GREE buys OpenFeint for 104m

Japanese mobile gaming social service provider GREE tonight bought OpenFeint for $104 million in a straight cash transaction. The deal gives GREE a connection to North America, Europe, and other areas it didn't previously serve as well as a reach of about 100 million total gamers, including Android and iOS gamers. They planned to build a "global gaming ecosystem" with faster upgrades but would also continue to develop their gaming networks in their respective countries, doubling the size of OpenFeint within this year.

The existing management at OpenFeint would stay in place and was being given financial incentives to stay onboard.

OpenFeint is best known for providing an early equivalent to Xbox Live for mobile and preceded Apple's Game Center. Its position on Google's platform has been vital without any official service within Android itself. GREE is lesser known outside of its home country but just Thursday supported the A-Fund, a $100 million resource for investing in new Android apps, devices, and services.

Among the better-known game developers using OpenFeint are Bigpixel, Halfbrick, and Hudson.

By Electronista Staff

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iPod, iPhone, industry, gaming, Google, Android, mobile phones, iPad, Game Center, GREE, OpenFeint