Kingsisle has just shared with us massive news: they have entered into an agreement to be purchased by the Media and Games Invest Group (MSI), also known as Gamigo.
A lot of things will be happening because of this that will mean a lot for Kingsisle's future. Permit me to state some of the most exciting parts with my thoughts, and tem ask some questions.
Perhaps the most exciting part is the direct result of the purchase itself. According to MGI's website, the price that was agreed upon is in excess of $156 million U.S. dollars, so this alone means that Kingsisle will be recieving a tremendous influx of resources, as well and the support of a major investment company.
And MGI's reputation precedes them. I did some research, and MGI is in ownership of over 500 other games, about 20 of them MMO games. They include such titles as Trove, RIFT, Defiance 2050, and others, which are all still thriving and doing well.
When examining the agreement on MGI's website, they seem really interesting in Wizard101 and Pirate101. Their website describes them as the "Harry Potter of online games." with "Over 50 million players" and "Very loyal communities" (aww..). Their plans seem to be to expand them and make then even bigger and better.
My thoughts? I'm ecstatic. Through this purchase, Kingsisle has just received massive support and funding from a game investment group with a good reputation and an eye to make Wizard101 and Pirate101 even better. I am very hopeful for this future, particularly for Pirate101, and I am eager to see what will happen with this support.
Now, I would like to ask Kingsisle some questions on this topic. There are some things I would love to hear their opinion on.
. The primary focus with this purchase seems to be on the MMO's. Mobile games do not seem to be a part of the agreement, and it is evidenced that they will be scrapped and abandoned. (And I'll be the first to confess, I won't be missing them.) But may I ask specifically if anything will happen to Grub Guardian?
. A recent revision to MGI's agreement with more details has recently been released. It states that MGI has an interest in bringing Wizard101 and Pirate101 to console and mobile devices, as well as expanding it internationally. Can you comment on this?
. What changes do you expect from this purchase? Do you expect to be able to make more content, or pay more attention to detail?
). Their plans seem to be to expand them and make then even bigger and better.