Ray Flame Entertainment acquires Peak Virtual Entertainment
Ray Flame Entertainment Inc., browser-based MMO game developers and publishers, is acquiring Peak Virtual Entertainment, a leading MMO browser game developer and publisher in China. Established in June 2004, the company is headquartered is Beijing, China and has set up branches in the United States. Peak provides entertainment variety to mobile users with its non-flash web games and was called "leading the race to become the first web-browser MMO strategy game that is fully playable on both smart phone devices and on PCs" by industry experts. Upon the acquisition and successful integration of platform and services, the Peak platform and its two games will be migrated to Webmmo.com, the official game platform of Ray Flame Entertainment. Players from each platform can continue to play all three games in the new platform with their original ID and also have more games to play. The acquisition will increase the total user base of Ray Flame from 150,000 registered users to 350,000 registered users and will successfully enable Ray Flame to address a broader audience.
Announcement Date: December 22, 2008
Deal Value: Undisclosed
inXile entertainment acquires Fantastic Contraption
inXile entertainment announced the acquisition of Fantastic Contraption, an online physics puzzle game that the company sees as the next Line Rider. The brainchild of independent developer Colin Northway, Fantastic Contraption was first released over the internet in July of 2008 and to date almost three million people from almost every country in the world have visited the site, creating millions of contraptions. inXile holds the rights to Fantastic Contraption for all platforms and plans to release an iPhone application in time for the holiday season. Fantastic Contraption fits perfectly with inXile’s user generated content strategy and, when combined with the 1 million unique visitors a month from Line Rider with the Fantastic Contraption traffic, it doubles their traffic to 2 million unique people each month.
Announcement Date: December 16, 2008
Deal Value: Undisclosed
Emotive Communications gets $6.25M and buys Sennari Entertainment
Emotive Communications, a developer of smart media applications for mobile entertainment, announced that it has raised a $6.25 million second round of venture capital financing, led by the Mayfield Fund. In addition to the funding round, Los Angeles-based Emotive also announced its acquisition of Sennari Entertainment, a developer of networked mobile games. The Sennari Entertainment acquisition gives Emotive access to the Sennari mobile CRM and loyalty platform. Sennari has an extensive international track record in prize-play gaming, micro payments and virtual currency transaction, like digital award redemptions.
Announcement Date: December 10, 2008
Deal Value Undisclosed
Infogrames to acquire Cryptic Studios
France-based video game publisher Infogrames, the parent company of Atari, announced that it will acquire Los Gatos, Calif.-based Cryptic Studios, a developer of massively multiplayer online games. Founded in 2000, Cryptic has developed titles including City of Heroes and City of Villains, which have generated over $100 million in revenues and count up to 180,000 peak subscribers. Infogrames said that Atari will benefit from Cryptic's development team, as well as its proprietary engine, content development tools and online server architecture.
Announcement Date: December 9, 2008
Deal Value: $27.6 Million (Cash and stock plus a potential earnout of $20 million)
Perfect World acquires subsidiary of Global Interserv
Chinese online game operator, Perfect World Co. Ltd., is acquiring Global InterServ Inc.’s subsidiary, Global InterServ (Caymans) Inc. After the acquisition, Global Interserv Caymans will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Perfect World. Chi Yufeng, CEO of Perfect World, noted that the acquisition will further enhance Perfect World's online game developing strength via two Chinese mainland-based subsidiaries, respectively in Shanghai and Chongqing, of the acquired company. Global InterServ (B.V.I.) Inc. is a subsidiary of Taiwanese game developer Global InterServ International Inc.
Announcement Date: December 8, 2008
Deal Value: $23 Million
Redstone Sells Majority Stake in Video Game Publisher
The media mogul Sumner M. Redstone, the controlling shareholder of Viacom and CBS, sold his majority stake in the video game publisher Midway Games as his family’s holding company sought to get out from under $1.6 billion in debt. Mr. Redstone, the family’s holding company, National Amusements, and another entity called Sumco sold their approximately 87.2 percent interest in Midway to a company led by the investor Mark Thomas, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Midway, best known for its Mortal Kombat video game, had 92.1 million shares outstanding as of Oct. 31. Mr. Thomas also agreed to assume $70 million of senior secured and unsecured debt in the deal, the filing said.
