UDS Acquires "Advertainment" Publisher AddGames

UDS Acquires 'Advertainment' Publisher AddGames [Norrkoping, Sweden, July 18, 2001.] UDS has acquired AddGames, a Swedish publisher of 'advertainment' computer games for the world market. UDS (Unique Development Studios) is one of Scandinavia's leading developer of computer and video games with approx. 100 employees in Sweden and Britain. - There are substantial synergies between the two companies, and mainly between AddGames and UDS' subsidiary for interactive entertainment products, GlobalFun, in which AddGames can generate traffic for GlobalFun. Also, with AddGames UDS gains a foothold in an expansive market niche with a huge sales potential, said Thomas Lofblad, Managing Director, UDS. The acquisition is made through a share-deal. AddGames has its headquarters in Sweden, and subsidiaries in the US and Brazil (which are operated as joint ventures with local companies), the company also has operations in Finland and Holland. The acqusition is expected to contribute positively to UDS' result for the year 2001. AddGames markets and distributes 'advertainment' (advertising through entertainment) computer games a worldwide market and UDS is the developing resource behind it. The niche is very fast-growing due to its large impact in terms of brand recognition etc which widely exceeds both traditional Internet- and other marketing channels. AddGames has published e.g. Mall Maniacs which was distributed in more than 140 000 copies in co-operation with McDonald's. About UDS: UDS, Unique Development Studios AB, was founded in 1997 and is today one of Scandinavia's leading developers of computer, video and console games. UDS has approx. 100 employees at its offices in Norrkoping, Stockholm, Gothenburg and in Britain. UDS is owned by its founders and employees, and by Slottsbacken Venture Capital, Nordico Invest and Banc of America. UDS has well established partnerships with many of the leading publishing companies in the world. GlobalFun, which is a fully-owned subsidiary of UDS, develops and supplies interactive entertainment products for the world market, e.g. via its own en "gaming community" on the Internet. GlobalFun will also market UDS-developed games for digital TV and cellular phones. The world market for computer games is expected to grow by more than 70 per cent and be worth 86 billion US dollars by 2006 (Informa Media Group). The market for online games is expected to increase to 6 billlion US dollars within four years. Entertainment via the mobile phone will overtake information and communication to become the most lucrative mContent revenue stream globally in 2005 (Datamonitor). For additional information and illustrations please contact: Thomas Lofblad Managing Director, UDS Ph: +46 11 12 31 65 Cellph: +46 708 62 44 63 E-mail: thomas.lofblad@uds.se Also see our web sites: www.globalfun.com or www.uds.se. ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by Waymaker http://www.waymaker.net The following files are available for download: http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2001/07/18/20010718BIT00030/bit0001.doc http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2001/07/18/20010718BIT00030/bit0002.pdf