Machine Zone
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Internet Software |
| Founder |
|
| Headquarters | Palo Alto, California |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Game of War: Fire Age Mobile Strike |
Number of employees | 550 (2015)[1] |
| Website | www |
Machine Zone, Inc. (MZ) is a privately held game company based in Palo Alto, California, founded in 2008. Its flagship product, Game of War: Fire Age, is a freemium mobile MMO strategy video game that was one of the top-grossing apps in 2014 and 2015.
Business history
Gabriel Leydon, the CEO of MZ, co-founded the company in 2008 as part of the Y Combinator startup program, with partners Mike Sherrill and current Chief Technology Officer Halbert Nakagawa.[2] As of October 2015, MZ had more than 550 employees around the world,[1] with headquarters in Palo Alto, California and operations in San Diego, Las Vegas, Germany, Japan and Russia.[2]
Approximately $40 million was spent on marketing Game of War: Fire Age in 2014.[3] Along with advertisements in digital and social media, highly produced television commercials featuring model Kate Upton were created. The ads highlight Upton's sex appeal as she leads battles in fantasy settings loosely comparable to those in Game of Thrones. The spots were introduced in the United States during an NFL Thursday Night Football game and have since been prominent during Super Bowl XLIX and other sporting events.[4][5] In June 2015, TMZ reported that Upton was being replaced by singer Mariah Carey as the face of the campaign.[6] On September 14, 2015, a commercial with Mariah Carey was revealed.[7]
References
- ^ a b Takahashi, Dean (October 16, 2015). "An interview with Gabe Leydon, Machine Zone's man on the Iron Throne". VentureBeat. Archived from the original on 2015-11-20.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b Rubenstein Associates (October 23, 2015). "Machine Zone CEO and Co-Founder Gabriel Leydon Named by Goldman Sachs as One of the 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs of 2015". Business Wire (press release). Retrieved 2016-01-26.
- ^ Tassi, Paul (November 14, 2014). "A $40M Ad Budget Buys 'Game of War: Fire Age' Kate Upton". Forbes. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
- ^ Monllos. Kristina (November 13, 2014). "Game of War: Fire Age Launches First Global Campaign, Starring Kate Upt". Adweek. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
- ^ Vinh Tien Trinh, Brian (February 1, 2015). "Game Of War's Super Bowl Ad Is Pretty Much Kate Upton In 'Game Of Thrones'". The Huffington Post Canada. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
- ^ Cox, Jamieson. "Mariah Carey is replacing Kate Upton as the new public face of Game of War: Fire Age". TheVerge. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
- ^ Game Of War with Mariah Carey on tmz.com