Announcement Date: December 4, 2008
Deal Value: Undisclosed
Orbis acquires Electracade
Orbis Holdings Ltd, the parent company of Orbis Technology Ltd, the leading provider of interactive gaming and betting solutions, announced that it has acquired UK-based online interactive games developer, Electracade Ltd. Established in 1996, Orbis Technology Ltd, an NDS Group company, is the world’s leading provider of interactive gaming and betting solutions. Orbis develops pioneering front-end and back-office solutions, from unique and compelling games to sophisticated management and reporting tools. Electracade has established a portfolio of innovative and compelling games which fully complement Orbis’ existing product range.
Announcement Date: December 3, 2008
Deal Value: $3.8 Million (Cash)
Electronic Arts acquires J2MSoft
Electronic Arts Inc. announced the acquisition of J2MSoft Inc. (J2M), a Korean developer of PC online games. J2M develops free-to-play online games which are monetized through micro-transactions and advertising. Online games created and wholly owned by J2M include RayCity, TAAN, and Debut, and other properties to be announced. “Korean developers have created a unique style of online games that is growing in popularity all over Asia," said J2M Founder and CEO KyungMin Bang. This is a significant step in EA's strategic plan for developing and publishing online games in Asia.
Announcement Date: December 2, 2008
Deal Value: Undisclosed
A2M acquires Wanako Games
A2M (Artificial Mind and Movement), Canada's largest independent game developer, announces that it has acquired Wanako Games, a video game studio located in Santiago, Chile. The first and largest game studio in South America, Wanako Games specializes in the production of downloadable interactive content. The studio is acquired by A2M from Activision Blizzard. With this transaction, A2M is expanding its offering across Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) and Playstation Network (PSN), using Wanako's established TONGAS game framework, while entering a growing market segment which complements its existing portfolio. Wanako Games employs 40 people and will continue to be based in Santiago, Chile
Announcement Date: November 20, 2008
Deal Value: Undisclosed
Koei and Tecmo to merge
Ninja Gaiden developer Tecmo and Dynasty Warriors studio Koei are planning a merger. Koei and Tecmo have issued a joint, Japanese-language press release stating the formal details of their merger. Koei will take over Tecmo in a stock agreement worth 20 billion yen (US$206 million, £137 million). This is about twice the estimated valuation of Square Enix’s earlier rejected attempt to take over Tecmo.
Announcement Date: November 18, 2008
Deal Value: $206 million (Stock)
Monumental Games acquires Swordfish Studios
Another studio displaced by the Activision-Blizzard merger is on its way to a home. UK-based Monumental Games acquired Swordfish Studios Manchester, one of two main branches of 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand developer Swordfish Studios. The 26 Swordfish developers will bring Monumental's total development staff past 100. Swordfish Studios was part of a group of former Vivendi-owned developers which newly-merged Activision Blizzard announced it would seek to shed. Swordfish's upcoming 50 Cent title, whose publishing rights were acquired by THQ, was apparently in development at Swordfish Birmingham, a division not picked up by Monumental. Much of Monumental's focus is on MMO-related middleware, including its Monumental Technology Suite; it is also currently developing the MMO Football Superstars for Cybersports Limited. The company also recently established a studio based in India.
Announcement Date: November 13, 2008
Deal Value: Undisclosed
Silverback Media acquires Jambo Mobile Solutions
Silverback Media Corp. is acquiring Jambo Mobile Solutions Inc. from SilverBirch Inc. (Canada). SilverBirch said the divesture of non-core Jambo allows the Toronto company to focus on its core strengths and new business strategy of expanding in online video games. The company said it recently restructured its operations and continues to review non-core operations to further cut costs, improve profitability and provide more cash for strategic investments in online multiplayer games and development of new games. Silverback is a global mobile software provider with operations in Toronto, Los Angeles, Miami, Montreal, Paris and Aix-En-Provence, France.
