TAITO Game IPs Enter Mobile eSports on CelerX
TAITO Corporation, a globally recognized pioneer in the video game industry and famous for producing SPACE INVADERS, BUBBLE BOBBLE, and ARKANOID is entering the mobile eSports arena through a partnership between TAITO, Next Gaming, and Celer Network’s mobile eSports platform, CelerX.
BUST-A-MOVE Real Money Tournament is the first mobile eSports title from this joint collaboration introducing the original bubble shooter game, BUST-A-MOVE (also known as PUZZLE BOBBLE) as a 100% skill-based, real money competition on mobile devices. In 1994, TAITO defined the bubble shooter game genre by introducing BUST-A-MOVE onto the arcade scene. Following a massive global success of the arcade release, many versions of the game were introduced on various consoles.
Recently, Next Gaming reimagined BUST-A-MOVE in a skill-based video slot machine format that stars Bub and Bob (the twin dragon co-stars), which can soon be found in U.S. casinos this year. And with mobile game revenue expected to surpass the $100 billion mark in 2020, Michael Darley, CEO of Next Gaming said, “we wanted to bring a version of our game, and others to follow, to a larger audience by tapping into CelerX’s expertise in game distribution, network, compliance, and security. The benefits of running on a layer-2 blockchain game platform provides an extra level of security and peace of mind for our players, especially when playing for real money in the iGaming and eSports markets.”
To achieve this, TAITO, Next Gaming, and the team at CelerX, worked jointly to introduce a version of BUST-A-MOVE that is 100% skill-based and integrated it with the CelerX SDK, enabling fans of the BUST-A-MOVE franchise to wager real money to test their skills against others. The game comes complete with leaderboards, regular tournaments, and the ability to directly challenge other players in a head-to-head competition.
The collaboration team is working on featuring a series of mobile eSports games based on TAITO’s game titles that are loved by generations around the globe. “On its 25th anniversary, we’re honored to bring BUST-A-MOVE Real Money Tournament to the fans where they can test their skills in a real money competition directly from their personal mobile devices. We are excited to see Celer’s advanced layer-2 blockchain scaling solution is powering this initiative.” said Dr. Mo Dong, Co-founder of Celer Network. Additional games are expected to be released in the second half of 2020.
“We have been working closely with Next Gaming to introduce skill-based video slot machines and are even more excited to extend the experience to the mobile eSports platform on the Celer Network,” said Mr. Tetsu Yamada, President and Representative Director of TAITO Corporation.
The iOS version of BUST-A-MOVE Real Money Tournament is now available within the Arcade Win mobile app and as a single title game release using real money and free in-game tokens within 37 U.S. States* and Canada. Additional markets will be announced. The Android version of Arcade Win can be downloaded directly from CelerX’s website.
About TAITO Corporation
TAITO Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd. With headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, TAITO operates core businesses, such as game arcade operations, manufacturing coin-operated game machines, and mobile phone content services. A seminal part of gaming history, TAITO caused a worldwide sensation with its arcade legend SPACE INVADERS and developed such fan favorites as PUZZLE BOBBLE (BUST-A-MOVE) and ARKANOID. Today, TAITO continues to thrill game lovers of all generations by offering both classic and new family-oriented titles on the latest gaming platforms. TAITO delivers a wide range of entertainment experiences with the goal of providing consumers with fresh surprises and new discoveries. More information on TAITO can be found on the Internet at https://www.taito.co.jp/en.
About Next Gaming, LLC
As a pioneer of skill-based slot machines, Next Gaming has reimagined classic arcade games and created innovative slot machines which appeal to a wider player demographic than a traditional slot machine. Next Gaming has taken years of combined expertise in the gaming industry and created a modern yet recognizable arcade gaming experience with a gambling twist.
Based in Las Vegas, Nevada, Next Gaming, LLC was founded in 2006 and is focused on creating and distributing leading edge, entertaining and immersive gaming experiences to the U.S. gaming market.
About CelerX
CelerX is a blockchain gaming app on which users can win real-money prizes while playing skill-based eSports games. Built on Celer Network’s layer-2 scaling technology for the blockchain, CelerX has been optimizing the user experience, irrigating the gaming world with blockchain technology, and demonstrating a new monetization model for developers’ games in addition to the existing monetization sources.
Headquartered in Mountain View, California, Celer Network was founded by PhDs from MIT, Princeton, UC Berkeley and UIUC and has an all-star team with years of industry experiences from top startups and tech giants like Google, Amazon, Cisco, HP and more.
* BUST-A-MOVE Real Money Tournament is available in 37 States except in Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, Montana, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Indiana, and Maine.
For business and media inquiries, please contact:
Mike Darley
Next Gaming, LLC
Mdarley@nextgaming.co
702-366-7304
