Kuju Parent To Acquire Testing Firm GameInstinct

Digital content outsourcing services provider Catalis N.V., parent of Testronic Labs and Geometry Wars developer Kuju games, has announced it will acquire US-based GameInstinct, which provides quality assurance testing services for the video game industry, for an undisclosed amount. Based in Seattle, GameInstinct bills itself as a full service consulting partner for QA testing in the gaming industry. In addition to consultancy, it provides pre-certification, hardware and software testing, and staff placement. Big Fish Games, Nintendo, Activision and Oberon Media are among the company's past partners. Netherlands-based Catalis has already been providing game testing services in Europe, and says the acquisition its part of its strategy to expand into the business in the U.S. The company added that the GameInstinct's position in Seattle, home to some 3,000 software companies and near to Microsoft and Nintendo of America, was also a major factor in its decision to acquire. Finally, Catalis says that GameInstinct expects to generate turnover of approximately $1.6 million for fiscal year 2007. The transaction closing, subject to the results of due diligence and the signing of a sale and purchase agreement, is expected to take place in the first quarter of fiscal 2008.