German Online Game Publisher Bigpoint Opens Silicon Valley Office

Bigpoint, a developer and publisher of browser-based and downloadable games like DarkOrbit and The Pimps, has opened a new multipurpose office in Silicon Valley, California, to strengthen its U.S. presence. This makes the second U.S. location for Hamburg-headquartered Bigpoint, which also operates in New York as well as Berlin and Malta. The new studio will include game development facilities, business development, and marketing staff. For the next several months, Bigpoint founder and CEO Heiko Hubertz will split his time between Silicon Valley and Hamburg, as the new office establishes its operations. "The U.S. is one of the most strategically important markets for us," Hubertz said in a statement. "Now that we have spent the past several months building up a strong and experienced management team for our Hamburg headquarters, I am going to personally oversee the successful development of the U.S. market in the coming months." Bigpoint says it already has a considerable stake in the U.S. market, and major entertainment conglomerate NBC Universal is an investor in the company.