Acquisition further strengthens GREE's status as a global leader in mid-core mobile gaming; positions the company for future growth

SAN FRANCISCO and LONDON, Oct. 6, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- GREE International Entertainment, Inc. (GIE) (http://corp.gree.net/), the Western arm of global mobile social company GREE, Inc., today announced the acquisition of DragonSoul, the critically-acclaimed mobile role playing game (RPG) developed by PerBlue (http://perblue.com) that's topping the charts on both the iOS and Google Play Store. With modern graphics, engaging characters, deep social features and contemporary RPG gameplay, DragonSoul boasts more than 50,000 five star reviews on iOS and Android and more than nine million players worldwide.

"DragonSoul has a unique position in today's mobile gaming market, blending memorable characters with humorous tones and compelling gameplay that keeps players engaged and entertained for hours on end," said Andrew Sheppard, CEO, GREE International Entertainment. "We're excited to marry DragonSoul's fun factor and depth of gameplay with our publishing powerhouse as we grow the franchise worldwide for all to enjoy."

The global scale of GIE will help unlock further opportunities for the DragonSoul franchise. GIE will leverage its European operations, including localized live events, with the goal of significantly increasing market share of the DragonSoul franchise. Product and engineering experts from GIE will be used to further improve the game and its features, and will execute a global marketing strategy to help introduce the franchise to players around the world. GIE will continue to operate its stable of long-standing franchises including Knights & Dragons and Modern War.

"We're thrilled to see DragonSoul evolve into a global franchise that will excite players for years to come," said Justin Beck, CEO and Co-Founder of PerBlue. "GREE's knowledge and expertise in operating AAA mobile gaming franchises make them the perfect partner to take over DragonSoul's reins."

Jim Hughes, Vice President of Product Management, GREE International Entertainment, said: "We believe there's tremendous opportunity outside of North America specifically to grow DragonSoul into the wildly popular franchise it is in the U.S. today."

Terms of the deal state that GIE will be acquiring assets only related to the DragonSoul franchise. PerBlue's current team will continue to create brand new games and support previously developed games that are not part of this acquisition. In a very competitive market, PerBlue has built a world-class independent gaming studio known for building and scaling successful mid-core mobile games. This acquisition will provide the best future for DragonSoul and also give the PerBlue team the best ability to innovate and create future hit games.

About GREE International Entertainment (GIE)
Based in San Francisco, GREE International Entertainment, Inc. (GIE) is the Western arm of GREE, Inc.: a leading global mobile social company with businesses that include social gaming, social media, advertising, licensing and merchandising, and venture capital. Established in December 2004, GREE, Inc. created the world's first mobile social game in 2007, and today is a global leader in free-to-play games, reaching audiences around the world with its portfolio of first-party and partner titles. GREE, Inc. has studios in Tokyo, San Francisco, Berlin and Melbourne and is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TYO: 3632).

About PerBlue, Inc.
PerBlue is an independent mobile gaming studio based in Madison, Wisconsin. From their bootstrapping roots in 2008, PerBlue has grown to become a leading venture-backed independent mobile gaming studio with a talented small team that brings together experience from across the tech and games industries. PerBlue specializes in designing, developing, and scaling free-to-play mid-core RPG and Strategy games that are played by millions of people around the world.

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SOURCE GREE International Entertainment, Inc.