Supermarket Sweep
Embracer Group, continuing on its apparent mission to become the only company in existence, has been on another shopping spree, walking away with several studios, publishers, and million-dollar IPs in a mighty sweep of its seemingly bottomless wallet.
Announced this morning, Embracer’s recent purchases includeLord of the RingsIP holderMiddle-earth Enterprises,Maneaterdeveloper Tripwire Interactive, Japanese studio Tatsuji, accessory brand Giotech, karaoke hardware company Singtrix, and popular boutique retailerLimited Run Games. The identity of a further acquisition remains unannounced as of this writing.
All of Embracer’s gaming entities will be managed within a new operating division in the holding company known as “Embracer Freemode.” The total purchase price for all of the listed acquisitions is reportedly in the region of SEK 8.2 billion, or roughly $787 million USD.
“Today Embracer becomes an even better group. I am pleased to welcome an amazing group of entrepreneur-led companies to the Embracer family and to extend our portfolio with some truly remarkable IPs and franchises, includingThe Lord of the Rings,” said Embracer CEO Lars Wingefors of the purchases.
“It is encouraging that our group has become a natural and preferred buyer of creative, growing and profitable companies within Gaming and Entertainment. Several discussions with entrepreneurs now joining have been ongoing for more than three years before the stars aligned today, which underlines the importance of a long-term perspective in building our group.”
Middle-earth Enterprises has held the licensing rights to J.R.R Tolkien’sThe Lord of the RingsandThe Hobbitfor some 50 years. In an accompanying statement, Embracer appeared to show great interest in exploring the characters and worlds that exist within Middle-earth, which frankly sounds like a Disney-style abundance of movies and TV shows might be headed our way in the future.
Embracer Group has been incredibly proactive with its purchase power in recent years. In the gaming sphere, the umbrella corporation already has stakes or full ownership in companies such asTHQ Nordic, Saber Interactive, Koch Media,Gearbox Entertainment,Aspyr Media, DECA Games, and all of their respective subsidiaries, alongsidenumerous independent studios.
