Digital Chocolate expands globally

Silicon Valley game developer Digital Chocolate is expanding internationally, announcing this week acquisitions of design studios in India and Spain. The new acquisitions will give the small developer the expertise and local talent to serve growing markets in Asia and Europe, further expanding its reach internationally, Digital Chocolate officials said.

Digital Chocolate specifically is purchasing the operations and studios of Bangalore, India-based Small Device, a mobile-applications-porting specialist, and Barcelona-based Mircojocs Mobile, which gives Digital Chocolate multi-platform expertise. Digital Chocolate already has operations in Europe in Helsinki, but the Microjocs deal gives it reach beyond Europe into the Spanish-speaking world. The acquisitions will bring Digital Chocolate’s staff up to more than 300 employees.

Headed up by Electronics Arts founder Trip Hawkins, Digital Chocolate is one of the few major pure-play mobile gaming developers. Much of the competition in the mobile gaming space is now from larger console and PC game-makers with mobile divisions. Unlike many of the larger game makers, which focus on porting popular console titles over to the mobile phone, Digital Chocolate has been concentrating on the casual and social game space, exemplified by its DChoc Café series.