BigWorld expands to Japan and South Korea

MMO middleware company BigWorld has opened local presences in both Japan and South Korea to provide ‘direct sales and support to the increasing number of developers using BigWorld in the region’.

“BigWorld’s client base continues to grow and this recent expansion now provides a local presence in the USA, China, Australia, and Japan," said Gavin Longhurst, VP of business development at BigWorld.

“2008 has been a fantastic year for BigWorld. Working with an ever increasing number of licensees around the world has helped cement our position as the middleware engine of choice for the development and operation of MMOGs. The establishment of our direct presence for Japan and Korea continues to emphasize the importance we place on working directly with local developers, publishers and agents to both understand and support each market.”

In order to manage the operation, BigWorld has appointed James Hursthouse as director of business development and Yoshikazu Furuhata as account executive.

Formerly founder and CEO of Online Game Services, Hursthouse lived in Japan for 10 years and is currently chairman of the advisory board of the ION Game Conference, while Furuhata joins the company with ‘an extensive network of contacts among online game companies in Japan and Korea’.

“I have worked with BigWorld as a partner for over five years," said Hursthouse. "During that time I have seen the company establish itself as the dominant middleware in the MMO space and I am extremely excited to be joining such an innovative and motivated company.

"We are already encountering a significant amount of interest in the tech from the Japanese and Korean markets and look forward to helping developers in these markets take advantage of the risk and cost savings BigWorld affords them, particularly as we continue to develop our capabilities with regards to consoles such as the PlayStation 3."