The studio has already secured significant angel investment from the games industry ahead of a seed investment round
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Games Industry pioneers and legends Philip and Andrew Oliver (‘The Oliver Twins’) have teamed up with games stalwart Neil Campbell (Co-Founder, Viewpoint Games) to create PANIVOX, a new start-up studio focused on an as-yet-undisclosed and ground-breaking new interactive digital media format.
PANIVOX (www.PANIVOX.com) has a proof-of-concept which establishes a completely new genre of digital media that can be applied to both entertainment and information, empowering user-generated content creators and opening up new commercial opportunities for IP holders.
The studio has been in stealth mode as it builds up a remote working team, having completed an angel investment round in early-2021, attracting funding from a number of high-profile games industry figures, including Rebellion Co-Founder and CTO Chris Kingsley, Unit 2 Games Co-Founder and CEO Richard Smithies, Supersonic Software & AppyNation Founder and CEO Peter Williamson, EngineerBetter Founder and MD Daniel Jones and In-House Counsel Quintin Solt.
Now PANIVOX is preparing for a seed investment round in early June to support its content development and marketing plans ahead of a full product launch in Q4.
The company and its new interactive digital media format came into existence during the national lockdown of 2020 after the Olivers completed a consulting and lecturing tour at over 20 Universities, advising on the best routes to success for games studios hoping to create novel and unique content.
Philip and Andrew Oliver have been creating video games for almost 40 years. They are best known for 8-bit classic Dizzy and its sequels through the ‘80s and ‘90s, but have worked on over 200 titles across evolving platforms through the decades.
PANIVOX is the latest venture in their journey, having previously founded Blitz Games and Radiant Worlds, which was sold to Rebellion in 2018.
Philip will act as PANIVOX Managing Director and Andrew as Creative Director. Neil Campbell takes on the role of Development Director.
Philip Oliver said: “Throughout our careers, we’ve pioneered new technologies and techniques within games and interactive media. With PANIVOX, we think we’re onto something that represents an entirely new form of entertainment, and we hope to be out in front and pioneering once again.”
Chris Kingsley OBE added: “I’ve known the Oliver brothers since the mid ‘90s and we’ve always got on fantastically well. I’ve a great deal of respect for their creative and business achievements and believe PANIVOX could do something really ground-breaking in a Blue Ocean area in games. Watch this space!”
PANIVOX are looking for creative people to help beta test and create early content for their platform. If you are interested, please complete the form www.PANIVOX.com/creatives
Potential Investors can reach Philip on invest@PANIVOX.com
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About PANIVOX
PANIVOX is a new start-up game studio, working on a new concept in interactive entertainment. The studio is based in the UK and is working remotely during the Covid-19 pandemic. In September 2018 the Guinness World Records named the Oliver Twins ‘Most Prolific 8-bit videogame developers’. The brothers also received honorary doctorates in 2008 from Coventry University (in business administration (DBA) and technology (DTech) for Philip and Andrew respectively) in recognition of their contribution to the growth of the electronic games industry both regionally and internationally, and they were honoured as Fellows of the Royal Society of Arts in 2010.
Philip is currently a Visiting Professor at Staffordshire University whilst Andrew is a Visiting Professor at Birmingham City University.
Neil Campbell has over 20 years of games experience which started with working at Blitz Games coding alongside Andrew Oliver. After working on Disney titles, Sonic, Crazy Taxi and Guitar Hero, he co-founded Viewpoint Games in 2014 which specialised in virtual reality. Neil is Development Director overseeing the development of the App and cloud-based platform.
Further details about PANIVOX can be found at https://www.PANIVOX.com