Core (video game)

Core is a free-to-play online video game with an integrated game creation system, developed by Manticore Games. It was released as an open alpha version on March 16, 2020, and became available as Early Access on April 15, 2021. "Core" hosts user-generated games that are designed for an older teen and adult audience. "Core"'s game creation system is designed to simplify video game creation in order to allow more individuals to develop games. Manticore Games, the developer of "Core", was co-founded by Frederic Descamps and Jordan Maynard in 2016 and is based in San Mateo, California. "Core" is based on a similar concept as other gaming platforms for user-generated games such as "Roblox".
Game creation system.
"Core's" game creation system allows for the development of up to 16-player multiplayer games and single-player games. It is not possible to import game assets into "Core"'s game creation system; however, it is possible to modify and combine built-in game assets. "Core" allows users to code using the Lua programming language using an extensive built-in API. Games made with "Core" can not be exported into standalone games; however, they can be shared and played in "Core".
Events.
On December 11, 2019, "Core" entered a closed alpha phase, where all users were required to sign a non-disclosure agreement. On March 16, 2020, "Core" entered a public, open alpha phase. In September 2020, "Core" partnered with "Dungeons & Dragons" and created a competition wherein players competed to build the best "Dungeons & Dragons"-themed game. The winner was a game called "Forgotten Cisterns".
In December 2020, two games, "Mining Magnate" and "Roll 'Em", were the first games on the Core platform to hit 100,000 plays. On December 17, 2020, "Core" started the three-week "Holiday Jam" game jam, with the theme of "Winter Wonderland" and $20,000 in prizes.
Fundraising.
In September 2019, Manticore Games announced that they had raised $30 million to fund "Core" through Series B funding. In September 2020, it was announced that Manticore Games had raised a further $15 million, of which the largest contributor was the video game company Epic Games. The interest of Epic Games in funding Manticore was tied by Dean Takahashi of "VentureBeat" into a desire to create a “metaverse”, wherein several different gaming platforms are interconnected. In March 2021, Manticore Games announced that they had closed a $100 million Series C funding round and described Core as a “creator multiverse.”
Reception.
Core has received mixed reviews from critics. Tyler Wilde writing for "PC Gamer" gave a mixed review of Core, describing its game creation system as "fun", but finding that the character models were "ugly", and that they had stiff animations, as well as that the in-game weaponry and interfaces were not fun to use. Graham Smith of "Rock Paper Shotgun" wrote that the platform "can't help but create shabby recreations of triple-A games". Jason Fanelli from "MMORPG.com" “My mind was absolutely blown. Something that takes massive studios multiple years and millions of dollars was accomplished in front of my eyes in the same amount of time it took me to write this sentence.” In "Collider", Marco Vito Oddo writes “If the project grabs enough attention, and if developers/operators Manticore can give all the support a project this big demands, Core can easily become to games what YouTube is for video content.” About the monetization model of the platform, Scott Baird writes in "ScreenRant" “One of the most exciting things about Core is its revenue split, which offers 50% to its creators, allowing users to make a profit from their in-game titles.”