Glu Mobile

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Glu Mobile Inc.
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryVideo games
FoundedJune 2005; 16 years ago (2005-06)
HeadquartersSan Francisco, California, U.S.
Key people
Nick Earl (CEO and President)
RevenueUS$411.4 million[1]
Number of employees
800[2] (2021)
ParentElectronic Arts (2021–present)
Websitewww.glu.com

Glu Mobile, Inc. is an American developer and publisher of video games for mobile phones and tablet computers. Founded in San Francisco, California, in 2004, Glu offers products to multiple platforms including Java ME-based devices, Android, Windows Phone, Google Chrome, and Amazon.[3] It was previously listed on Nasdaq until it was acquired by Electronic Arts in April 2021.

History[]

Glu logo from 2005 until 2014
Glu logo in use since 2014, as seen on some app icons

In December 2004, San Mateo, the California-based Sorrent merged with the London-based Macrospace. In June 2005 the merged company created a new corporate name: Glu Mobile.[4] That same year, Greg Ballard replaced Sorrent founder Scott Orr as CEO. In 2006, Glu Mobile acquired iFone and in 2007 it acquired Chinese mobile game producer Beijing Zhangzhong MIG Information Technology Co. Ltd. ("MIG"). In September 2007, Glu announced the launch of Asteroids for mobile phones.[5] In March 2008, Glu acquired San Clemente-based mobile developer Superscape.

In January 2010, Niccolo de Masi joined Glu Mobile as the President and CEO. De Masi was previously CEO at Hands-On Mobile. Since his arrival, Glu has transitioned to a freemium business model focused around Glu's original IP.

On August 2, 2011, Glu acquired Griptonite Games. Its staff of 200 "approximately double[d]" Glu's internal development capacity.[6]

In April 2012, Glu acquired the entire Deer Hunter franchise.[7]

Glu Mobile bought Gamespy Technologies (the entity responsible for GameSpy multiplayer services) from IGN Entertainment in August 2012,[8] and proceeded in December to raise integration costs and shut down servers for many older games, including the Star Wars: Battlefront series, Sniper Elite, Microsoft Flight Simulator X and Neverwinter Nights, with no warning to developers or consumers.[9] GameSpy Technologies remained operational and did not make any announcements of an impending shutdown; the two GameSpy companies were separate entities and only related by name.[10] Glu also shut down online multiplayer servers for several titles on the Nintendo DS and Wii, such as Mario Kart DS, Super Smash Bros Brawl, and Mario Kart Wii. Glu shut down the rest of Gamespy effective on May 31, 2014.[11]

On September 3, 2014, PlayFirst was acquired by Glu. The official statement from Glu Mobile CEO Niccolo de Masi read "We are pleased to officially add PlayFirst to the Glu family and look forward to delivering new DASH products to a worldwide audience."[12]

In April 2015, Chinese company Tencent paid $126 million for a 15% stake in Glu Mobile.[13] It had 20.8% as of 2017.[14]

On December 22, 2016, it was announced that Glu Mobile had acquired the trivia game QuizUp for US$7.5 million. On January 20, 2021, QuizUp was removed from appstores, and on January 21, 2021, it was announced that QuizUp will be discontinued on March 22, 2021. Since then, all purchases are disabled.[15][16]

In November 2016, Nick Earl became CEO. The majority stake of Glu shares are held by institutions: at the start of the third quarter of 2012, institutional ownership was 78% of the outstanding shares according to Google Finance.[17]

Electronic Arts announced in February 2021 that it plans to acquire Glu in a deal estimated at US$2.4 billion.[18] On the same day of the announcement of the deal, it was revealed that the companies expect the acquisition to close in the second quarter of 2021.[19] In April 2021, EA completed the acquisition of Glu Mobile.[20]

Games[]

