Raman Roy promoted Quatrro BPO Solutions has acquired UK-based Babel Media, the online gaming and interactive entertainment services provider to gain its.
Firm aims to gain foothold in the gaming outsourcing business
NEW DELHI: Raman Roy promoted Quatrro BPO Solutions has acquired UK-based Babel Media, the online gaming and interactive entertainment services provider to gain its foothold in the lucrative gaming outsourcing market.
The Gurgaon-based company did not provide financial details of their sixth acquisition. However, several technology experts believe the deal to be valued at $100 million, which would make it the biggest acquisition of a gaming firm by an Indian company. Quatrro and the D E Shaw group funded the deal with a mix of debt and equity. Quatrro now owns 60% of the firm.
In June, DNA Money reported that Quatrro is close to acquiring a firm for $100 million in a new vertical in Europe.
Raman Roy, chairman and director at Quatrro BPO told DNA Money, “With this acquisition, we want to be the market leader in the high margin testing, porting, etc of games. We will aggressively expand the operations in India, China and Eastern Europe with our offshoring knowledge.” He said the gaming vertical is at least “4-5 times more lucrative” with respect to revenue per employee.
Some Indian mobile game providers such as Mumbai-based Paradox Studio, Dhruva Interactive, Lakshya Digital, and GametrixMobile provide mobile game porting. The mobile porting costs around $1200-$1500 in the US, and the same process can be done in the country within $500-$700, according to local experts.
However, there are no major players in the overall gaming industry.
A PricewaterhouseCoopers’ report estimates the gaming industry to grow by another $27 billion to reach $68 billion by 2012.
Roy said that Richard Leinfellner, who worked as vice president with gaming major Electronic Arts (EA) will take over as CEO of the acquired gaming firm. Leinfellner led EA’s European outsourcing strategy.
As part of the transaction Babel’s co-founder Algy Williams will be a non-executive director at the firm. Babel will retain rest of the management.
Babel employs over 500 staff and has offices in Brighton, Los Angeles, Montreal and New Delhi .
Its clients include all the major gaming firms such as Electronic Arts, SEGA, Nintendo, Microsoft, THQ, Atari, Ubisoft, Eidos, Capcom etc.
vivek_s@dnaindia.net
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