The Return of Commodore

June 14, 2006 11:58 AM

Commodore is probably best known to gamers for its legendary Commodore 64 personal computer, which remains one of the bestselling computer models of all time. Last year, Netherlands-based Yeahronimo Media Ventures, Inc. completed its acquisition of the Commodore name, and changed its name to Commodore International. In September, the company announced its intention to return to the gaming market through an 18M Euro agreement with software and hardware manufacturer The Content Factory. The company stated that it would begin by leveraging "C64 retro game licenses" by way of plug-and-play devices, mobile games, and portable console games, then move on to the creation of new games for consoles and PC.

This week, that agreement was finalized. Newly formed Commodore Gaming will work with The Content Factory for a period of five years, with the option to renew. Commodore expects the results of the deal to have a strong impact on the company's financials in its current fiscal year.

CIC and Commodore Gaming will actively identify and pursue relevant M&A targets which can contribute to Commodore Gaming's ambition to become a major worldwide player in the mobile games and entertainment market.
"Gaming is one of Commodore's key historic competences, and the conclusion of this agreement emphasizes Commodore's strategy to build on the strengths of the rich Commodore heritage", says Ben van Wijhe, President and CEO of CIC. He continues: "We announced this agreement in September of 2005. Since then various alliances were already closed, for instance with Telco Gaming and Gaming Federation. Now that the license agreement is concluded, Commodore Gaming will continue to create new types of game experiences and interactions."

Since the initial announcement of the deal, most of Commodore's gaming endeavors have been focused on the mobile sector. The company has not yet announced any specific plans for its eventual larger scale development.