Ubisoft boosts mobile efforts with Digital Chocolate Spain buy

Ubisoft said Tuesday it has acquired social and mobile game company Digital Chocolate's 46-person Barcelona, Spain mobile game studio. It's Digital Chocolate's latest move in reducing the company's footprint and headcount. The company was founded by Electronic Arts and 3DO founder Trip Hawkins, who stepped down as CEO and left the company last year. "Yes, Ubisoft confirms that it has acquired Digital Chocolate Spain," a Ubisoft rep told us, confirming a TechCrunch report. "This acquisition includes the Barcelona-based studio's 46-strong team and the studio's technologies and brands. Ubisoft has not acquired any of Digital Chocolate's other studios." The continued shrinking of Digital Chocolate reflects upon the highly-competitive mobile and social game markets. This is a company, founded in 2003, that gained notable traction on social game platforms, raised tens of millions of dollars in funding, but declined swiftly in the past couple years. Limitations on Facebook's viral channels a couple years ago didn't help Digital Chocolate's situation, and neither did a lack of major mobile hits. Last year, Digital Chocolate started making moves into real-money gambling through a partnership with startup Betable. Digital Chocolate had acquired the Spain studio in 2007 to help localize games for Asia and Southern European countries. Digital Chocolate has titiles on Facebook, console, iOS and Android, and has released games including Tower Bloxx, Zombie Lane and Millionaire City.