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Electronic Arts has acquired the assets of Korean mobile developer and publisher Hands-On Mobile Korea for an undisclosed sum.
Hands-On Mobile Korea is best known for the mobile RPG series Heroes Lore, a massive seller in its native territory. EA Mobile has acquired the company in order to further its mobile development and publishing efforts in Asia, a huge mobile market.
As part of the deal, the studio will be rebranded to EA Mobile Korea, and its CEO Gilbert Kim will remain as the head reporting to the EA Mobile Asia Publishing division.
"We are excited about joining EA Mobile and its mission to bring to market some of the world’s most innovative, cutting-edge and commercially proven mobile games and applications," said Gilbert Kim, CEO of Hands-On Mobile Korea.
"Korea is one of the most ubiquitous entertainment markets in the world, and we look forward to continually pushing the edge with our partners here to enrich the mobile user experience across all aspects of daily life."
The larger Hands-On group – headquartered in the US with offices in San Diego, London, Manchester, Krakow, Sao Paulo, Shanghai and Beijing – will not be affected by the purchase.
"This acquisition is a major milestone in growing our mobile business in Asia," added Barry Cottle, senior vice president and general manager of EA Mobile.
"Hands-On Mobile Korea brings us a great leadership team, proven studio talent, and outstanding carrier and OEM handset manufacturer relationships."
