Square Enix invests in Brazil's Nuuvem to build web-based games platform

• Deal marks Square Enix's first investment in Brazil.
• Nuuvem acknowledged while Spawnd should be available on mobile, its current focus is other platforms.

Square Enix has made its first investment in Brazil through a partnership with digital games platform Nuuvem to launch Spawnd.

Spawnd is a web-based platform that lets players access and share premium game demos in-browser, embedding them across stores, media, and social channels for a try-before-you-buy experience.

For developers and publishers, Nuuvem said Spawnd creates a discovery funnel with trials that support organic wishlists, addressing the problem of buried demos. 

Spawnd has soft-launched with 12 titles, including several exclusives with plans to expand rapidly as it aims to add over 100 new games by year’s end through partnerships with publishers and studios.

Strategic moves 

The team acknowledged mobile’s massive audience and that the platform should be usable on mobile devices. However, its currentl focus is on desktop and console.

“Square Enix’s investment is a powerful validation of what we’re building with spawnd,“ said Nuuvem CEO and co-founder Fernando Campos. 

“This partnership helps us give publishers and studios a frictionless way to connect their games with the right audiences everywhere - by turning discovery into instant gameplay.”

Square Enix's GM of investment and business development  Hideaki Uehara commented: “Latin America is a strategic territory, full of passionate gamers and a strong bond to Japanese culture. 

“Our first investment in Brazil reflects our belief in Nuuvem and in spawnd’s potential to transform game discovery.”