Atari will pay up to $39.3 million to add Hipster Whale to its roster of mobile game studios.
Hipster Whale
Atari is snapping up another game studio. It has agreed to buy Hipster Whale, the developer of the Crossy Road series and Pac-Man 256. Atari is paying an initial $29.3 million in cash and stock. It will fork out up to an additional $10 million depending on Hipster Whale’s performance over the next few years. Studio co-founder Matt Hall will step into a leadership position at Atari and help oversee development of mobile games.
Atari said in a press release [PDF] that it has expanded its mobile games business in part due to its work on projects for Netflix, Amazon and the AirConsole gaming platform for car infotainment systems. “These projects target a new generation of services that let consumers play across an expanding range of screens — phone, tablet, handheld console, PC, television and in-car displays.”
Atari noted that the Crossy Road series will expand its existing roster of mobile games, which includes RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic and RollerCoaster Tycoon Touch. Following its takeover of the Thunderful Group, the company also owns Early Morning Studio, which is behind the Vampire’s Fall series.
In May, Atari picked up the rights to the first five games in the Wizardry series. It pledged to bring the games back to light through “remasters, collections and new releases.” For what it’s worth, a 45th anniversary page on the Wizardry website has a countdown that ends early on Wednesday, June 3.