Ketchapp
{{Short description|French mobile game developer}}{{pp-pc1}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2018}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Ketchapp SARL
| logo = Ketchapp logo.svg
| type = Subsidiary
| industry = Video games
| founded = {{Start date and age|df=yes|2014}}
| founders = {{Unbulleted list|Antoine Morcos|Michel Morcos}}
| hq_location_city = Paris
| hq_location_country = France
| area_served = Worldwide
| key_people = {{Unbulleted list|Antoine Morcos (CEO)|Michel Morcos (CEO)|Christian Calderon (CRO)}}
| parent = Ubisoft (2016–present)
| website = {{URL|http://www.ketchappgames.com/}}
}}
Ketchapp SARL is a French video game publisher based in Paris, specializing in the mobile games market. Founded in 2014 by brothers Antoine and Michel Morcos, the company first came into the public eye later that year, through its port of the open-source game 2048. Ketchapp has been accused of cloning popular casual games by other developers. When Ketchapp was acquired by Ubisoft in September 2016, the company had more than 700 million downloads across their portfolio of games.{{Cite web|last=Chapple|first=Craig|last2=Editor|first2=Senior|title=Ubisoft acquires prolific mobile games publisher Ketchapp|url=https://www.pocketgamer.biz/news/64068/ubisoft-acquires-prolific-mobile-games-publisher-ketchapp/|access-date=2022-01-05|website=pocketgamer.biz}}
History
Ketchapp was founded by brothers Antoine and Michel Morcos in 2014 in Paris.{{cite web |url=http://www.businessinsider.sg/ketchapp-is-taking-over-the-app-store-2016-2/ |title=Two brothers from France have figured out how to take over the App Store — and now they're making a fortune |last=Stenovec |first=Tim |date=26 February 2016 |website=Business Insider Singapore |publisher=Rev Asia |access-date=18 May 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170420200743/http://www.businessinsider.sg/ketchapp-is-taking-over-the-app-store-2016-2/ |archive-date=20 April 2017 |df=dmy-all }}
In March 2014, the company cloned Gabriele Cirulli's open-source puzzle game 2048 and published it as an iOS app, with advertising and in-app purchases.{{cite web |url=https://www.kotaku.com.au/2015/04/the-messy-story-behind-a-game-clone/ |title=The Messy Story Behind A Game Clone |last=Klepek |first=Patrick |date=30 April 2015 |website=Kotaku Australia |publisher=Allure Media |access-date=18 May 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161003171019/http://www.kotaku.com.au/2015/04/the-messy-story-behind-a-game-clone/ |archive-date=3 October 2016 |df=dmy-all }} It eventually reached the top of the iOS App Store charts.{{cite web |url=https://www.engadget.com/2014/04/04/daily-app-2048-by-ketchapp-is-a-perfect-port-of-the-popular-web/ |title=Daily App: 2048 by ketchapp is a perfect port of the popular web-based numbers game |last=Hodgkins |first=Kelly |date=4 April 2014 |website=Engadget |publisher=AOL Tech |access-date=18 May 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160531195657/http://www.engadget.com/2014/04/04/daily-app-2048-by-ketchapp-is-a-perfect-port-of-the-popular-web/ |archive-date=31 May 2016 |df=dmy-all }} Ketchapp became successful by adapting ideas from other popular apps, with many of its releases being variations on existing games, such as reworking the popular 2013 game Flappy Bird as Run Bird Run.{{cite web |url=https://venturebeat.com/2015/03/25/how-one-studio-is-finding-repeated-success-with-flappy-bird-style-games/ |title=How one studio is finding repeated success with Flappy Bird-style games |last=Grubb |first=Jeff |date=25 March 2015 |website=GamesBeat |publisher=VentureBeat |access-date=18 May 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170313075912/http://venturebeat.com/2015/03/25/how-one-studio-is-finding-repeated-success-with-flappy-bird-style-games/ |archive-date=13 March 2017 |df=dmy-all }}
