Bigpoint buys 49Games dev team
43 employees will start work on Unity 3D projects for Battlestar Galactica publisher
German company Bigpoint, who has found success with browser based games like Battlestar Galactica Online, has taken over 49Games' development team, adding 43 employees to its online game production.
"I'm very pleased with Bigpoint's acquisition of our development team and I'm confident that the team will deliver fantastic 3D MMOs for the quickly growing international online company," said Jan-Hendrik Ohl, CEO of 49Games.
The new team will concentrate on projects utilising Unity 3D.
"The team at 49Games is one of the best development teams in the console sports-games industry. We're very excited to add them to the Bigpoint team for our online games," added Bigpoint CEO Heiko Hubertz.
"Together with our development team, we're going to continue our mission to deliver our users top-quality gaming fun."
49Games is based in Hamburg and and specialised in console sports titles. It will retain all rights to technology, assets and licences.
The significant takeover is Bigpoint's fourth in the past 18 months, and 49Games joins Radon Labs, Elofd and Planet Moon Studios in the drive to expand.
"We plan on expanding," said Hubertz,
"We're still on the lookout for other excellent studios like 49 Games. In the future, we're definitely going to make more international acquisitions."
Last week Philip Reisberger, chief games officer for Bigpoint provoked controversy when he criticised both Valve and EA's approach to monetising content.