Former Xbox, Atari, Dell, Unity, Uber and Time Warner Executives Join Forces to Create Ultra
The blockchain-powered platform aims to shake up the games distribution industry by putting the power back into the hands of developers and players
Tallinn, Estonia — May 30, 2018 — Ultra, the Estonian-based company building a first-class PC game publishing platform and marketplace, today announced its platform which aims to put an end to the current distribution monopoly.
“The success of Steam, Google and Apple’s app stores over the last decade means that users have grown to expect and demand the kind of ease-of-use and seamless purchasing experience that these platforms provide. This effectively means that developers are having an increasingly difficult time selling their software outside of these walled gardens, which results in large commission fees and loss of control over their own customers,” said Nicolas Gilot, Co-CEO of Ultra.
“Additionally, as the catalogue of games has grown dramatically in recent years, largely due to the market leader Steam’s service offering, this oversaturation further inhibits developers from reaching their audiences. Likewise, for gamers themselves, discovering the right game for them has become more difficult because of the sheer quantity of games available. The majority of gamers with purchasing power aren’t aware of the games available to them, other than the ones that have been published on Steam,” he continued.
Founded in 2017, Ultra plans to disrupt these monopolistic practices by being fairer to developers, providing effective marketing tools, introducing new revenue streams, and establishing a rich token-based economy. The blockchain-based platform will provide developers with the flexibility of a custom-built platform while bringing exciting innovations and financial incentives to players, making the development of a new breakthrough game distribution platform possible.
Whether industry giants, small independents or somewhere in the middle, Ultra provides an ecosystem which developers can leverage in order to bring their businesses to new heights. The Ultra platform will support a variety of game genres, including free-to-play, premium games, eSports and single-player games and will allow developers to earn 21% more on their sales revenue, providing access to a range of new revenue opportunities for both developers and gamers alike.
Ultra’s use of Smart Contracts also means that developers can now receive an instant payout to recycle back into their own businesses, combating tedious delays typically experienced when dealing with traditional financial institutions.
Additionally, Ultra’s blockchain foundation works hand-in-hand with its software streaming technology, which is licensed by the video games behemoth EA Games and has reliably served more than 100 million game downloads around the world.
blockchain-based functionalities introduce innovative business customization capabilities and offer a whole new set of opportunities bound to become the developers’ gold standard. Tokenization also allows developers and users to benefit from rewards and incentives such as item trading, opt-out advertisements, and referral and loyalty programs,” said Michael Dunn, CTO of Ultra and former CTO of Dell and Time Warner. “Through this approach, Ultra offers an alternative platform to publish, play and manage games, putting control back into the hands of developers and players.”
Other executives on the Ultra project include former Asia VP and creator of many pioneering new platforms for Unity Technologies, John Goodale; Director of Strategic Insights at Magic Leap and former Product Manager at Atari, Wallace Poulter; former Head of Content Development and Partnerships at Xbox, Jenna Seiden; former Head of Product at Uber, Chris Saad; and other industry heavyweights.
Players joining the Ultra community can purchase and play games faster — enjoying their newly bought game before their download is even complete. Users also have the opportunity to earn money in various ways such as watching advertisements and participating in beta tests, earning Ultra Coins (UTA) in the process. Players can also get access to exclusive content, resell secondhand games, and earn revenue by inviting their friends to play.
For more information, visit https://ultra.io
