Subscribe
E-Paper
 |
| Netmarble's U.S. subsidiary Jam City acquired "Bingo Pop," developed by Canada-based Uken Games. / Courtesy of Netmarble |
By Jun Ji-hye
Netmarble acquired a globally-popular mobile bingo game, "Bingo Pop," developed by Canada-based Uken Games, through its U.S. subsidiary, Jam City, the company said Thursday.
Through the takeover contract, the veteran "Bingo Pop" team has also joined Jam City and will continue to manage game operations from Jam City's Toronto studio.
Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
Released in 2012, "Bingo Pop" has become one of the top bingo mobile games worldwide on the back of its unique game play and characters.
"We are so proud to be continuing Jam City's rapid global expansion with the acquisition of one of the most popular bingo titles and its highly talented team," said Chris DeWolfe, co-founder and CEO of Jam City.
"This acquisition provides Jam City with access to leading creative talent in one of the fastest growing and most exciting tech markets in the world. We look forward to working with the talented Jam City team in Toronto as we supercharge the live operations of Bingo Pop and develop innovative new titles and mobile entertainment experiences."
The Los Angeles-based mobile game developer said Canada is quickly becoming a haven for top game developers, engineers, designers and artists from around the world, given its prestigious universities, universal healthcare, affordable housing and diverse communities.
In addition, more than 35,000 students are enrolled in digital gaming related education programs in the province of Ontario, where Toronto is the largest city.
"Jam City is looking forward to tapping into the large pool of talent across the region and expanding our operations in such a vibrant and trend-setting city," DeWolfe said.
Jam City's acquisition of "Bingo Pop" follows the company's recent announcement of a multi-year partnership with Disney.
The partnership with Disney allows Netmarble's U.S. subsidiary to develop new mobile games based on popular characters and stories from Pixar and Walt Disney Animation.