Announcement Date: November 12, 2008
Deal Value: Undisclosed
Ubisoft acquires World in Conflict brand
French games developer and publisher Ubisoft has acquired Sweden-based development business studio Massive Entertainment as well as the real-time strategy brand World in Conflict.
Announcement Date: November 11, 2008
Deal Value: Undisclosed
Activision Publishing acquires Budcat Creations
Activision Publishing, Inc. has acquired video game developer Budcat Creations. Budcat Creations is an award-winning development studio with expertise on the Wii home video game system and the Nintendo DS. Activision said that Budcat will be working on a new Guitar Hero game, but no other details about the new game have been released. Budcat has ported Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, and Guitar Hero World Tour to the PlayStation 2. The company also developed the Wii shooter Blast Works: Build, Trade, Destroy. In addition to strengthening its development capabilities on the Nintendo platforms, this acquisition increases Activision’s Guitar Hero development resources as it continues to grow the franchise and expand its leadership position in the music-based genre.
Announcement Date: November 10, 2008
Deal Value: Undisclosed
1C acquires Avalon Style Entertainment
1C Company announced it acquires Avalon Style Entertainment, a Russian game studio known for its 4×4 racing game series such as 4×4 Hummer and 4×4 UAZ to form 1C-Avalon. Prior to acquisition, 1C was Avalon’s publishing and distribution partner. 1C Company specializes in distribution, publishing and development of business, entertainment and educational software. Founded in 1991 as an accounting software vendor, 1C has become one of the largest publisher and distributor of computer and video games in Eastern and Central Europe.
Announcement Date: October 30, 2008
Deal Value: Undisclosed
Amazon acquires Reflexive
Amazon has acquired the Orange County-based gaming company, Reflexive. The acquired company builds and distributes games and has developed 15 games so far for different platforms which include PC, Mac, Xbox 360 along with online games including flash-based games.
Announcement Date: October 22, 2008
Deal Value: Undisclosed
Performance Designed products has acquired In2Games
Performance Designed Products announced that it has acquired In2Games, a British and Hong Kong-based developer of motion sensing gaming technology. In2Games is the creator of Gametrak Freedom, an ultrasonic 3D motion sensing technology which delivers performance, control and flexibility far in excess of that offered by existing technologies. Until now, gaming has been limited to the player interacting with the game, although platforms such as the Wii have heightened this experience. Now, with the latest motion sensing technology created by In2Games, the game will interact with the player.
Announcement Date: October 22, 2008
Deal Value: Undisclosed
SilverBirch to acquire Red Mile Entertainment
SilverBirch Inc., a Toronto-based game software developer and publisher, is acquiring Red Mile Entertainment, Inc., a developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software. The merger is expected to provide a number of immediate benefits to the combined companies as they continue to grow their respective publishing businesses. SilverBirch, with offices in Toronto, Dallas and the Netherlands, is a fast-growing publisher of handheld, mobile and massively multiplayer online games ("MMOG"). Red Mile is a California-based video game publisher with worldwide rights to established brands including the Heroes flight combat franchise. Heroes of the Pacific sold over 600,000 units and the sequel, Heroes Over Europe, is expected to ship in March 2009. SilverBirch's financial and operational elements complement Red Mile's expertise as a licensor, developer and publisher of PC and console games.
Announcement Date: October 14, 2008
Deal Value: Undisclosed
SouthPeak Interactive acquires Gamecock Media Group
SouthPeak Interactive Corporation, a videogame publisher, acquired Gamecock Media Group. Gamecock brings SouthPeak a solid slate of upcoming titles, including Legendary, Mushroom Men and Velvet Assassin and supports its strategy of working with independent developers. SouthPeak Interactive Corporation develops and publishes interactive entertainment software for all current hardware platforms. SouthPeak will allow Gamecock to continue to bring original titles from independent developers to market with a stronger sales and distribution reach.
Announcement Date: October 14, 2008
Deal Value: Undisclosed