Purchase of a subsidiary of Sony reinforces the commitment of video game company Scopely with Barcelona
Scopely has 405 workers in Barcelona and will add twenty more from the Sony subsidiary
BarcelonaThe mobile videogame company Scopely, one of the world's leading companies in its sector, has announced the purchase of GSN Games from Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) in a deal valued at about $1bn (about €862m). The deal reinforces Scopely's commitment to Barcelona, as GSN Games also runs an operation in the Catalan capital, according to company sources. Scopely has a center in Barcelona with 405 professionals, while GSN Games also has about 20 of the 400 employees it has worldwide. Scopely, based in Los Angeles, opened its first office outside the United States in Barcelona over four years ago.
GSN Games operates a catalogue of free-to-play mobile and online games that includes Solitaire TriPeaks y Bingo Bash among other titles. In Barcelona the company has one of its technology hubs for the development of the platform, a game development team and a commercial game maintenance team.
Of the transaction price, half will be paid in cash and the remainder in preferred stock, providing Sony Pictures Entertainment with a minority stake in Scopely and the opportunity to benefit from the expected growth of the company and the mobile gaming sector. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.
The acquisition will add a complementary games portfolio to Scopely's business and bring the talent of GSN Games' team of game developers to Scopely. Scopely is currently one of the fastest growing private mobile gaming companies and has tripled its revenue between 2018 and 2020. The company has one of the most diverse mobile game catalogues in the industry, with success in both casual games as well as for more dedicated gamers –from player-versus-player (PVP) games to role-playing games (RPGs) to massively multiplayer online games (MMOs). Scopely is recognized for its ability to create loyal and engaged player communities with a focus on user centricity and long-term experiences.
"GSN Games' business has proven to be incredibly durable and profitable, due to the dynamic experiences the team continues to build for gamers around the world," said Tim O'Brien, chief revenue officer of Scopely.
