A New Studio Closes In on the Non-Gamer Market with $2.3 Million Investment

Closing Theory, a newly launched mobile game development studio, has successfully raised $2.3 million in investment. The funding round was led by a16z, a renowned games investment firm.

The studio aims to capture the attention of the “non-gamer” audience, which they consider to be a valuable but often untapped market. To achieve this, Closing Theory is developing two new titles centered around housing. The investor lineup includes prominent firms such as a16z, Powerhouse Capital, and Seth Sivak, the founder of Proletariat games.

Nitin Rajinikanth, co-founder of Closing Theory, expressed their vision, stating, “Games have traditionally been all about fantasy, a hard fork from the real world. We started Closing Theory because we believe there’s an opportunity for fun that’s closer to the world we live in.” Rajinikanth adds, “Our first two titles, HOUSE RUSH! and NEIGHBORHOOD RUSH!, are designed for the 70M+ people who browse Zillow just for fun.” Interested players can now sign up to playtest House Rush on iOS.

Rushing into the Neighborhood

Though details about Closing Theory are currently scarce, it is presumed that the studio has been working on its debut games in stealth mode for some time. Considering that the titles will be released on mobile platforms, it is speculated that they may target the hypercasual or hybridcasual market, which typically appeals to non-gamers.

Several of the companies associated with the investors, such as Playtika and Blizzard, have been recognized as top game makers. This suggests that the potential profitability of a studio like Closing Theory, whose co-founders have previously sold two companies following similar strategies, is a significant driving force behind the investment.

However, what sets Closing Theory apart is Rajinikanth’s mention of a “strategic mix of gaming experts and real estate operators + influencers” in their development process. While this combination may seem unconventional, it generates considerable curiosity about the goals and achievements the studio seeks to accomplish.