Social game developer Playdom has announced the acquisition of the more mainstream games developer, Acclaim today for an undisclosed amount of money.
The name “Acclaim” is most recognizable as a developer and publisher of various arcade and console games until it went under in 2004. It was resurrected by current CEO Howard Marks in 2006, and moved more into massively multiplayer online role-playing games (such as Chronicles of Spellborn), and the more recently popular Facebook, Guitar Hero’esque title, RockFREE which currently garners around 370,000 monthly active users.
As for the details of the deal itself, again, nothing specific has been disclosed thus far. However, it is noted that Marks will continue to run the Acclaim studio for Playdom, but will also act as in a “senior strategic role,” helping the new parent company in its business development endeavors. Additionally, Chief Technology Officer for Acclaim, Neil Malhotra, will now also act as the studio’s senior technical officer.
Playdom alone earns upwards of 37.8 million monthly active users, with Social City leading the pack at 12.3 million. Added to this already impressive number will be another 15 million registered online users for the various Acclaim free-to-play titles, and whatever new numbers they earn with an upcoming, unnamed Facebook title slated to launch sometime this summer.
The acquisition of Acclaim marks another major purchase for Playdom in the last two months, following Argentinean developer Three Melons. Before even this, however, the social developer had sunk $5 million into another Argentina-based company, MetroGames, as well as purchased Green Patch and Trippert Labs in November of 2009.
Source: Inside Social Games
Tuesday, May 18, 2010