By June Ramli
Melbourne, Oct 8: New Zealand-based startup, IGC Studio, is making waves in the gaming industry with its groundbreaking approach to in-game collectibles.
The company, founded by Craig Herbison has developed a unique technology that bridges the gap between gameplay and collectibles, offering a sustainable and personalized alternative to traditional merchandise manufacturing.
IGC Studio’s innovative solution allows gamers to seamlessly purchase collectibles directly from the games they play.
This revolutionary concept eliminates the need for mass production and warehousing of merchandise, significantly reducing waste in the collectibles industry.
Herbison, the founder of IGC Studio, came up with the idea while observing the disconnect between the gaming and collectibles industries.
He questioned why gamers couldn’t purchase items directly from their favorite games and set out to find a solution.
The key to IGC Studio’s success lies in its proprietary technology, which combines artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced manufacturing techniques.
The company offers a plugin for popular gaming platforms like Unity and Unreal Engine, enabling game developers to integrate IGC’s technology seamlessly.
When a player wishes to buy a collectible from within the game, the technology swiftly extracts the necessary data and generates a file for manufacturing.
The entire process, from purchase to delivery, takes as little as a week.
One of the standout features of IGC Studio’s approach is its commitment to sustainability.
The company avoids the use of traditional retail packaging, reducing waste in shipping and packaging materials.
Instead, IGC Studio’s collectibles arrive in simple, eco-friendly boxes, designed to be displayed and enjoyed by the gamers themselves.
IGC Studio currently operates with a small team of technologists, with four full-time staff members.
The company has attracted investment from Hillfarrance, a prominent New Zealand-based venture capital firm, to support its research and development efforts.
While the startup has already made strides in the industry, it is actively seeking partnerships with game studios to integrate its technology and bring collectibles directly to gamers.
The business model of IGC Studio revolves around sharing revenue with game studios, offering them a 15 percent share of the proceeds from collectible sales.
This partnership ensures that game studios have an incentive to create highly customizable collectibles that resonate with their player base.
Herbison has been actively engaging with game studios and industry leaders to promote the concept of in-game collectibles.
The plugin is currently available in “Monster Racing League,” a game crafted by the indie studio Flightless, which was featured at the PAX event.
However, Herbison’s vision goes far beyond this initial release.
He aspires to collaborate with major industry giants like Nintendo and Marvel, with the aim of completely transforming the production and distribution of collectibles within the gaming world.
This ambitious vision holds the potential to revolutionize how gamers engage with collectible items in their favorite games.
In a world where personalization, sustainability, and gaming culture intersect, IGC Studio’s innovative approach is poised to reshape the gaming collectibles market.
With its technology, commitment to sustainability, and willingness to disrupt traditional manufacturing processes, IGC Studio is set to make a lasting impact on the gaming world.
Without further ado, let’s listen to the entire interview below:
June Ramli is the editor of DailyStraits.com. To stay in touch with June, look her up on Twitter @junesairaramli