MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
Ubisoft has acquired UK free-to-play mobile studio Future Games of London. The publishing giant will now take on the developer’s 41 employees and its IP, which includes Hungry Shark. Founded in 2009, Future Games of London has garnered more than 100 million downloads from its range of titles, including four …
Read More »The Amiga is returning!
LA-based content distribution company” Writers’ Group Film Corp has acquired the retro computing Amiga licence. It hopes to use the IP for a fresh range of retro games releases across consoles, PC, smartphones and tablets – or in corporate speech to create new revenue from publisher’s dormant game libraries”. The …
Read More »Hasbro buys 70% stake in Paper Toss dev Backflip Studios
Transformers owner Hasbro has acquired a majority stake in mobile games dev Backflip Studios. The toy firm has paid in the region of $112m for 70 per cent of the Colorado studio. Backflip’s current management is to remain in place although it will expand its development roster by working with …
Read More »Publisher GungHo swoops for Grasshopper Manufacture
Japanese publisher the GungHo Group has bought Lollipop Chainsaw developer Grasshopper Manufacture. Grasshopper and its famously eccentric head, Goichi Suda aka Suda 51, are currently working on Killer is Dead, and have created several cult titles in the past, such as No More Heroes and Killer 7. GungHo Group published …
Read More »Hilco acquires HMV debt
The future of HMV on the UK High Street appears to have been saved. HMV Canada owner Hilco has acquired the chain’s debts, giving it control of the company. The Financial Times reports that the move to take control of the money owed to Lloyds and Royal Bank of Scotland …
Read More »Nordic Games Holding acquires GAME Scandinavia
The future of GAME’s Norwegian and Swedish stores has been saved following its acquisition at the hands of Nordic Games Holding. The deal secures the future of GAME’s 44 Swedish stores and 11 Norwegian outlets, as well as the associated online shops in both regions. 270 jobs have been saved …
Read More »Gree splashes out $210m on mobile start-up Funzio
Purchase to expand 'mid-core' games range on social games platform
Read More »Other publishers wanted us, RedLynx claims
Studio blasé on losing independence after Ubisoft buyout
Read More »Microsoft swoops for Gunstringer dev
Microsoft has acquired Twisted Pixel, the Texas-based indie studio responsible for XBLA games such as Splosion Man. Financial terms of the buyout were not disclosed. Twisted Pixel will now incubate and develop the future of game and entertainment offerings on Microsoft’s Xbox 360 platform”, Microsoft said. The Austin-based studio will …
Read More »Cryptic acquired for $50m
Atari’s has sold its Californian studio Cryptic for $50 million to China’s online gaming giant Perfect World, the company has said. Cryptic was acquired by Atari 2008 for $27 million, and went on to build MMO titles such as Star Trek Online and Champions Online. However, the studio has been …
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