Hidden City Entertainment

Hidden City Entertainment was an American game publisher and entertainment company established in 2004 as Hidden City Games, Inc. by game designers Jesper Myrfors and Paul Peterson. The company initially developed and marketed Clout Fantasy, a chip-throwing collectible game that combined physical components with competitive play. After the game was developed, Peter Adkison joined the business as chief executive officer, bringing experience from the tabletop-game industry. The company broadened its publishing program in 2006 with products including Defenders of the Undersea and Redbeard's Revenge. Its most important commercial development, however, was the agreement signed with Danish publisher Conceptcard in June 2006 to market Bella Sara outside Conceptcard's Scandinavian territory. Bella Sara was a horse-themed entertainment property aimed primarily at girls. Its product ecosystem included collectible horse cards, energy cards, rare foil cards, codes, mini-games, character elements, miniatures, and related storage products. The combination of collectible merchandise, fantasy storytelling, and online interaction made Bella Sara the central focus of Hidden City's later business strategy. Hidden City also pursued outside capital to expand its online operations. In November 2006, the company announced a $15 million venture-financing round involving Rustic Canyon Partners and Trinity Ventures. The investment was intended to support growth in the company's online business and to help develop the digital dimension of its entertainment properties. Contemporary coverage treated the company as part of a broader effort to create game and collectible products that could connect physical play with internet-based experiences. The company's priorities shifted decisively in 2007. In April, Hidden City discontinued development of Clout Fantasy and concentrated on marketing Bella Sara. This represented a move away from maintaining a broader portfolio of original tabletop releases toward building a single, more commercially promising licensed property. Bella Sara subsequently received multiple trading-card series, including First Edition, Second Series, Northern Lights, Ancient Lights, Native Lights, Magical Friends, Baby Bella, Treasures, Royalty, Bella's Ball, and Sunflowers. The company also offered miniatures and collector tins, extending the brand beyond standard card packs. Hidden City's Bella Sara marketing arrangement was time-limited. After the five-year agreement ended in 2011, Hidden City Games shut down. The company is therefore a defunct publisher rather than an active contemporary video-game or entertainment business. Its historical significance rests on its attempt to combine collectible-card publishing, character merchandising, online participation, and a strongly targeted youth entertainment brand.

Hidden City Entertainment began in 2004 under the name Hidden City Games, Inc. It was founded by Jesper Myrfors and Paul Peterson to develop and market Clout Fantasy, a collectible game built around throwing chips. Once development progressed, the company recruited Peter Adkison as chief executive officer. The leadership structure reflected the company's position between hobby games, collectible products, and newer forms of internet-supported entertainment. Clout Fantasy was released in fall 2005. Hidden City followed it with Defenders of the Undersea in spring 2006 and Redbeard's Revenge in summer 2006. These releases established the company as a publisher of physical games rather than a conventional electronic-game studio. Its model relied on collectible components, repeat purchases, and themed gameplay. A major change came in June 2006, when Hidden City signed a five-year agreement with Danish publisher Conceptcard to market Bella Sara outside the Scandinavian market controlled by Conceptcard. Bella Sara was a horse-themed property designed primarily for girls. Its cards featured horses, characters, energy elements, rare treatments, and later codes and accessories that connected the physical products with online or promotional experiences. Hidden City expanded the property through successive card series, miniatures, collector tins, and other products. In November 2006, Hidden City announced $15 million in venture funding from Rustic Canyon Partners and Trinity Ventures. The company stated that the capital would be used to grow the online side of its business. This financing reflected the period's interest in combining collectible products with web-based communities and digital features. The company subsequently narrowed its strategy. In April 2007, it stopped developing Clout Fantasy and concentrated on marketing Bella Sara. The decision made Bella Sara the core of the business and reduced the emphasis on a portfolio of original tabletop games. The property was supported by numerous product series, including First Edition, Second Series, Northern Lights, Ancient Lights, Native Lights, Magical Friends, Baby Bella, Treasures, Royalty, Bella's Ball, and Sunflowers. Product formats expanded beyond cards to include miniature horses and collector tins. The Bella Sara marketing arrangement ended after five years. In June 2011, Hidden City Games shut down. Available reference material does not establish a successor company, later owner, or continuing corporate operation. The company's legacy is consequently tied to its short-lived effort to build a cross-media collectible entertainment business around Bella Sara, alongside its earlier Clout Fantasy publishing program.

