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Red 5 taps some green

  • By Staff, GameSpot
  • Posted Dec 11, 2006 3:05 pm PT

Studio stocked with ex-Blizzard staffers secured $18 million from Benchmark Capital and Sierra Ventures.

Red 5, a game developer composed primarily of former World of Warcraft designers, today said it secured $18.5 million in venture capital funding.

The investment comes from two well-respected VC firms: Benchmark Capital and Sierra Ventures. As reported earlier in GameSpot, Red 5 Studios was formed in September 2004 by a team of former World of Warcraft developers, including team lead Mark Kern. In addition to the team's work on WOW, its credentials include Diablo II, Warcraft III, and the Starcraft series. Red 5 staffers are currently working on a title to be published by Korean online game giant Webzen.

Of the investment, Benchmark general partner Bill Gurley told Reuters that "massive online games like World of Warcraft will become a dominant form of entertainment."

Coincidently, another Western developer with an upcoming title slated to be published by Webzen recently tapped its own funding. Last Friday, Real Time Worlds announced it had secured $31 million in funding.

37 Comments

  • Gamepro2421

    Posted Dec 12, 2006 11:17 am GMT

    i just really want a new Diablo...i'm sick of the Warcraft universe taking over...its too "Toonish" i want things to get gritty!

  • ufopuller

    Posted Dec 12, 2006 9:41 am GMT

    Sierra Ventures has some good stuff

  • gatsbythepig

    Posted Dec 12, 2006 7:40 am GMT

    that's $$

  • LessThanMike

    Posted Dec 12, 2006 7:11 am GMT

    another MMO would be a good guess....but hey, stick with what ya know, right?

  • cjcr_alexandru

    Posted Dec 12, 2006 6:56 am GMT

    Probably another MMO...

  • Odion666

    Posted Dec 12, 2006 6:40 am GMT

    Are you guys serious, Blizzard is still blizzard just because they lost one person that worked on those games doesn't mean that the company is complete crap now. TBC is amazing, and he had nothing to do with it. They will most likely make an ok game but nothing compared to WoW, or any other blizzard game.

    They also aren't allowed to make a starcraft 2 or a diablo 3 because its not their franchise.

  • Zumafire

    Posted Dec 12, 2006 5:59 am GMT

    Would it be a bad thing if Red 5 worked on a new Starcraft game??? NO!!!! We want another!!!!!!

  • maverickexe

    Posted Dec 12, 2006 5:42 am GMT

    I doubt Red 5 will want to make another MMO, why would you want to compete with something they made a few years ago? When that alone is still making them money.

  • CDWJUSTIN

    Posted Dec 12, 2006 3:38 am GMT

    KEW..

  • datniccah187

    Posted Dec 12, 2006 2:45 am GMT

    Its always good to hear gaming companies getting extra funds. This means they can put more money into their project, ultimately making better games.

  • sircyrus

    Posted Dec 12, 2006 2:29 am GMT

    Red5 Studios is the one to watch for the next big MMO. May not topple WoW but they've got the talent and experience to have the best shot at it.

  • JoeSSJ3

    Posted Dec 12, 2006 2:12 am GMT

    Webzen? Oh great, here comes the crap.

  • ekisom

    Posted Dec 11, 2006 10:21 pm GMT

    tell you boyz what this means.. we may never see another starcraft or diablo game or if ever, they wont be any better.. what a downer...

  • Zonelezz

    Posted Dec 11, 2006 9:11 pm GMT

    lol wow

  • helluvagood

    Posted Dec 11, 2006 7:50 pm GMT

    o wow thats a lot of money

  • JohhnyPipelong

    Posted Dec 11, 2006 7:36 pm GMT

    No doubt this game they are working on will be amazing, definately looking forward to it. I mean World of Warcraft, Starcraft, Diablo II, and Warcraft III have gone down in history as some of, if not THE greatest games on PC.

  • peeweeshift

    Posted Dec 11, 2006 6:51 pm GMT

    old old news. i guess gs doesn't watch squawkbox that often

  • comthitnuong

    Posted Dec 11, 2006 6:27 pm GMT

    well since they only helped develop the biggest mmorpg ever....its only fair i guess. but i still want a starcraft...

  • Re_ensurer

    Posted Dec 11, 2006 6:02 pm GMT

    Red 5 makin' some money.

  • Tungsten88

    Posted Dec 11, 2006 5:34 pm GMT

    Starcraft II, come on!

  • gazza_gamerNZ

    Posted Dec 11, 2006 5:33 pm GMT

    Red 5 Standing by!

  • Doolum

    Posted Dec 11, 2006 5:29 pm GMT

    WOW

  • kilaan

    Posted Dec 11, 2006 5:04 pm GMT

    Ugh, I started liking this article until "Red 5 staffers are currently working on a title to be published by Korean online game giant Webzen."

  • Dante565

    Posted Dec 11, 2006 4:57 pm GMT

    I still wish they made a new Starcraft. I would for sure buy that.

  • TryMe01

    Posted Dec 11, 2006 4:52 pm GMT

    wow, that is alot of dough!

  • Rumpke

    Posted Dec 11, 2006 4:39 pm GMT

    I miss Diablo, so addicting, and none of the pay-per-month crap they are pulling now. Werent they going to try to port Diablo II to PSP?

  • TWOC2689

    Posted Dec 11, 2006 4:16 pm GMT

    Korea is the largest Internet users in the world because the Internet isn't owned by the Japanese and that is why they use it (Political) so it isn't surprising to hear this.

  • simoomt

    Posted Dec 11, 2006 4:15 pm GMT

    ohhhhh so that's where the name for the item "Mark of Kern" in world of warcraft came from. Good to know!

  • Kfoss

    Posted Dec 11, 2006 4:00 pm GMT

    a game published by a korean firm? WHa riiigggghhhhhttt and why are the not working for blizzard anymore?...ummm yeaa i guess this is a good thing...

  • mylsd

    Posted Dec 11, 2006 3:54 pm GMT

    "massive online games like World of Warcraft will become a dominant form of entertainment."

    Sorry to burst his bubble but ..... no, they will not. Still best o luck to Red 5.

  • RaiKageRyu

    Posted Dec 11, 2006 3:51 pm GMT

    There's no need for more MMORPGs

  • ConManWithGun

    Posted Dec 11, 2006 3:40 pm GMT

    thats awesome, good for them

  • CheddarLimbo

    Posted Dec 11, 2006 3:39 pm GMT

    That's a lot of talent. I hope we can see something amazing coming out of this group.

  • sniper_99

    Posted Dec 11, 2006 3:33 pm GMT

    wishing they will do good

  • runstalker

    Posted Dec 11, 2006 3:32 pm GMT

    So many developers ride the "hey, I'm ex-Blizzard -- I rule" bandwagon, but when we're talking Mark Kern (WoW's lead game design up to its release), he's got the street cred.

  • smiley17O

    Posted Dec 11, 2006 3:16 pm GMT

    thats good for them

  • Danthegamingman

    Posted Dec 11, 2006 3:11 pm GMT

    Ex-Blizzard developers, hope they do well.

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