April 27, 2024

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[THE INVSTOR] Jam City, the US subsidiary of Korea’s mobile gaming giant Netmarble Games, on Nov. 29 said it has acquired the popular mobile game “Bingo Pop” from Toronto-based Uken Games in a bid to expand its lineup. 

The financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Under the deal, the “Bingo Pop” team will join Jam City and continue to manage operations from its new Toronto office, according to the firm. 

“We are proud to be continuing Jam City’s rapid global expansion with the acquisition of one of the most popular bingo titles, and its highly talented team,” said Chris DeWolfe, co-founder and CEO of Jam City, in a statement. 

“This acquisition provides Jam City with access to leading creative talent in one of the fastest growing and most exciting tech markets in the world. We look forward to working with the talented team in Toronto as we supercharge the live operations of ‘Bingo Pop’ and develop innovative new titles and mobile entertainment experiences.”

The Los Angeles-based game developer has been on a buying spree in a bid to expand its game portfolio and global footprint. Earlier this month, Jam City bought Disney’s Glendale Games Studio, the unit that created the popular Disney “Emoji Blitz” game, for an undisclosed sum. In March, it acquired Brainz, Bogota, Colombia-based mobile game developer behind “World War Doh.” 

Jam City was established in 2009 by MySpace co-founders DeWolfe, Colin Digiaro, Aber Whitcomb and former 20th Century Fox executive Josh Yguado. To date, it has published 13 games, including hit mobile games “Cookie Jam,” “Panda Pop” and Hollywood licensed games such as “Harry Potter,” “Family Guy” and “Marvel Avengers.” 

In 2015, Netmarble bought over 60 percent stake in the firm for about US$130 million.

Uken Games in 2012 rolled out “Bingo Pop,” a free, classic bingo game mixed with jackpots, fast-paced actions and other features, including characters and social features.

By Ahn Sung-mi (sahn@heraldcorp.com)