Ubisoft Finalizes Digital Kids Acquisition

Ubisoft has announced has finalized its previously-announced 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. The acquisition is part of what Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has called 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." At the time the acquisition was announced, 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."