Bigpoint targets South America with Brazil office
Sao Paolo HQ is "strategic focus point for our international expansion"
Online game developer Bigpoint has opened its fifth global office, appointing 10 business development, marketing and PR staff in Brazil's largest city.
The Sao Paolo office is to be the spearhead of an expansion to South America. "The Latin-American Internet market is one of the fastest-growing markets in the world," said Heiko Hubertz, CEO and founder of Bigpoint. "This new location will become a new strategic focus point for our international expansion."
One of Bigpoint's partners in the region is the Google-owned Orkut, Brazil's most popular social network. Launch games includie Seafight, DarkOrbit and Farmerama. Other partners are planned.
A number of other game firms are targeting Latin America, including US firm Vostu - which is also looking to Orkut as a platform. Google has long been rumoured to have a social games platform in the offing; the growing developer interest in Orkut for this emerging market may be part of this.