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AcquiresHandleman Company Acquires Games Firm Crave Entertainment for $72 MillionAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on October 21, 2005 - 8:06am.
Troy, Mich. - The Handleman Company, a distributor of CDs and other recorded music formats to music retailers, announced on Friday that it plans to acquire Crave Entertainment, a developer of video game hardware, software and accessories, for $72 million. Newport Beach, Calif.-based Crave Entertainment distributes its products to more than 30,000 retail stores, and reported sales of $240 million for its most recent fiscal year. The company released "The Bible Game" earlier this week for PlayStation 2 and Game Boy Advance. "The acquisition of CEG expands our customer base, broadens our product line and will be immediately accretive to earnings," said Handleman chairman and CEO Stephen Strome. "Video game software is one of the fastest growing entertainment product lines, with industry growth expected to exceed an 8% compounded annual growth rate over the next four years."
China's Linktone Acquires Majority Stake in Digital Music Retailer 9SkyAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on October 18, 2005 - 11:18am.
Shanghai - Linktone, a distributor of wireless entertainment services in China, announced on Tuesday that it has made an undisclosed investment and acquired a majority stake in 9Sky International, a Chinese digital music retailer. Under the terms of the transaction, Linktone has the option to acquire 9Sky outright over the next two years. 9Sky has licensing agreements with Sony BMG and EMI, among other labels, to sell full-track music downloads. "Given recent crackdowns on pirated websites and search engines facilitating access to those websites and trends among consumers who are increasingly willing to pay for licensed services, we believe that the market for the licensing and the sale of music download services is at its early stages of growth and it is the right time for Linktone to enter this promising market," said Linktone CEO Raymond Yang. Linktone said it plans to leverage 9Sky's brand strength in the music download market with its own wireless presence, and integrate 9Sky's services with its own wireless music offerings.
Bertelsmann's Arvato Mobile Acquires U.K.-based MovotaAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on September 27, 2005 - 7:25am.
Hamburg, Germany - Arvato Mobile, a unit of Bertelsmann that distributes mobile entertainment content, announced on Tuesday that it has acquired U.K.-based Movota, a developer of mobile-based TV and radio audience participation software. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed. Movota will continue to operate out of its London offices. Hamburg-based Arvato said the deal will allow it to expand SMS interactive TV services to WAP and Java-based mobile technologies, allowing synchronized participation in TV quiz shows, opinion polls and interactive games.
SeaChange Acquires On Demand Group Ltd. For $13.4 MillionAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on September 27, 2005 - 7:15am.
Maynard, Mass. - SeaChange International, a provider of on-demand video technology, has acquired the remaining 72% stake that it did not already own in On Demand Group Ltd., a U.K.-based aggregator of television content. SeaChange paid $13.4 million for the 72% stake in On Demand Group, which is based in London and offers its aggregated content to pay-per-view services in Europe. Its customers include the cable operators ntl and Telewest in the U.K. On Demand Group also is a principal in the recently launched FilmFlex on-demand movie service venture with Sony Pictures and The Walt Disney Co.
French Mobile Game Publisher InfraWorlds Acquires Mobile Digital MediaAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on September 21, 2005 - 8:50am.
Paris -- Following on its acquisition of U.S. mobile game publisher 995 Soft in July, French mobile game publisher InfraWorlds announced on Wednesday that it has acquired Mobile Digital Media (MDM), a Mountain View, Calif.-based publisher of mobile device software. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. MDM has published memory card and CD-ROM mobile games based on titles from Electronic Arts, Atari and Microsoft, in addition to dictionaries, bibles and encyclopedias for mobile phones. InfraWorlds said the purchase will strengthen its entertainment catalog and provide it with new expertise in the retail distribution of mobile device content.
U.K. Online DVD Rental Service Video Island Acquires BrafilmAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on September 14, 2005 - 3:42am.
Stockholm -- Video Island, a U.K.-based online DVD rental firm, announced that it has acquired Brafilm, the largest online DVD service in the Nordic region, for an undisclosed sum. Video Island said the acquisition would increase its total subscriber base to more than 150,000, making it the online-DVD market leader in Norway, Sweden and the U.K. "Brafilm is a well-established and respected player in Scandinavia and has some valuable partnerships, including MSN, TV4 in Sweden, TV2 in Norway and Coop," said Video Island CEO Simon Calver. "The acquisition provides a solid base for us to expand across Europe." Video Island, which earlier this year secured $10.9 million in venture capital financing from EVP, has made two other acquisitions within the last year or so, snapping up ScreenSelect.co.uk in August 2004 and DVDs365 just three months ago.
News Corp Acquires Web Video Game Network IGN for $650 MillionAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on September 8, 2005 - 4:55am.