  • 5-Card Draw Poker
  • Adidas All-Star Football
  • Age of Empires III Mobile
  • ALIENS: Unleashed
  • Alpha Wing 2
  • Amazing Battle Creatures (ABC)
  • Ancient Empires
  • Ancient Empires II
  • Aqua Teen Hunger Force
  • Asteroids
  • AstroPop
  • ATV Off-Road Fury
  • Baldur's Gate
  • Battleship
  • Beat It!
  • Big Time Gangsta
  • Blackjack Hustler
  • Blood & Glory
  • Blood & Glory 2: Legend
  • Bombshells: Hell's Belles
  • Bonsai Blast
  • Brain Genius
  • Brain Genius 2
  • Brain Genius 2 Deluxe
  • Brain Genius Deluxe
  • Brian Lara International Cricket 2007
  • Britney Spears: American Dream
  • Bush vs. Kerry Boxing
  • Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
  • Call of Duty: Black Ops Mobile
  • Call of Duty: Modern Warfare – Force Recon (based on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2)
  • Call of Duty: World at War
  • Cannons
  • Cannons Tournament
  • Car Town
  • Centipede
  • Chaos Engine
  • Chu Chu Rocket
  • Cluedo
  • Cluedo SFX
  • Concentration
  • Codename: KND MINIGAMES
  • Colin McRae DiRT Mobile
  • Cooking Dash
  • Contract Killer
  • Contract Killer 2
  • Contract Killer Sniper
  • Contract Killer: Zombies
  • Contract Killer: Zombies 2
  • Courage the Cowardly Dog: Haunted House
  • Crash 'N' Burn
  • Crash 'N' Burn Turbo
  • Daily Puzzle
  • Death Dome
  • Deer Hunter
  • Deer Hunter 2
  • Deer Hunter 3
  • Deer Hunter Reloaded
  • Deer Hunter 3D
  • Deer Hunter Challenge
  • Deer Hunter Classic
  • Design Home[21]
  • Dexter's Laboratory: Security Alert!
  • Diner Dash
  • Diner Dash 2: Restaurant Rescue
  • Diner Dash 3
  • Diner Dash 5: Boom!
  • Diner Dash: Flo on the Go
  • Diner Dash: Flo Through Time
  • Diner Dash: Hometown Hero
  • Dino Hunter: Deadly Shores
  • Disney Sorcerer's Arena
  • Dominoes
  • Dragon Island
  • Driver 3 (mobile version)
  • Driver: Vegas
  • Ed, Edd n Eddy: Giant Jawbreakers
  • Enchant U
  • Eternity Warriors
  • Eternity Warriors 2
  • Eternity Warriors 3
  • everGirl everGems
  • Family Feud
  • Family Guy: Time Warped
  • Family Guy: Uncensored
  • Fatal Force: Earth Assault
  • Foster's Home: Balloon Bonanza
  • FOX Sports Football '06
  • Frontline Commando
  • Frontline Commando 2
  • Frontline Commando: D-Day
  • Frontline Commando: WW2 Shooter
  • Game of Life
  • Gears & Guts
  • Get Cookin'
  • Glyder
  • Glyder 2
  • Guitar Hero 5
  • Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock
  • Gun Bros. (Windows Phone)[22]
  • Hero Project
  • Hercules
  • High Heels MahJong: In Her Shoes
  • Hog On the Run
  • HOYLE 6-in-1 Solitaire Pro
  • Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
  • Ice Age: The Meltdown
  • Indestructible
  • Insaniquarium Deluxe
  • Inuyasha
  • Jamaican Bobsled
  • Kasparov Chess
  • Kim Kardashian: Hollywood
  • Kendall and Kylie
  • Katy Perry Pop
  • Kingdom of Heaven
  • Lemmings
  • Lemmings Return
  • Lil Kingdom
  • Love a Lemming
  • Manchester United Football
  • Marc Ecko's Getting Up
  • Mech Battalion
  • Men vs. Machines
  • Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation
  • MLB Tap Sports Baseball 2018
  • MLB Tap Sports Baseball 2019
  • MLB Tap Sports Baseball 2020
  • MLB Tap Sports Baseball 2021
  • Monopoly
  • MONOPOLY HERE & NOW
  • Monsters vs. Aliens
  • Mr. & Mrs. Smith
  • My Dragon
  • Nicki Minaj: The Empire[23]
  • Project Gotham Racing Mobile
  • QuizUp
  • Racing Rivals
  • Ren & Stimpy Pinball
  • Restaurant DASH with Gordon Ramsay
  • Reversi
  • Robots
  • Samurai VS Zombies Defence
  • Samubies Defense 2
  • Scooby-Doo!: Castle Capers
  • Scooby-Doo! 2: Dark Dungeons
  • Shadowalker
  • SIMON
  • Small Street
  • Sniper X
  • Space Monkey
  • Speedball 2 Brutal Deluxe
  • SpongeBob SquarePants: Prom of Doom
  • Star Blitz
  • Stardom: The A-List
  • Stardom: Hollywood
  • Stranded
  • Super KO Boxing 2
  • Super KO Boxing!
  • Tap Sports Baseball 2015
  • Tap Sports Baseball 2016
  • Tap Sports Baseball 2017
  • Tavern Quest
  • The Chaos Engine
  • The Flintstones Bedrock Bowling
  • The Flintstones: Grocery Hunt
  • The Lord of the Rings: Middle-Earth Defense
  • The Powerpuff Girls: Bad Mojo
  • The Price Is Right
  • The Swift Life
  • Tom and Jerry: Cheese Chase
  • Tom and Jerry: Food Fight
  • Tony Hawk: Vert[24]
  • Terminator Genisys: Revolution
  • Transformers (based on the film of the same name)
  • Transformers G1: Awakening
  • Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
  • VBirds
  • Virtua Tennis
  • Wacky Races
  • Watchmen (based on the film of the same name)
  • Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
  • Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?: Celebrity Edition
  • World Series of Poker – Hold'em Legend
  • World Series of Poker – Pro Challenge
  • World Series of Poker Player Advisor
  • World Series of Poker: Texas Hold'em
  • Yogi Bear Pic-A-Nic
  • Zuma

