New hardcore social games studio hopes to 'shake up the status quo'

In other words, the brand new Seismic Games wants to create social games for the unicorn of the social gaming world: "hardcore" gamers. Los Angeles, Calif.-based Seismic Games was founded in 2011 by industry veterans like CEO Greg Borrud (who founded and sold Pandemic Games to EA), Eric Gewirtz, CCO and known for work on the Star Wars: Battlefront series and president Chris Miller of Vivendi Universal fame.

After raising $2 million in funding from over a dozen investors, Seismic Games looks to spin the idea of social games on its head. The studio's first game, set to launch in the first quarter of 2012 on Facebook and elsewhere, will focus heavily on a sophisticated narrative, character development and "deeper engagement." The game will also feature both user-generated and real-time content as well as opportunities for branding. In short, we know next to nothing about this game.

"Seismic is focused on bringing the next wave of social games to consumers who are getting tired of 'me too' products," Seismic Games CEO and co-founder Greg Borrud said in a release. "In blending the best of the analytics-based game model with the quality of entertainment in traditional video games, we're developing an entirely new social games experience with a goal of taking this market to the next level."

Seismic Games is far from the only company that looks to blow away hardcore game enthusiasts with robust, compelling social games. Rumble Games looks to do exactly that, also complaining of fatigue from the current crop of games on Facebook. So to do start-up studios like Row Sham Bow and U4iA. Let's hope 2012 is as interesting as these folks make it out to be.

Are you excited at all by the promises of new studios like Seismic Games? Are "hardcore" gamers even looking for this type of experience on Facebook? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.