UK games retail has been down a rocky road in recent years. Companies have dipped in and out of administration more times than a nacho at a dip party. Some, like Blockbuster UK, have actually died all together and been thrown to the wayside like a diseased carcass. It looks like the UK games retail industry may be on the rise now however, as GAME have announced their purchase of the event-focused company Multiplay.
The acquisition will cost a grand total of £20 million (£7.4 million in shares/deferred cash over the next three years and £12.6 million upon the deals completion. This isn’t some asset stripping attack on the company either, as all of the jobs still open in the company are expected to be kept.
GAME CEO Martyn Gibbs seems to be looking towards hosting more events in UK and Europe with the deal. On the subject of the acquisition of Multiplay and what it will allow GAME to do, he had this to say:
“Together we will be able to move even faster to grow and develop our services for both gamers and suppliers in the UK, Spain and around the world. With our combined passion and expertise, we are looking forward to delivering more, bigger and better experiences for our communities and are excited for what the future holds.”
If you’ve heard of Multiplay before, its more than likely because they’ve hosted their own events in the past. The most popular of which, Insomnia, was attended last year by over 67,000 visitors. Other than expos, Multiplay do also support other gaming events like the ever popular eSports circuit.
Do you enjoy going to expos run by the slightly smaller organizers? Maybe you’ve been to Insomnia and you can tell us how it was. Let us know your thoughts and more on GAME buying Multiplay in the comments below.
[Thanks, www.gamesindustry.biz]
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