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=207033&p=irol-sec
  2. ^ Knoop, Joseph (February 9, 2021). "EA Acquires Glu Mobile for $2.1 Billion, One of the Biggest Gaming Acquisitions Ever". IGN. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  3. ^ "Company".
  4. ^ "Glu". Edge. Future plc. June 16, 2005. Retrieved August 6, 2013.
  5. ^ "Glu Mobile Inc : Glu Launches Asteroids® on Mobile Phones Worldwide". September 4, 2007. Retrieved July 14, 2013.
  6. ^ "Glu Mobile Picks up Griptonite, Blammo After Narrowing Losses".
  7. ^ "Glu Mobile Acquires Deer Hunter® Brand". BusinessWire. April 4, 2012. Retrieved June 28, 2012.
  8. ^ "Glu Acquires GameSpy Technology to Expand Connected, Cross-platform Mobile Leadership". Glu Mobile. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
  9. ^ "Glu Shutting Down Multiplayer for GameSpy-based PC Titles". Tom's Hardware. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
  10. ^ "A Tale of Two GameSpys". GameSpy. Archived from the original on December 13, 2012. Retrieved February 25, 2013.
  11. ^ "Star Wars Battlefront 2, Empire at War going offline due to GameSpy shutdown". Polygon. May 6, 2014. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
  12. ^ PlayFirst (September 3, 2014). "Glu Mobile Completes Acquisition of PlayFirst". PlayFirst. Retrieved September 3, 2014.
  13. ^ "Tencent Will Pay $126 Million for 15 Percent Stake in Glu Mobile". re/code. April 29, 2015. Retrieved April 29, 2015.
  14. ^ "Two tech giants are behind the pick-up in China IPOs on US exchanges". November 9, 2017.
  15. ^ "QUIZUP TO BE DISCONTINUED". Glu Mobile. January 22, 2021. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
  16. ^ "QUIZUP MAIN PAGE". QuizUp. March 24, 2021. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  17. ^ "Google Finance - Stock Market Prices, Real-time Quotes & Business News".
  18. ^ Moon, Mariella (February 9, 2021). "EA is purchasing Glu Mobile for $2.4 billion". Engadget. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  19. ^ "Electronic Arts acquires Glu Mobile for $2.4 billion". VentureBeat. February 8, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
  20. ^ Takahashi, Dean (April 29, 2021). "EA completes $2.4 billion acquisition of Glu Mobile". VentureBeat. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
  21. ^ Katz, Leslie (September 6, 2018). "This game will make you obsessed with rattan ottomans and watercolor whales". CNET. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
  22. ^ "Gun Bros Freemium dual stick xBox Live shooter". BestWP7Games. July 12, 2012. Archived from the original on July 15, 2012.
  23. ^ "Build Your Own Rap Empire with Nicki Minaj's New Mobile Game".
  24. ^ Tony Hawk: Vert launched

External links[]

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