New York -- Adding to a recent string of online acquisitions, Aussie media tycoon Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation announced on Thursday that its Fox Interactive Media unit has acquired IGN Entertainment, a video game news and information network, for $650 million in cash. San Francisco-based IGN claims 28 million users for its network of video game and other entertainment-related sites, which includes IGN.com, Rotten Tomatoes, AskMen.com, GameSpy and FilePlanet. The newly formed Fox Interactive Media also recently acquired social networking site MySpace.com parent Intermix for $580 million, and online sports news provider Scout Media for an undisclosed sum; News Corp. has also been rumored to be in talks to acquire Internet video search index Blinkx. News Corp. said the IGN buy will increase its U.S. Web traffic to 70 million unique monthly users, making it the fifth most-trafficked presence on the Web, and fourth-largest in terms of monthly page impressions.
MTV Films Acquires Rights to Midway Games' "The Suffering"Authored by Mark Hefflinger on September 8, 2005 - 4:44am.
New York -- MTV Films announced on Thursday that it has acquired the film rights to "The Suffering," an action-horror video game from Surreal Software, a unit of publisher Midway Games. Released in April 2004, "The Suffering" features a man on death row in an island prison that is invaded by monsters he must battle to escape; a sequel, "The Suffering: Ties That Bind," is scheduled for release this month. MTV Films is working in conjunction with Stan Winston Productions ("Alien," "Predator," "Terminator") and Circle of Confusion to produce the film. The agreement follows an announcement in June between Midway and MTV to jointly market three of Midway's upcoming titles, including "L.A. Rush."
OpenTV Acquires Cable Ad Tech Firm CAM Systems for $19.5 MillionAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on September 8, 2005 - 4:36am.
San Francisco -- OpenTV, a provider of interactive TV software and services, announced on Thursday that it has acquired the assets of CAM Systems, a provider of advertising technology and services for cable TV operators, for $19.5 million in cash and stock. Saratoga, Calif.-based CAM Systems provides cable TV operators with technology to manage their local cable TV advertising businesses, an estimated $5 billion market. San Francisco-based OpenTV said the deal will immediately add the ad sales divisions of Time Warner Cable, Cox and Charter as new customers, as well as improve its ability to provide interactive, addressable and on-demand advertising services.
Cisco Completes Acquisition of KiSS TechnologyAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on September 7, 2005 - 5:00am.
San Jose, Calif. -- Cisco Systems, the San Jose, Calif.-based maker of networking equipment, said on Tuesday that it has completed its $61 million acquisition of Denmark's KiSS Technology, a maker of networked entertainment devices. The deal, first announced in July, is the second acquisition for Cisco's Linksys division, which makes Internet telephone, wireless and networking hardware. KiSS's product portfolio includes home video products such as networked DVD players and networked DVD recorders. KiSS was founded in 1994 and has 65 employees.
Video Game Physics Developer Ageia Acquires Sweden's MegonAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on September 6, 2005 - 6:16am.
Mountain View, California -- Ageia Technologies, a developer of hardware-accelerated physics for video games, announced that it has acquired Meqon Research, the Sweden-based physics-development company behind 3D Realms's "Duke Nukem Forever" and Saber Interactive's "TimeShift" games. Ageia said the deal would combine its expertise in multi-threading, high-speed collision detection and hair and clothing simulation with Meqon's industrial physics simulation, content creation tools and character and vehicle simulation. "Ageia is a physics juggernaut in the games industry with its strategic acquisitions and its groundbreaking Ageia PhysX processor," said Meqon CEO Jonas Lindqvist. "Our team is thrilled to join forces with Ageia to transform the future of next-generation games." Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Gracenote Raises $10.9 Million, Acquires Technology from PhilipsAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on September 1, 2005 - 6:42am.
Amsterdam -- Gracenote, a provider of song identification technology, announced that it has raised $10.9 million in its fifth round of venture capital financing from existing investors. The company also announced that it will acquire audio identification and fingerprinting technology from Philips, which will make an equity investment in the company. Berkeley, Calif.-based Gracenote paid an undisclosed sum for Philips' technologies; the companies will also enter into a long-term research and development pact. Gracenote said the acquisition would further extend its lead in the digital entertainment technology market and allow it to expand into significant new markets, including chip-based recognition, embedded technologies for devices such as car stereos and music and advertising monitoring.
FriendFinder Acquires Private-Label Personals Firm Spring StreetAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on July 27, 2005 - 7:31am.
Palo Alto, Calif. -- Various Inc., the parent company of online personals site FriendFinder.com, announced that it has acquired Spring Street Networks, a provider of private-label personal ad networks for over 200 sites, including The Onion, Salon.com and The Village Voice. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Founded in 1996, Palo Alto, Calif.-based Various operates 20 personals sites; its FriendFinder network counts over 30 million members. "The union of the two companies will provide technological innovation, marketing leadership and financial strength for all of Spring Street's partners in North America and Europe," said Various founder and CEO Andrew Conru. "The result of the acquisition will be reliable, advanced personals sites that offer outstanding conversion and retention rates and will also allow us to more easily customize a personals product for new and existing partners and expand co-branding and private-label offerings."
