemium-game-dev-addmired-rebrands-as-machine-zone-lands-8m-from-menlo-ventures/ |archivedate=2016-03-22 }}
12. ^1 {{cite web |title=Machine Zone |website=CrunchBase |publisher=TechCrunch |year=2013 |url=http://www.crunchbase.com/company/addmired |deadurl=unfit |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130509071613/http://www.crunchbase.com/company/addmired |archivedate=2013-05-09 }}
13. ^1 {{Cite web |url=http://gematsu.com/2017/03/machine-zone-final-fantasy-xv-mobile-game-revealed-final-fantasy-xv-new-empire|title=Machine Zone's Final Fantasy XV mobile game revealed to be Final Fantasy XV: A New Empire|date=March 31, 2018 |website=Gematsu |access-date=2017-07-19|language=en-US}}
14. ^1 2 {{cite web | url=http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/02/01/kate-upton-game-of-war-super-bowl-ad_n_6591352.html | title=Game of War's Super Bowl Ad Is Pretty Much Kate Upton in Game of Thrones | work=The Huffington Post |location=Canada | date=February 1, 2015 | accessdate=2015-02-20 | last=Trinh |first=Brian Vinh Tien}}
15. ^1 {{cite journal | url=http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/game-war-fire-age-launches-first-global-campaign-starring-kate-upton-161397 | title=Game of War: Fire Age Launches First Global Campaign, Starring Kate Upton |journal=AdWeek | date=November 13, 2014 | accessdate=2015-02-20 |last=Monllos |first=Kristina }}
16. ^1 2 {{cite journal |title=Why 'Game of War' User Data Is So Valuable |first=Sarah E. |last=Needleman |date=August 26, 2015 |journal=Wall Street Journal |url=https://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2015/08/26/why-game-of-war-user-data-is-so-valuable/ |deadurl=no |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151225213912/https://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2015/08/26/why-game-of-war-user-data-is-so-valuable/ |archivedate=2015-12-25 }}
17. ^1 2 {{cite journal |title=Updated: Machine Zone spins out big data tech RTplatform as separate division |date=April 5, 2016 |first=Jon |last=Jordan |journal=Pocket Gamer |url=http://www.pocketgamer.biz/news/62972/machine-zone-spins-out-rtplatform/ |deadurl=no |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160408160257/http://www.pocketgamer.biz/news/62972/machine-zone-spins-out-rtplatform/ |archivedate=2016-04-08 }}
18. ^1 {{Cite press release |author1=Rubenstein Associates |author2=MZ |url=http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160511006237/en/MZ-Appoints-Nasi-Jazayeri-President-Platform |title=MZ Appoints Nasi Jazayeri President of Platform |publisher=Business Wire |location=Palo Alto, Calif. |date=May 11, 2016 |access-date=2016-05-27 }}
19. ^1 2 {{Cite press release |author1=Rubenstein Associates |author2=MZ |url=http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160404006732/en/Machine-Zone-Rebrands-MZ-Launches-Standalone-Tech|title=Machine Zone Rebrands as MZ and Launches Standalone Tech Platform |publisher=Business Wire |location=Palo Alto, Calif. |date=April 4, 2016 |access-date=2016-05-26 }}
20. ^1 {{cite web |title=A real win for a virtual casino: game developer avoids class action liability under gambling loss recovery statute |date=March 20, 2017 |first=Christopher |last=Queenin |website=Nixon Peabody |url=https://www.nixonpeabody.com/en/ideas/articles/2017/03/20/game-developer-avoids-class-action-liability |deadurl=no |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190218182344/https://www.nixonpeabody.com/en/ideas/articles/2017/03/20/game-developer-avoids-class-action-liability |archivedate=2019-02-18 }}
21. ^1 {{cite web |title=Hardly pocket change: mobile gamers spend an average of $87 dollars on in-app purchases |date=March 31, 2016 |first=Taylor |last=Stanton |website=Slice Intelligence |url=http://intelligence.slice.com/hardly-pocket-change-mobile-gamers-spend-an-average-of-87-dollars-on-in-app-purchases/ |deadurl=no |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160331221608/http://intelligence.slice.com/hardly-pocket-change-mobile-gamers-spend-an-average-of-87-dollars-on-in-app-purchases/ |archivedate=2016-03-31 }}
22. ^1 {{cite journal |title=MZ launches Satori, an open platform with 5.5 million real-time data feeds |first=Matt |last=Marshall |date=April 4, 2017 |url=https://venturebeat.com/2017/04/04/mz-launches-satori-an-open-platform-with-5-5-million-real-time-data-feeds/ |deadurl=no |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20181208131944/https://venturebeat.com/2017/04/04/mz-launches-satori-an-open-platform-with-5-5-million-real-time-data-feeds/ |archivedate=2019-02-18 }}
23. ^1 {{cite journal |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2014/11/16/a-40m-ad-budget-buys-game-of-war-fire-age-kate-upton/ | title=A $40M Ad Budget Buys 'Game of War: Fire Age' Kate Upton | work=Forbes | date=November 14, 2014 | accessdate=2015-02-20 | last=Tassi |first=Paul}}
