New York - GE/NBC Universal's (NYSE: GE) Peacock Equity Fund, together with European private equity group GMT Communications Partners, on Monday announced a $110 million majority buyout of Bigpoint, a developer of browser-based multiplayer online games.

The selling stakeholders in the transaction were Aurelia Private Equity, European Founders Fund and United Internet Beteiligungen.

Hamburg, Germany-based Bigpoint develops and hosts browser-based games, and counts over 23 million registered users.

The company generated revenue through advertising and the sale of in-game virtual items.

NBC Universal will partner with Bigpoint on the creation of a series of games to be featured on its SCI FI and USA Network websites, while the company and GMT will further support the development of new games, distribution platforms and marketing initiatives in Europe, North America and Asia.

"The gaming space is a key strategic focus area for Peacock Equity," said Tom Byrne, managing director and group head, Peacock Equity.

"We believe the growth characteristics of the space, when coupled with what NBCU and GMT can do for Bigpoint's continued development, make this a very attractive investment opportunity."

Related Links:
http://snipurl.com/2eq2u

http://www.peacockequity.com

http://www.bigpoint.net

http://us.bigpoint.com