Ubisoft Acquires Japanese Hamsterz Life Developer

Ubisoft has announced its acquisition of Digital Kids, the Japanese development studio that has worked on several titles for Ubisoft's Petz line of games, including Hamsterz Life. The studio, which has offices in Nagoya and Osaka, currently has a team of 20 developers who specialize in games for the Nintendo DS. According to Ubisoft, the acquisition is expected to close in the third quarter of the 2007-08 fiscal year. The acquisition is part of what Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot calls the company's strategy to "build successful partnerships in new territories" and to "advance on casual games," adding, "When it comes to Nintendo DS games, Digital Kids has demonstrated a leading knowledge that has resulted in creative animal simulation titles that appeal to Japanese and Western audiences alike, which is quite rare." Masahito Hasegawa, president of Digital Kids, commented, "It is an honor to become part of Ubisoft, one of the world’s leading video game publishers. I am truly looking forward to using our experience to develop games that will be enjoyed by players all over the globe."