Publisher Nacon announced its acquisition developer Daedalic Entertainment for €53 million EUR, which is the equivalent of just over $60 million USD. Daedalic Entertainment is the studio responsible for The Lord of the Rings: Gollum, an upcoming action-adventure game based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s hit novel series. Nacon was already publishing LOTR: Gollum but has now decided to tighten the collaboration between the two involved companies.
The released statement claimed that this acquisition will allow Nacon to acquire “several key intellectual properties.” Most of the acquired developer’s games are point-and-click adventure titles, like The Whispered World and Ken Follett’s The Pillars of the Earth. It has also both developed and published a variety of graphic adventure games.
As for Daedalic Entertainment, Nacon said that this acquisition will “enable the studio to grow its team and strengthen its position as a leading indie publisher.” The publisher promised that Daedalic Entertainment will continue to operate autonomously with co-owners Carsten Fichtelmann and Stephan Harms continuing to call the shots.
It is worth noting that the €53 million EUR fee stated is not fully guaranteed. Upon signature, an initial €32 million EUR will be handed over, but the remainder is locked behind an earnable payout that will depend on Daedalic Entertainment’s performance. The exact criteria of this was not specified, but it may include factors such as games sold, total revenue, and profit earned.
Nacon is growing
Despite its founding in 1981, Nacon’s rise to prominence has been a relatively recent affair. Previously Bigben Interactive, the French publisher owns several notable titles. It has had particular success in the racing game genre. The likes of Flatout, WRC, and V-Rally are all published by Nacon.
Nacon appears eager to expand, as Daedalic Entertainment is not the first acquisition it has made. Last year it acquired Big Ant Studios, Crea-ture Studios, and Ishtar Games. Just this month, it purchased JRPG specialist Midgar Studio.
