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VR game publisher and developer nDreams has acquired VR/AR developer Near Light, in its first ever studio acquisition.
The two companies had already collaborated with one another for over five years, and made games like Perfect and Shooty Fruity for a variety of virtual reality platforms.
Alongside the acquisition announcement, nDreams has also confirmed that the studio is currently working on another unannounced VR that it will publish.
Brighton-based studio Near Light was founded back in 2016 by Paul Mottram and Ben Hebb, who had worked together on peripheral-based games like EyeToy Play, SingStar and Guitar Hero. It will join nDreams existing studio roster, alongside nDreams Studio (Farnborough), nDreams Studio Elevation, and nDreams Studio Orbital, which are both fully remote.
“We are hugely excited to be deepening nDreams’ relationship with Near Light after many years of fruitful partnerships,” said nDreams CDO, Tom Gillo. “Acquiring the studio will allow us to collaborate even more closely on medium-defining games, not to mention bringing Ben and Paul’s 20+ years of industry experience into the nDreams family to strengthen our own expertise.”
“To be making our debut acquisition is yet another incredibly exciting milestone for nDreams,” added nDreams CEO, Patrick O’Luanaigh. “For other development studios with whom we are similarly aligned on vision and strategy, there’s certainly potential for more acquisitions in our future.”
“We’re really proud to be joining nDreams and shaping the future of VR & AR games together, a new frontier with the opportunity to do things nobody has done before,” explained Near Light co-founder Paul Mottram. “Near Light is very much aligned with the philosophy of Patrick and nDreams in terms of how we want to make games and build teams. It feels like the ideal fit for us.”
“Going all the way back to Perfect and Shooty Fruity, our collaborations with nDreams have been really enjoyable,” added Ben Hebb, co-founder of Near Light. “The feeling of working on great projects with a group of people you get on with is a special, unique thing and an absolute privilege. We’re thrilled to be working with nDreams to create titles that leave a powerful legacy.”
nDreams saw the Aonic Group invest $35 million in its company back in March, and intends to use the funds for further rapid and ambitious expansion.
It was not announced how much Near Light was acquired for, nor whether Mottram and Hebb will receive any shares of nDreams as part of the acquisition.
