Glu has made a pretty fantastic name for themselves in the world of mobile games in recent years, so it’s only fitting that they’ve purchased the makers of a pretty fantastic franchise. The company announced today that they’ve acquired PlayFirst, makers of the Diner Dash series (and its subsequent spinoffs like Cooking Dash, Hotel Dash and Wedding Dash).
While unexpected, I suppose the purchase isn’t entirely surprising. While they first found success among casual PC gamers, PlayFirst made the move to mobile-first back in 2012 when they suspended development of desktop games. As a mobile-focused company with a notable brand, I suppose it was only a matter of time until somebody made them an offer they couldn’t refuse.
Specifically, that offer was 3 million shares of GLUU common stock (currently trading at $4 a share, so… approx. $12 million) and “the assumption of up to $3.55 million net negative balance sheet” according to today’s investor report.
Glu has made a pretty fantastic name for themselves in the world of mobile games in recent years, so it’s only fitting that they’ve purchased the makers of a pretty fantastic franchise. The company announced today that they’ve acquired PlayFirst, makers of the Diner Dash series (and its subsequent spinoffs like Cooking Dash, Hotel Dash and Wedding Dash).
While unexpected, I suppose the purchase isn’t entirely surprising. While they first found success among casual PC gamers, PlayFirst made the move to mobile-first back in 2012 when they suspended development of desktop games. As a mobile-focused company with a notable brand, I suppose it was only a matter of time until somebody made them an offer they couldn’t refuse.
Specifically, that offer was 3 million shares of GLUU common stock (currently trading at $4 a share, so… approx. $12 million) and “the assumption of up to $3.55 million net negative balance sheet” according to today’s investor report.
The PlayFirst studio will close at the end of May, with 32 employees joining Glu in San Francisco. There’s no word if Tom Hall – the co-creator of DOOM that joined PlayFirst in April 2013 – was among those making the transition.
Diner Dash X will be launching in Q4 2014, which the report calls the “first Dash title free-to-play from the ground up.” Expect to see more Dash games in 2015 using the same engine.
