ngmoco
{{Short description|American video game company}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Ngmoco, LLC
| logo = Ngmocologo.gif
| type = Subsidiary
| defunct = October 18, 2016
| industry = Video games
| genre =
| foundation = July 2008
| founder = Joe Keene
Bob Stevenson
Neil Young
Alan Yu
| location =
| location_city = San Francisco, California
| locations =
| area_served = International
| key_people = Neil Young (CEO)
| products = Rolando
Rolando 2
Eliminate Pro
| services =
| revenue =
| operating_income =
| net_income =
| aum =
| assets =
| equity =
| owner =
| parent = DeNA Co., Ltd. (2010-present)
| footnotes =
| intl =
| location_country = United States
| homepage = [http://www.ngmoco.com www.ngmoco.com]
}}
Ngmoco, LLC (stylized as ngmoco) was an American-based publisher of video games for the iOS and Android platforms, and a subsidiary of DeNA Co., Ltd. The company was founded by former Electronic Arts executive Neil Young in July 2008. Since its founding, ngmoco has had more than seven million combined game installs. Venture capital firms Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Norwest Venture Partners, among others, have financed the company with a combined total of US$40.6 million. The company is most well known for their publishing of the Rolando game series and Eliminate Pro.
History
In June 2008, Electronic Arts Games label president Frank Gibeau announced to the media that executive Neil Young was leaving the company to form a company of his own.{{cite web |url=http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3168321 |title=Neil Young Leaving Electronic Arts |author=Pigna, Kris |website=1UP.com |date=2008-06-19 |accessdate=2009-03-27}} Young had managed Maxis, EA Los Angeles, and EA's Blueprint division. The next week, Young announced that the company, co-founded by Bob Stevenson, Alan Yu and Joe Keene, would be named "ngmoco" (short for "Next Generation Mobile Company"), and would focus on game publishing for the iPhone platform.{{cite web |url=http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=19229 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080701110810/http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=19229 |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 1, 2008 |title=Q&A: EA Vet Young Reveals iPhone Publisher Ngmoco |author=Nutt, Christian |website=Gamasutra |date=2008-06-30 |accessdate=2009-03-27}}{{cite web |url=http://www.moconews.net/entry/419-iphone-game-start-up-ngmoco-gets-funding-from-kleiner-perkins |title=iPhone Game Start-Up Ngmoco Gets Funding from Kleiner Perkins |date=2008-07-31 |author=Ali, Rafat |publisher=mocoNews.net |accessdate=2009-03-27}}{{cite news |url=https://techcrunch.com/2008/07/31/kleiner-perkins-ifund-invests-in-stealth-gaming-startup-ngmoco/ |title=Kleiner Perkins' iFund Invests In Stealth Gaming Startup ngmoco |author=Schonfeld, Erick |work=TechCrunch |date=2008-07-31 |accessdate=2009-03-27}} It was also announced that the company had achieved funding from venture capitalist firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (as part of the iFund), and that partner and former Chief Creative Officer of EA Bing Gordon had joined ngmoco's board of directors.
In October 2008, the company released their first three games. They consisted of Topple, MazeFinger, and Rolando.{{cite web |url=http://wireless.ign.com/articles/920/920586p1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081020013836/http://wireless.ign.com/articles/920/920586p1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 20, 2008 |title=ngmoco Reveals Its First Three iPhone Games |website=IGN |date=2008-10-16 |accessdate=2009-03-27}} In March 2009, ngmoco's games on the App Store had received over seven million installations.{{cite web |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/23/AR2009032300547.html |title=mocoNews - IPhone Games Publisher Ngmoco Raises $10 Million In Second Round |author=Morrison, Dianne See |publisher=Washington Post |work=mocoNews.net |date=2009-03-23 |accessdate=2009-03-27}} The company's board was joined by Tim Chang, whose investment firm Norwest Venture Partners invested $10,000,000 in ngmoco's second round of funding.
