Nexway Acquires Boonty: Birth of a European Leader in Video Game Digital Distribution

Nexway Acquires Boonty:

Birth of a European Leader in Video Game Digital Distribution

Nexway, the European major actor of digital content distribution over the Internet, today announced the acquisition of Boonty, leading global expert of online casual games distribution. Nexway is thus accelerating its growth strategy on the casual gaming market into full bloom.

This strategic acquisition enables Nexway to strengthen its ambitions to become the leading specialist of video games digital distribution and to clearly position itself as a major player on this market. Recent distribution agreement signatures with big names on the video games market, such as THQ, Sega, Focus, etc., are significant actions clearly showing that Nexway is now renowned as the specialist in digital content distribution, also in the video games market.

The Boonty acquisition enables Nexway to significantly increase its impact on the casual games market, thanks to the integration of 400 casual publishers representing 7,000 references and the management of 200 international game channels on global e-merchant sites totaling more than 5 million unique visitors per month. Boonty concluded numerous agreements with world-class publishers, such as Atari, Infogrames, Ubisoft, Acclaim, Iwin, Alawar, Big Fish Games, etc.

Boonty registered in 2008 more than 250,000 paying downloads, representing an increase of 30% against 2007. Nexway for its part overpassed the threshold of 1 million game and software downloads and achieved a turnover of about 30M€, with a constant growth of more than 90% against 2007.

Nexway + Boonty: first European “game” digital content

Thanks to this acquisition, Nexway builds a global video games offering including both “casual” and “gamer” titles, taking a unique position on the market creating better competitiveness to its big portal clients.

The merged Nexway and Boonty catalog now represents the leading European offer of video games, thanks to its large selection as quality of titles. This strategic acquisition enables the implementation of sales synergies by the aggregation of “gamer” and “casual” titles to respective partners: Boonty distribution channels and Nexway e-merchant and e-retail channels.

Nexway also reaches a new international dimension in digital distribution with the increase of its workforce to 125 members in over 12 countries, and the rise in its worldwide reputation.

With Boonty having a strong image in the casual gaming sector the acquisition provides Nexway a new positioning with true legitimacy to game publishers and a reinforced competitiveness to portals.

« We are particularly happy about this acquisition, since it emphasizes our presence on the video games market worldwide and asserts our positioning as the leading European digital distributor dedicated to assisting publishers with their online software and video game sales.» says Gilles Ridel, CEO Nexway.

« It is a great pleasure to achieve this venture with Nexway, whose dynamism and good health are compelling advantages for the future, and that strengthens Nexway’s position on the casual segment worldwide. » says Mathieu Nouzareth, CEO, Cafe.com

About Nexway

Nexway, market leader in digital distribution of software and video games, created in 2002 by Mr Gilles Ridel is a French company with its head quarters in Nanterre. Nexway is a digital distributor of software and video games and acts as a distributor via its network of e-channels on major portals on the European Internet scene (Fnac, Orange, 01Net, Pixmania, Alice, Alapage, Virginmega, ThePhoneHouse, RueDuCommerce, ScoreGame, ElCorteIngles, Gamestop, Tom’s Guide, etc), and as a service provider / ASP integrator for global publishers (Electronic Arts, Symantec, Kaspersky, etc.) who benefit from Nexway’s e-commerce expertise. Nexway is ranked in the Top 10 of 2008 Deloitte Technology Fast 50, and in the Top 100 of Fast 500 EMEA of the fastest growing technology companies. Nexway has three financial investors within its capital: CIC Capital, Turenne Capital Partner, and Xange Equities. For more information: www.nexway.com

About Boonty

Boonty offers Internet portals, ISP providers, mobile operators, PC manufacturers, a digital distribution offering via video game channels in white label: content selection and negotiation with publishers, complete download platform design and management, online marketing and channel animation. Casual and regular gamers have access to a catalog of more than 7,000 PC and mobile games. Boonty has distribution agreements with major market publishers (Atari, Ubisoft, Eidos, Codemasters, etc.) and more than 200 partner portals over 25 countries.

Contact:

Nexway Press Relations
Agnes Heydari
33(0)1 55 17 31 55
agnes@nexway.fr