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Codemasters parent company Reliance Big Entertainment has acquired new studios in Korea and Japan with a view to increase its footprint in the two markets.
Mumbai outfit Reliance has scooped mobile game development and publishing company Funnel Japan in Japan, and secured a majority 51 per cent share of mobile game development studio Bluesom in Korea.
Reliance now owns all IPs from Funnel and takes full control of the team. With regards to the Bluesom purchase, it now assumes responsibility for ‘some IPs’.
Reliance Games, after the success of Real Steel and F1 2011 mobile games globally, has embarked on a journey of expanding its business beyond North America markets," said Manish Agarwal, CEO of Reliance Entertainment Digital (pictured).
"With this acquisition in Japan and Korea Reliance Games has made inroads into the world’s largest mobile gaming markets and looks forward to tap the 5.5 billion USD and 1.3 Billion USD mobile gaming markets of Japan and Korea respectively.
"Investment in the development studio at Busan, Korea and in the distribution team at Tokyo, Japan will enable us to develop games for local markets instead of trying to force fit western games in these markets. I have full confidence on teams at Korea and Japan to establish Reliance Games as a very innovative and successful gaming brand."
Eric Marlow, vice president of global studios, Reliance Games added: The company’s expansion into the Japanese and Korean markets is significant and strategic. We see now a clear path that allows us product and development capacity in both countries. We are extremely excited by the new capabilities added to our team and we think our customers will enjoy the games we are preparing for them.”
In the wake of the acquisition Reliance Games will be launching three games in the ‘social card’ and ‘real time strategy’ genres, both vastly popular in the East.
Reliance Games is simultaneously working on Hollywood IP based games localisedd for the Japanese and Korea markets, though it is not clear if these are recently released or yet to be confirmed titles.
Reliance also owns Jump Games and Zapak.
