Discovery Bay Games began as a board game company and transitioned last year into the iOS “appcessory” market with the launch of its Duo line, including an Atari-branded Duo product for the iPad. The company develops digital+physical gaming experiences and branded peripherals — examples include an Atari Arcade and a Dora the Explorer peripheral. DBG has struck partnerships with household gaming companies such as Atari and Gameloft to build content that works with its accessories. The company plans to release three more partner-themed accessories this fall and a new Atari Arcade will be in stores this year to mark Atari’s 40th anniversary; Gameloft also plans a branded accessory in October. Discovery Bay’s recent financing provides capital to develop and launch a range of Duo-branded app-supported accessories for iPad and iPhone. The move targets a growing mobile accessory market that the article cites as projected to generate $20 billion this year and $38 billion by 2017. Discovery Bay Games began as a traditional board game maker in 2006 and has shifted toward building hardware accessories designed to enhance gameplay on iPad and other iOS devices. Its first title in this new category is Yoomi, which pairs with the company’s Duo device; three additional Duo devices with companion game titles are planned to launch this year. The firm continues to sell traditional board games such as Saturday Night Live: The Game, Guesstimation, Two Bridges and Call-It! while developing tablet-first content. Because Discovery Bay is building physical devices rather than pure software, the business requires more capital than many software-focused game companies. The company employs about 35 people and is positioning the Duo line as a new class of iPad game accessories. CEO Craig Olson led the fundraising and has said the team saw the iPad as a revelation for delivering traditional board game experiences on tablets.

Total raised

$27M

Funding rounds

2

Latest round

Series B

Latest activity

Aug 2012