In February 2015, the company released the scrolling reaction game ZigZag,{{cite web |url=http://www.gamezebo.com/2015/02/06/ketchapps-zigzag-will-test-skills-sanity/ |title=Ketchapp's ZigZag Will Test Your Skills and Sanity |last=Christiansen |first=Tom |date=6 February 2015 |website=GameZebo |access-date=18 May 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151006161358/http://www.gamezebo.com/2015/02/06/ketchapps-zigzag-will-test-skills-sanity/ |archive-date=6 October 2015 |df=dmy-all }} which was praised for not being a clone of an existing game, however, in April 2015, developer Mudloop accused Ketchapp that ZigZag was a version of their game, Zig Zag Boom, that was submitted to but rejected by Ketchapp, and published under a different title without credit.{{cite web |url=http://toucharcade.com/2015/04/28/is-ketchapp-stealing-games-that-developers-submit-to-them/ |title=Is Ketchapp Stealing Games That Developers Submit to Them? |last=Dotson |first=Carter |date=28 April 2015 |website=TouchArcade |access-date=18 May 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170516024422/http://toucharcade.com/2015/04/28/is-ketchapp-stealing-games-that-developers-submit-to-them/ |archive-date=16 May 2017 |df=dmy-all }} Mudloop later stated that they had learned that their submission of Zig Zag Boom to Ketchapp post-dated Ketchapp having a working version of ZigZag.{{cite web |url=http://toucharcade.com/2015/04/28/was-circle-pong-a-ketchapp-clone-of-another-game-signs-point-to-no/ |title=Was 'Circle Pong' a Ketchapp Clone of Another Game? Signs Point to No. |last=Dotson |first=Carter |date=28 April 2015 |website=TouchArcade |access-date=18 May 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170622104332/http://toucharcade.com/2015/04/28/was-circle-pong-a-ketchapp-clone-of-another-game-signs-point-to-no/ |archive-date=22 June 2017 |df=dmy-all }}
In 2016, Christian Calderon joined Ketchapp as chief revenue officer.{{Cite web|last=Staff|first=PocketGamer biz|title=Speaker Spotlight: Gamejam CEO Christian Calderon on hyper-casual and mobile ads industry consolidation|url=https://www.pocketgamer.biz/interview/69709/speaker-spotlight-gamejam-christian-calderon-hyper-casual/|access-date=2020-07-11|website=pocketgamer.biz}}
As of November 2017, Ketchapp has released 137 games,{{cite web |url=http://www.ketchappgames.com/ |title=Ketchapp Games for iOS and Android |website=Ketchapp |publisher=Ubisoft |access-date=18 May 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170518132449/http://www.ketchappgames.com/ |archive-date=18 May 2017 |df=dmy-all }} including Jelly Jump.{{cite web |url=http://www.gamezebo.com/2015/03/05/jelly-jump-is-a-slippery-and-tasty-endless-jumping-game/ |title=Jelly Jump is Slippery, Tasty |last=Oxford |first=Nadia |date=5 March 2015 |website=GameZebo |access-date=18 May 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107012109/http://www.gamezebo.com/2015/03/05/jelly-jump-is-a-slippery-and-tasty-endless-jumping-game/ |archive-date=7 November 2017 |df=dmy-all }} On 27 September 2016, French video game publisher Ubisoft announced that they had acquired Ketchapp.{{cite web |url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2016-09-28-ubisoft-buys-mobile-game-company-behind-threes-clone-2048 |title=Ubisoft buys mobile game company behind Threes clone, 2048 |last=Yin-Poole |first=Wesley |date=28 September 2016 |website=Eurogamer |publisher=Gamer Network |access-date=18 May 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170918021751/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2016-09-28-ubisoft-buys-mobile-game-company-behind-threes-clone-2048 |archive-date=18 September 2017 |df=dmy-all }}
On 16 May 2017, Ketchapp released a fidget spinner-themed game, titled simply Fidget Spinner and developed by Estoty. The app received seven million downloads in the first two weeks after it was released,{{cite web |url=http://mashable.com/2017/06/01/fidget-spinner-apps-popular/ |title=Fidget spinner apps are totally ridiculous and people can't get enough of them |last=Karissa |first=Bell |date=2 June 2017 |website=Mashable |access-date=18 May 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170615162427/http://mashable.com/2017/06/01/fidget-spinner-apps-popular/ |archive-date=15 June 2017 |df=dmy-all }} as a result of which Ketchapp set up a Fanfiber store to sell limited edition Ketchapp-branded fidget spinners.
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://www.ketchappgames.com/}}
{{Ubisoft}}
Category:Companies based in Paris
Category:Mobile game companies
Category:Ubisoft divisions and subsidiaries
Category:Video game companies of France
Category:Video game development companies
Category:Video game companies established in 2014