Draft:Merscom
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Merscom, LLC was an American video game developer and publisher based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The company was founded in 1999 by Kirk Owen and Lloyd Melnick as a successor to Octagon Entertainment, founded in 1993.
Submission declined on 11 March 2026 by Grapesurgeon (talk).
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Comment: I think it's possible this company is notable, but current sourcing does not clearly prove it imo. Gamesindustry.biz sources are press releases so don't contribute to notability. The rest of the sources are about its acquisition, but are basically all covering the same single event. Need coverage to be across time. grapesurgeon (talk) 01:45, 11 March 2026 (UTC)
 | This is a draft article. It is a work in progress open to editing by anyone. Please ensure core content policies are met before publishing it as a live Wikipedia article. Find sources: Google (books · news · scholar · free images · WP refs) · FENS · JSTOR · TWL Last edited by Grapesurgeon (talk | contribs) 5 days ago. (Update) |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Predecessor | Octagon Entertainment |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Founder |
|
| Defunct | April 26, 2010 |
| Fate | Acquired by and folded into Playdom |
| Successor | Playdom |
| Headquarters | , U.S. |
Key people |
|
Number of employees | 20 (2010) |
| Website | www.merscom.com |
In April 2010, Playdom announced its acquisition of Merscom, with the company intending to use the acquisition to "leverage the talented North Carolina game development community"; the company was effectively absorbed into Playdom. In July that year, Playdom itself was acquired by the Walt Disney Company for $763 million.
History
2004–2009: Later years
On September 20, 2004, a development and publishing agreement was reached with Sylum Entertainment, a New York-based game development studio, for the video game WWII Tank Commander, an arcade-style action game.[1] Though originally slated for a December 2004 release, it was instead released on February 14, 2006.
On August 9, 2005, it was revealed that Merscom had acquired the North American publishing rights to Trainz Railway Simulator 2006, a train simulation video game developed by Auran.[2] The game would soon be released on February 2, 2006, titled Trainz Railroad Simulator 2006. On April 19, 2006, Merscom announced that fans had the opportunity to win the TrackIR 4: PRO, an optical head-tracking system that enables players to experience real-time 3D view control through head movements, through sweepstakes to commemorate the success of Trainz Railway Simulator 2006 in North America; the sweepstakes concluded on August 31, 2006.[3]
On February 3, 2009, Merscom announced the release of Coyote's Tale: Fire and Water, a puzzle adventure video game developed by GO! Games.[4]
2010: Acquisition by Playdom
On April 26, 2010, Playdom was announced to acquire Merscom, as confirmed by the company's chief financial officer, Christa Quarles.[5] In a press release issued by Playdom, they intended to use the acquisition to "leverage Merscom's expertise in working with IP owners", as well as "leverage the talented North Carolina game development community". John Pleasants, the CEO of Playdom, remarked, "We believe that brands matter and that over time, as the social gaming industry matures, games which incorporate content from popular culture and widely respected brands will garner larger market share than those without it."[5] Kirk Owen, then the CEO of Merscom, stated, "We are excited to join Playdom. [They understand] the power of branded content and decentralized international game development where we've focused our efforts for many years."[5]
On July 27, 2010, the Walt Disney Company acquired Playdom for $763 million.[a] In a press release issued by Disney, they stated that by buying Playdom, it "will strengthen its already-robust digital gaming portfolio, acquire a first-rate management team and provide consumers new ways to interact with the company on popular social networks like Facebook and MySpace."[10]
Selected games
Games published
| Year | Title | Developer(s) | Platform(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Michael Schumacher's Kart Challenge 2005 | 10tacle Studios | Microsoft Windows | |
| Space Interceptor: Project Freedom | City Interactive | |||
| Terrorist Takedown | ||||
| 2005 | Laser Squad Nemesis | Codo Technologies | North American release; co-published with Got Game Entertainment | |
| Squad Assault: Second Wave | Freedom | |||
| Rag Doll Kung Fu | Qi Creations | North American release | ||
| WWII Tank Commander | Sylum Entertainment | |||
| 2006 | Buku Sudoku | Absolutist | Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 | |
| Trainz Railway Simulator 2006 | Auran | Microsoft Windows | North American release | |
| Trainz: Driver Edition | ||||
| DNA | 5th Cell | |||
| 2007 | Ghost in the Sheet | Tri Synergy | ||
| The Ship | Outerlight | North American release | ||
| Kabus 22 | Son Işık | International releases outside Turkey |
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