US developer Parallel Studios has announced a $35 million funding round. Notable investors included Distributed Global, The Operating Group, VanEck, Focus Labs, Big Brain Holdings, Solana Ventures, Devmons, Builder Capital, Base, Spartan, and more. 

Numerous private investors also participated in the round including some Solana founders and gaming angels such as Gabby Dizon (YGG), Luca Petz (Pudgy Penguins), Grails, Dingaling, and Loopify. While recently launching its flagship game Parallel TCG in open beta, Parallel Studios is also working on Solana-based AI sim Colony, which is slated for launch in 2025. 

In this article, we will share the latest on Parallel Studios' upcoming AI-driven survival sim, Colony, and the new integration with Solana, and an explanation of the $PRIME token. We will also cover the role of AI autonomous avatars, streamlined web3 transactions, and the new partnership with Helika.

Solana-Based AI Sim Colony

Colony's gameplay revolves around human players navigating autonomous AI agents known as avatars. These avatars, initially derived from Parallel's Avatars 11,001 NFT PFP collection, possess independent decision-making capabilities crucial for their survival within the game. Each avatar boasts distinct objectives and learns from its individual encounters, enabling autonomous transactions via dedicated web3 wallets.

In conjunction with the release of the Colony whitepaper, Parallel Studios has confirmed the game's deployment on the Solana blockchain, facilitating in-game transactions and avatar NFTs. This move diverges from the Ethereum-centric approach of Parallel's flagship title, Parallel TCG, which is currently in open beta.

$PRIME Token

Developed in collaboration with Parallel's web3 gaming community, Echelon Prime, Colony is designed for interoperability with Parallel TCG and other emerging web3 games. Leveraging the $PRIME token within the Parallel ecosystem, players can utilize $PRIME for acquiring AI avatars in Colony and facilitating in-game transactions.

What Is Prime Token (PRIME)?

Parallel is a Sci-Fi world and Card Game. Winning games of the Parallel TCG allows players to earn $PRIME Token. The amount of $PRIME they earn is based on a number of factors including the percentage of NFTs in their deck.  

What Can $PRIME Be Used for?

$PRIME has a tremendous amount of utility and is required to interact with nearly every smart contract in the Echelon and Parallel ecosystem such as:

• Purchase Glints
• Card Replication
• Payload
• Artigraphs
• NFTs
• Elite tournament entry
• Bond activities
• Swaps
• Card sharing

By leveraging Echelon's shared platform, the game sets the stage for multiple titles, while integrating the $PRIME token and a pioneering Play-to-Earn (P2E) model ensures fair engagement for all stakeholders. Community involvement is key, allowing players to shape the platform's direction. The addition of collectible NFTs enhances the gaming experience, with AR technology offering immersive possibilities. Parallel ensures inclusivity by allowing gameplay even without NFTs, aligning with the inclusive ethos of gaming history while forging ahead with innovative narratives exploring new technological horizons.

Data Analytics With Helika

Parallel Studios has also announced a strategic partnership with web3 data analytics startup Helika. This partnership aims to enhance game management, user acquisition (UA), and analytics for Colony and other titles within Parallel's portfolio.

Commenting on the collaboration, Parallel Studios' COO Paul Chan expressed enthusiasm, stating, "We're thrilled to commence our long-term partnership with Helika, the leader in game management, UA, and analytics. Helika will aid us in driving positive unit economics, understanding and enhancing player lifetime value (LTV), and executing profitable UA strategies."

As anticipation builds for the release of Colony, Parallel Studios continues to innovate within the web3 gaming landscape, offering players immersive experiences backed by blockchain technology and AI-driven gameplay mechanics.

More About Helika?

Helika is an industry-leading data analytics, marketing, and game management platform focused on solving three main challenges for studios: driving profitable user acquisition growth, deriving impactful insights from disparate web2 and web3 data sources, and optimizing game experiences to improve player engagement, retention, and monetization.

Many top AAA studios, including Yuga Labs (Othersie Metaverse), Wildcard Alliance (Wildcard), WAGMI Games, Treasure Dao, Proof of Play (Pirate Nation), Pixelcraft Studios (Aavegotchi), Darewise Entertainment subsidiary of Animoca Brands (Life Beyond), BoomLand (Hunters On-Chain), Bazooka Tango (Shardbound), Azra Games (Legions and Legends), and many more rely on Helika to support their core analytics and infrastructure needs.

The team recently announced the completion of its $8 Million Series A funding round. Pantera Capital led the funding round with participation from Sparkle Ventures, Diagram Ventures, and Sfermion. Other existing investors include Big Brain Holdings, Sparkle Ventures, Sfermion, Diagram Ventures, Fenbushi Capital, StreamingFast, and angels such as Marc Alloul.

In addition, they announced an exciting new partnership with Ubisoft, the leading global gaming publisher and editor, to facilitate the AAA studio's exploration into web3 gaming. To learn more you can visit their website here.