Sony Acquires SN Systems, Signs PS3 Development Tool ProvidersAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on July 21, 2005 - 8:54am.
London -- Sony announced on Thursday that it has acquired U.K.-based SN Systems, a provider of video game software development tools, and announced new partnerships with Ageia Technologies, Havok and Epic Games to provide PlayStation 3 game development tools to game developers. Financial terms of the SN Systems acquisition were not disclosed. Sony said that middleware like Epic's Unreal Engine 3 and Ageia's PhysX engine. All four companies' technologies will ship with the official PlayStation 3 software development kit Sony provides to game developers. Separately, Sony said on Thursday it plans to release a software upgrade for its PSP handheld game next week that includes a Web browser for surfing the Internet.
Media General Acquires Advergames Developer BlockdotAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on July 20, 2005 - 9:08am.
Richmond, Va. -- Media General, an owner of newspapers, TV stations and interactive media primarily in the Southeast, announced on Tuesday that it has acquired Dallas-based Blockdot, a developer of video games and advergaming products for companies. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Founded in 2001, Blockdot has created advergames for clients including HP, Nokia, Sony and Volkswagen, in addition to casual games for a network of sites, including its Kewlbox.com. "Blockdot will play an important role in Media General's commitment to build successful interactive enterprises that are innovative, entertaining, informative and profitable," said Neal F. Fondren, president of Media General's Interactive Media Division. The Virginia-based company said sales at its Interactive Media Division were up 44% in 2004, to $13.9 million.
Jupitermedia Acquires PictureArts for $63.2 MillionAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on July 20, 2005 - 9:05am.
Darien, Conn. -- Jupitermedia, a provider of information, images, research and events for the IT, business and creative sectors, has acquired PictureArts, a California-based producer and distributor of specialized image collections. The acquisition was priced at $63.2 million in cash. Founded in 1984 by husband and wife team Jeffrey Burke and Lorraine Triolo, PictureArts offers a variety of resources to advertisers, designers, publishers and other communications professionals. Jupitermedia said that it financed the purchase price with cash on hand and borrowings under a $90 million senior credit facility with JPMorgan Chase Bank, which was obtained in connection with the PictureArts acquisition.
SeaChange Acquires Overseas Assets of Liberate TechnologiesAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on July 14, 2005 - 9:55am.
San Mateo, Calif. -- SeaChange International, a Massachusetts-based provider of digital video systems, said that it has acquired San Mateo, Calif.-based San Liberate Technologies' interactive TV software business assets outside of North America for about $23.5 million. Liberate supplies software to some of the world's largest network operators, including ntl, Telewest and UGC in Europe. Under terms of the acquisition, SeaChange has been assigned certain customer contracts, as well as receiving patents and other intellectual property. The company said that it also will continue operations at Liberate's former facilities in San Mateo and London, England, and is continuing employment for about 20 Liberate employees.
Comcast-Cox Joint Venture Acquires Interactive TV Developer MetaTVAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on July 13, 2005 - 10:17am.
Philadelphia -- Cable TV providers Comcast and Cox announced on Wednesday that their TV Works joint venture has acquired interactive TV developer MetaTV. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed; both Comcast and Cox were previous investors in MetaTV. TV Works said it will maintain Mill Valley, Calif.-based MetaTV's staff and facilities. The company will now focus on applications compatible with GuideWorks, an interactive program guide joint venture between Comcast and Gemstar-TV Guide International. MetaTV has developed interactive TV applications such as games, caller ID and customer service features that have been offered before by both Comcast and Cox.
MTV Acquires "Virtual Pet" Youth Online Community NeoPetsAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on June 17, 2005 - 9:04am.
New York -- Viacom's MTV Networks announced on Monday that it has acquired NeoPets, which operates an online youth community with 25 million members. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Founded in 2000, Neopets.com offers members an online community where they care for "virtual pets" and interact with one another. The site, now offered in 10 languages, is consistently rated among the top-10 "stickiest" websites by Nielsen/NetRatings and comScore Media Metrix. "This property is a perfect fit for MTV Networks, and its acquisition is an important move for us as we aggressively move forward as a multi-platform entertainment company, dedicated to serving our audiences across all the platforms that they use and love," said MTV Networks chairman and CEO Judy McGrath.
Vivendi Acquires Game Developer Swordfish StudiosAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on June 15, 2005 - 8:31am.
Birmingham, England -- Vivendi Universal Games announced on Wednesday that it has acquired Swordfish Studios, a U.K.-based video game developer, for an undisclosed sum. Swordfish recently completed work on a first-person shooter, "Cold Winter," for VU Games The company has also earned several awards for game development, including the Independent Game Developers Association's "Developer of the Year" award and the best "New U.K. Studio" at the Developer Industry Excellence Awards. Under terms of the deal, VU Games will retain Swordfish's team of 45 development professionals, as well as the company's office in Birmingham. Furthermore, acting Swordfish managing director Trevor Williams will continue to lead the studio in the same role, VU Games said.
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