U.S.-Based MMO Publisher Aeria Games Opens Brazil Office

Silicon Valley-based MMO publisher Aeria Games & Entertainment has opened a new office in Sao Paulo, Brazil with the hope of reaching Latin America's free-to-play market. The Sao Paulo office, the company's third international branch after Tokyo and Germany, is charged with supporting existing Aeria games, producing and localizing new titles, and expanding marketing duties in Brazil and throughout Latin America. Aeria notes that this expansion follows the release of a Portuguese language version of its massively multiplayer online game Shaiya. The publisher also plans to release a Portuguese edition of its Grand Fantasia MMO. These localized versions are considered as "just the start of Aeria's Portuguese lineup." The firm is currently looking to hire gamers in Brazil to provide localization and product support for Latin America. It also plans to expand payment methods for microtransactions in Brazil in the coming months. Aeria Games' catalog includes a variety of free-to-play titles including fantasy and sci-fi MMORPGs (Last Chaos), MMO first-person shooters (Wolf Team), Facebook releases (Poker Heroes), and more. The publisher counts 13 million members in its community. "Aeria's dedication to gamers in emerging markets has become a top priority for our company," says Paulo Fernandes, COO for Aeria Games in Latin America. "In the last six months alone, we've seen the release of Spanish-language versions of some of our most popular titles, and Portuguese-language versions have started and will continue to launch." Fernandes adds, "Latin American gamers have become an essential part of the Aeria Games community, and we want to make sure they're getting the best experience possible."