Swedish software solution stalwarts NYX Interactive AB have acquired Aussie games developer NextGen Gaming Party Ltd. for an undisclosed sum. (Guess Deloitte weren’t kidding when they tapped NYX as one of Sweden’s 50 fastest growing technology companies.) The marriage creates an entity providing over 300 gaming titles to 40+ customers. Senior exec teams from each company will be combined at NextGen’s Sidney HQ, Stockholm gets software and operations, while London gets some ‘client-facing’ management types. Next step? Adopting a unified set of software standards.
NYX CEO David Flynn claims the likelihood of these kids hooking up was more or less inevitable, as they both have a scalable business model, a shared set of values and “enjoy respected reputations.” (It’s true. We have never once been rudely propositioned by anyone from NYX at an industry conference.)
In June, we learned of the mysterious punter who beat a central London William Hill shop for 26 consecutive winning wagers, turning £8,400 into six-digits before losing the 27th bet, leaving him ‘only’ £41k ahead. The Hills shop is now claiming Dead Cert Man has returned to place a hefty sum on Manny Pacquiao pounding Jorge Manuel Marquez on Saturday night in Las Vegas. Meanwhile, up at Hills’ corporate office, the hunt is on for a new media planning and buying agency after current account holder The7stars declined the opportunity to re-up. Nielsen figures put Hills’ total media spend at £13m (£5.2m on TV, £4.6 on press and £3.3m online). CampaignLive.co.uk reports that chemistry meetings are in the works and Hills hopes to appoint a new shop by Christmas. But if something goes wrong with this plan, we can expect CEO Ralph Topping to blog about it.
