Ubisoft continues to expand its development capabilities. Today, the publisher sent word that it's acquired Paris-based Nadeo, the development studio behind the popular multiplayer racing game TrackMania. The free-to-play online racer has 700,000 unique players a month and has been a pioneer in the field of user-generated content; nearly 15 million custom tracks have been created since 2008. Ubisoft noted that it's also "the first eSport franchise for racing games."
"The acquisition of Nadeo is an important step in our expansion within the online gaming sector," said Yves Guillemot, chief executive officer of Ubisoft. "Through Nadeo, Ubisoft will gain an expert team, one of the best online technologies around as well as a flagship multiplayer game that enjoys an unrivalled reputation among a loyal and committed community. We are excited about the idea of introducing TrackMania to an ever-wider audience and sharing the expertise of Nadeo's teams with our company's other developers.”
"Joining Ubisoft is a huge opportunity for us to develop and innovate and take Nadeo to new horizons," said Florent Castelnérac, chief executive officer of Nadeo. "Nadeo's team is pleased for this acquisition to happen. Like players in a community, we see ourselves as being a complementary fit with Ubisoft and believe that we can share and quickly move ahead together."
Terms of the deal were not disclosed. This seems like a smart move for Ubisoft. The French publisher isn't exactly known for its racing games, but the folks at Nadeo are talented and this could finally give Ubisoft a presence in the category.