• 2011

  Operations shut down

  [1]Hidden City Entertainmenten.wikipedia.org

  Hidden City Games closed after the five-year Bella Sara marketing contract ended.

• 2007

  Clout Fantasy development discontinued

  [1]Hidden City Entertainmenten.wikipedia.org

  The company ended development of Clout Fantasy and focused its resources on Bella Sara.

• 2006

  Additional tabletop products published

  [1]Hidden City Entertainmenten.wikipedia.org

  Hidden City released Defenders of the Undersea in spring 2006 and Redbeard's Revenge in summer 2006.

• 2006

  Bella Sara marketing agreement signed

  [1]Hidden City Entertainmenten.wikipedia.org

  Hidden City agreed to market Bella Sara outside Conceptcard's Scandinavian territory under a five-year arrangement.

• 2006

  Venture funding announced

  [1]Hidden City Entertainmenten.wikipedia.org

  Rustic Canyon Partners and Trinity Ventures provided a reported $15 million financing round intended to expand the company's online business.

• 2005

  Clout Fantasy released

  [1]Hidden City Entertainmenten.wikipedia.org

  The company released its chip-throwing collectible game Clout Fantasy in fall 2005.

• 2004

  Company founded as Hidden City Games

  [1]Hidden City Entertainmenten.wikipedia.org

  Jesper Myrfors and Paul Peterson founded Hidden City Games, Inc. to develop and market Clout Fantasy.

A specialty game publisher focused on collectible play and cross-media entertainment, with its later identity centered on the youth-oriented Bella Sara property.

• Collectible tabletop game · 2005

  Clout Fantasy

  Clout Fantasy was Hidden City's initial major product and was released in fall 2005. It used a chip-throwing play system within a collectible fantasy-game framework. The company later discontinued development in 2007 as it redirected attention toward Bella Sara.

• Tabletop game · 2006

  Defenders of the Undersea

  Defenders of the Undersea was one of Hidden City's early tabletop releases, published in spring 2006 as the company broadened its product range beyond Clout Fantasy.

• Tabletop game · 2006

  Redbeard's Revenge

  Redbeard's Revenge was an early Hidden City game released in summer 2006. It formed part of the company's initial portfolio of physical games before the business concentrated on Bella Sara.

• Collectible entertainment property

  Bella Sara

  Bella Sara was a horse-themed property aimed primarily at girls and became Hidden City's principal commercial focus. Its offerings included horse and character cards, energy cards, rare foil cards, codes, mini-games, stickers, tattoos, miniatures, and collector tins. Multiple themed collections were released during the company's marketing period.

• Trading-card collections

  Bella Sara card series

  The Bella Sara program included First Edition, Second Series, Northern Lights, Ancient Lights, Native Lights, Magical Friends, Baby Bella, Treasures, Royalty, Bella's Ball, and Sunflowers. Series varied in card counts and included regular cards, energy or character cards, and extra-rare foil cards with distinct visual treatments.

• Collectibles and accessories

  Bella Sara miniatures and collector products

  Hidden City extended Bella Sara beyond card packs with palm-sized horse miniatures and several collector tins, including school, holiday, and keepsake formats. These products supported the property as a broader merchandise line rather than a single card game.

• 2007

  Shift focus from Clout Fantasy to Bella SaraStrategy

  Background

  After securing the Bella Sara marketing agreement and seeking to expand its online business, Hidden City reassessed its original portfolio strategy.

  Action taken

  The company discontinued development of Clout Fantasy and concentrated on marketing Bella Sara.

  Aftermath

  Bella Sara became the company's central property until the marketing agreement ended and Hidden City Games shut down in 2011.

  Source

• 2006

  Venture financing for online expansionOther

  Background

  Hidden City sought capital to expand the online component of its collectible-game and entertainment business.

  Action taken

  Rustic Canyon Partners and Trinity Ventures participated in a reported $15 million financing round.

  Aftermath

  The financing supported the company's effort to develop the online side of its business, although the available references do not provide detailed operating results.

  Venture financing. $15 million (November 2006)

  Source

1. 1Hidden City Entertainmenten.wikipedia.org