SHANGHAI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Youzu Interactive (002174.SZ) announced on March 22 that the company plans to acquire a 100% stake of the well-known German game developer BIGPOINT for no more than 80 million Euros. It will be the company’s first 100% acquisition of an overseas game company, which is expected to help expand its global reach and enhance its global development and distribution capability.
BIGPOINT boasts strong development and distribution capability and abundant IP resources
BIGPOINT is a leading online and mobile game developer, content provider and operator in Europe, with complete development-operation chain, strong development capability, well-established game distribution platform, abundant IP resources, and veteran development & operation experience.
Established in Hamburg, Germany in 2002, BIGPOINT harvested revenue from 60 games and operated 15 games by December 2015. BIGPOINT has distributed games to over 200 countries in 25 languages. It has cooperation with 1,500 international social platforms and enjoys a high penetration rate in Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland and Turkey. Its browser game Dark Orbit boasts 82.55 million registered users, while Seafight 42.55 million and Drakensang Online 32.77 million.
BIGPOINT also owns abundant IP resources. It has created several IP games including Battlestar Galactica Online. In 2016, the company will release a browser game based on the hottest IP A Song of Ice and Fire: Game of Thrones.
Youzu Interactive will enhance its position in the Chinese market while exploring the global market.
Founded in 2009 by Mr. Qi Lin, YOUZU Interactive is a leading developer and publisher of online and mobile games. With headquarter in Shanghai and offices in Nanjing, Taipei, and Singapore, the company focuses on global development and distribution of games, application of big data, IP management and engineering, and strategic investment in entertainment industry. In June 2014, YOUZU Interactive was officially listed on the capital market, becoming the first domestic A-share gaming company in China.
Youzu Interactive has been dedicated to exploring the global market. Its distribution network currently covers over 150 countries in Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, Middle East and South America. Besides, it has established cooperation with nearly 1,000 overseas partners including platforms, media and operators, and enhanced its relations with Internet giants like Facebook and Google. In the past five years, the company released 30 browser games and mobile games globally, including both its own games and licensed games. The expansion of the overseas market resulted in an overseas revenue of RMB 771 million, growing 137.08% year-on-year and almost equivalent to the domestic revenue.
For the next step, Youzu Interactive aims to increase the proportion of its overseas revenue to 2/3, doubling the domestic part. The acquisition of BIGPOINT will help Youzu Interactive achieve this goal by granting Youzu Interactive access to BIGPOINT’s game development capability and abundant IP resources and paving way for the expansion of Youzu Interactive's global reach.
