13 May, 2011 – London: Online games publisher We R Interactive today announces that it has raised $5 million in second round funding from private investment.

We R Interactive is adding several new high-profile figures from the music, football, advertising and finance industries to its shareholder base. These include Paul Fitzsimons ex-media sector partner at Apax Partners and Elio Leoni-Sceti, former CEO EMI Music. The company’s existing shareholders are all investing further in the business.
 
The funds raised from this round will be used to support the ongoing development and globalisation of We R Interactive’s first game, I AM PLAYR – which launched in March; as well as expanding its product portfolio into other sports and further genres including music and fashion.
 
I AM PLAYR is the first ever point-of-view football game to allow players to experience the life of a footballer, through the eyes of a footballer, pitting themselves against their mates and the rest of the world. Played across Facebook and its own dedicated website, it fuses live action video, interactive story-telling and first-person perspective game play to create a truly original narrative, where the storyline is dictated by the player’s decisions and actions both on and off the pitch.
 
Elio Leoni-Sceti said of his decision to back the company, “In a very short period of time We R Interactive has proven its credentials as a company, bringing real innovation to the online gaming space, and a relevant new product genre which builds on a diversified revenue model - that all add up to make this a great and well fitting investment for the LSG (Leoni Sceti Group) portfolio.”
 
David Rose, CEO, We R Interactive commented, “Our mission at launch last year was to develop a new social games experience - we have created a media format that combines high-end film and gaming to offer something fresh and immersive for users. Our approach allows innovative brand integration opportunities that actually enhance the player’s gaming experience.  With our first game, I AM PLAYR, we featured five such integrations at launch and our goal is to create a portfolio of games based on this diversified revenue model. 
 
Rose continued,
 
We’re delighted to be adding to an already great register of shareholders. Their commitment is a great endorsement for our business model and what we we’ve achieved during the last ten months and will allow us to now progress with our ambitions.”

Kirsty Langan
PR Manager
We R Interactive

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