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Zynga has acquired NaturalMotion for $527 million in a move to accelerate the firm’s core growth strategy.
NaturalMotion is responsible for leading animation technology Euphoria, perhaps most famous for its use in blockbuster mega hit GTA 5. The Oxford-based developer is also behind mobile hits CSR Racing and Clumsy Ninja.
“Combining NaturalMotion’s strengths with Zynga’s ability to develop breakthrough social features while sustaining live games over time, offers us a huge opportunity to redefine the gaming industry and deliver consumers blockbuster entertainment experiences,” commented Zynga CEO Don Mattrick.
NaturalMotion CEO and Co-Founder Torsten Reil added: “I am pleased to say that NaturalMotion will retain its brand, organisational structure, publishing relationships, and technology business. Our culture and how we operate are an important part of what appealed to Zynga in the first place.
“We are excited by this opportunity – it allows us to continue on our path whilst fast-tracking important areas such as scalable server infrastructure, live game operations and network cross promotion at scale.”
Zynga hit the headlines back in March 2012 for its $200 million acquisition of Draw Something creator OMGPOP.
The news comes as Zynga announces the layoff of 314 staff – around a 15 per cent reduction in its workforce.
Source: Zynga Blog