On 15 June 15 2009, ngmoco launched a social networking, game discovery and multiplayer platform called the "Plus+ Network", combined with a third-party channel for independent developers. The "Plus+ Publishing group" is headed up by former Sega of America and LucasArts executive Simon Jeffery.{{cite web |url=http://www.pocketgamer.biz/r/PG.Biz/Plus+%20Network/news.asp?c=13877 |title=ngmoco Unveils Its Social Networking Plus+ Network |publisher=PocketGamer.biz|date=2009-06-16 |accessdate=2009-06-16}}
On November 4, 2009, ngmoco announced it had acquired iPhone and Facebook developer, Miraphonic, whose games included Epic Pet Wars and Epic Soldier Wars.{{cite web |url=http://toucharcade.com/2009/11/04/ngmoco-acquires-miraphonic-creator-of-epic-pet-wars/ |title=Ngmoco Acquires Miraphonic, Creator of 'Epic Pet Wars' |publisher=Touch Arcade |date=2009-11-04 |accessdate=2010-01-20}}{{cite web |url=http://moconews.net/article/419-ngmocos-first-acquisition-epic-pet-wars-developer-miraphonic/ |title=ngmoco's First Acquisition: 'Epic Pet Wars' Developer Miraphonic |author=Kee, Tameka |publisher=mocoNews.net |date=2009-11-05 |accessdate=2010-01-20}}
In February 2010, investors Institutional Venture Partners, and existing shareholders Kleiner Perkins, Norwest Venture Partners, and Maples Investments led another fund-raising campaign in a series C venture round to raise an additional $25,000,000.{{cite news |url=https://techcrunch.com/2010/02/22/ngmoco-25-million-series-c-buys-freeverse |title=iPhone Game House ngmoco Raises $25 Million Series C, Buys Freeverse |author=Schonfeld, Erick |date=2010-02-22 |work=TechCrunch |accessdate=2010-02-22}} Soon thereafter, ngmoco acquired long-time Mac OS and iOS developer Freeverse. They also acquired Stumptown Game Machine.
On October 12, 2010, Japan-based DeNA announced its decision to acquire ngmoco for $400,000,000.{{cite web |url=http://wireless.ign.com/articles/112/1127417p1.html |title=DeNA Buying ngmoco for $400 Million |author=Buchanan, Levi |website=IGN |date=2010-10-12 |accessdate=2010-10-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101015040217/http://wireless.ign.com/articles/112/1127417p1.html |archive-date=2010-10-15 |url-status=dead }} After this, ngmoco LLC became the regional headquarters for all Western subsidiaries of DeNA, including studios in Vancouver, Santiago de Chile, Stockholm and Amsterdam.
On October 18, 2016, DeNA Co., Ltd. announced the closure of all Western subsidiaries,{{Cite news|url=http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2016-10-18-dena-shutters-western-business-as-games-did-not-meet-expectations|title=DeNA shutters Western business as games "did not meet expectations"|work=GamesIndustry.biz}} shortly after announcing a new strategy for the West in collaboration with Nintendo.{{Cite news|url=https://techcrunch.com/2015/03/17/nintendo-partners-with-dena-to-brings-its-games-and-ip-to-smartphones/|title=Nintendo Partners With DeNA To Bring Its Games And IP To Smartphones|work=TechCrunch}}
Games
The following is a list of games that have been published under the ngmoco name:
- Dr. Awesome (2008)
- MazeFinger (2008)
- Rolando (2008)
- Topple (2008)
- Dropship (2009)
- Eliminate Pro (2009)
- Rolando 2: Quest for the Golden Orchid (2009)
- Star Defense (2009)
- Topple 2 (2009)
- Touch Pets: Dogs (2009)
- Word-Fu (2009)
- Adventure Bay (2010)
- Charadium (2010)
- Eliminate Burst (2010)
- Eliminate: Gun Range (2010)
- GodFinger (2010)
- Star Wars: Imperial Academy (2010)
- Touch Pets: Cats (2010)
- Touch Pets: Dogs 2 (2010)
- We City (2010)
- We Doodle (2010)
- We Farm (2010)
- We Rule (2010)
- Fantastic Fish (2011)
- Dreamtopia (2012)
- Skyfall (2013)
References
{{reflist|2}}