Gree steps into Canada with studio investment

One of the frontrunners in the social games space, Gree, is expanding its business into North America after investing in a Vancouver based games studio.

The company said it made a minority investment in Canada outfit IUGO Mobile Entertainment. Financial terms have yet to be disclosed.

Both companies will partner to develop free-to-play mobile games that use both Gree’s mobile network platform – Openfient – as well as IUGO’s engine technologies.

“We are honoured and excited to partner with developers who share our passion for delivering quality mobile social entertainment,” Gree executive Shanti Bergelsaid in a statement.

“We look forward to working with IUGO’s talented team to grow the leading mobile social ecosystem for players and developers alike."

The announcement follows Gree’s recent partnership deal with HTML5 developer Wizcorp – a move which will expand Gree’s browser games output.