24. ^1 {{cite web |title=Top Grossing All Devices – Games: All Countries |date=April 8, 2016 |work=Think Gaming |url=https://thinkgaming.com/app-sales-data/device/all/country/all/date/2016-04-08/group/day/ |deadurl=no |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160408211513/https://thinkgaming.com/app-sales-data/device/all/country/all/date/2016-04-08/group/day/ |archivedate=2016-04-08 }}
25. ^1 {{cite web |url=http://www.tmz.com/2015/09/14/mariah-carey-game-of-war-commercial-promo-video-hero-kate-upton/ |title=Game of War with Mariah Carey |work=TMZ |date=September 14, 2015 }}
26. ^1 {{cite journal |title=Machine Zone launches cloud platform to process millions of real-time interactions |first=Matt |last=Marshall |date=April 4, 2016 |journal=VentureBeat |url=https://venturebeat.com/2016/04/04/gaming-company-machine-zone-launches-rtplatform-enabling-millions-of-real-time-interactions/ |deadurl=no |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160406063438/http://venturebeat.com/2016/04/04/gaming-company-machine-zone-launches-rtplatform-enabling-millions-of-real-time-interactions/ |archivedate=2016-04-06 }}
27. ^1 {{cite journal |title=Game of War's paying players spent an average of $550 on its in-app purchases in 2015 |first=Jeff |last=Grubb |journal=VentureBeat |date=April 1, 2016 |url=https://venturebeat.com/2016/04/01/game-of-wars-paying-players-spent-an-average-of-550-on-its-in-app-purchases-in-2015/ |deadurl=no |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160506060743/http://venturebeat.com/2016/04/01/game-of-wars-paying-players-spent-an-average-of-550-on-its-in-app-purchases-in-2015/ |archivedate=2016-05-06 }}
28. ^1 {{cite journal |title=Machine Zone's Mobile Strike tops Far Cry: Primal in Super Bowl month ad spending |first=Zach |last=Servideo |date=March 5, 2016 |journal=VentureBeat |url=https://venturebeat.com/2016/03/05/machine-zones-mobile-strike-tops-far-cry-primal-in-super-bowl-month-ad-spending/ |deadurl=no |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160406120509/http://venturebeat.com/2016/03/05/machine-zones-mobile-strike-tops-far-cry-primal-in-super-bowl-month-ad-spending/ |archivedate=2016-04-06 }}
29. ^1 2 3 4 {{cite journal |title=Arnold Schwarzenegger stars in Machine Zone's modern warfare game Mobile Strike (updated) |first=Dean |last=Takahashi |date=November 11, 2015 |journal=VentureBeat |url=https://venturebeat.com/2015/11/11/arnold-schwarzenegger-is-the-star-of-machine-zones-new-mobile-strike-modern-warfare-game/ |deadurl=no |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151113022946/http://venturebeat.com/2015/11/11/arnold-schwarzenegger-is-the-star-of-machine-zones-new-mobile-strike-modern-warfare-game/ |archivedate=2015-11-13 }}
30. ^1 {{cite journal |title=CEO Gabe Leydon on why Machine Zone renamed itself and launched its real-time cloud platform |first=Dean |last=Takahashi |date=April 9, 2016 |journal=VentureBeat |url=https://venturebeat.com/2016/04/09/ceo-gabe-leydon-on-why-machine-zone-renamed-itself-and-launched-its-real-time-cloud-platform/ |deadurl=no |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160412052212/http://venturebeat.com/2016/04/09/ceo-gabe-leydon-on-why-machine-zone-renamed-itself-and-launched-its-real-time-cloud-platform/ |archivedate=2016-04-12 }}
31. ^1 2 {{cite journal |title=An interview with Gabe Leydon, Machine Zone's man on the Iron Throne |first=Dean |last=Takahashi |journal=VentureBeat |date=October 16, 2015 |url=https://venturebeat.com/2015/10/16/an-interview-with-gabe-leydon-machine-zones-man-on-the-iron-throne/ |deadurl=no |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151120133701/http://venturebeat.com/2015/10/16/an-interview-with-gabe-leydon-machine-zones-man-on-the-iron-throne/ |archivedate=2015-11-20 }}
32. ^1 2 {{cite web|last=Cox|first=Jamieson|title=Mariah Carey is replacing Kate Upton as the new public face of Game of War: Fire Age|url=https://www.theverge.com/2015/6/12/8774011/mariah-carey-game-of-war-spokesperson|website=The Verge|accessdate=2015-06-13}}
33. ^1 {{cite journal |title=Newest Hit-Game Maker Machine Zone Nears $3 Billion Valuation |first1=Douglas |last1=Macmillan |first2=Telis |last2=Demos |date=July 16, 2014 |journal=Wall Street Journal |url=https://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2014/07/16/newest-hit-game-maker-machine-zone-nears-3-billion-valuation/ |deadurl=no |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160403094736/https://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2014/07/16/newest-hit-game-maker-machine-zone-nears-3-billion-valuation/ |archivedate=2016-04-03 }}
[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33]
}}

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Machine Zone}}

3 : Video game development companies|Video game companies of the United States|Video game companies established in 2008
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