Deadmau5 and Richie Hawtin have teamed with Ben Turner (Graphite; IMS: International Music Summit; AFEM: Association for Electronic Music), Dean Wilson (Seven20 Entertainment/Mau5trap), and Inder Phull on a new gaming venture.
Pixelynx is centered around a “direct-to-avatar” model. The company, based in London and Los Angeles, is focused on creating a bridge between digital collectibles, gaming and virtual worlds.
In development for over six months, Pixelynx will work with clients to digitise their brands into collectible goods for use in gaming and virtual worlds. Describing the company’s long-term function as the “portal into the metaverse,” its founders will use their experience and networks to help “drive the shift into a more autonomous and decentralised entertainment world”.
Pixelynx co-founder Inder Phull, a recipient of the annual IMS Visionaries contest in 2016, said: “We are on the edge of an exciting transition in entertainment where the lines between gaming, music, fashion, art and technology are being blurred. The physical/digital crossover is here to stay and if you look beyond the hype it’s easy to identify the types of companies that will define the next generation of culture.
“Fortnite, Roblox and emerging virtual environments will represent the future of social life. Our mission is to help our partners enter this space and bring value to their fans in a meaningful way. Ignoring this new medium is like being late to e-commerce or social media. The metaverse is coming, embrace it and re-imagine what it means to connect with your fans and consumers.”
Richie Hawtin (aka Plastikman) added: “As we step over the threshold into extended reality, the future is truly upon us. Pixelynx is here to support a positive and creative acceleration into this new space, collaborating with artists to empower their creativity in this new medium and with brands to develop unique digital assets that have meaning and value.”
“What Pixelynx is offering goes beyond a ‘let’s dip our toes into the metaverse’ situation,” said Joel Zimmerman (pictured, aka Deadmau5). “The virtual world is continuously expanding and changing which is really exciting and we are growing with it, especially into new sectors like music and fashion. Gaming, virtual worlds and interactive experiences offer limitless possibilities which we are able to carve new pathways forward in.”
Hawtin, who was one of the first investors in Beatport, is on the board of the Plus 8 Equities music and technology investment fund.
Zimmerman has become a key figure in the convergence of music and gaming, as both artist, developer, designer and investor.
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