Talk:Jam City (company)
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Edit request: History
Hello, I'd like to make a series of suggestions for edits to update this article. Disclosure: I am here with a financial conflict of interest on behalf of Jam City through my work with Beutler Ink.
First up, I have researched and written a new draft of the article's History section, which I placed in my userspace and below (you can also see a diff I made comparing it to the live version).
The live Jam City (company)#History section is essentially a list of acquisitions without much context on the growth and development of Jam City as a company. My draft keeps the most important parts of the live article's section, but I've also tried to offer a glimpse into Jam City's major growth milestones pertaining to funding, acquisitions, and games, which have been written about in independent third-party sources. You'll probably notice that my History draft includes some details that are currently in the Games section, such as the success of Cookie Jam and Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery. That's because these games play a large role in the growth of Jam City, so it's important to see how they fit in with the company's history.
Jam City launched in 2010 when Austin Ventures and the startup's founders initially invested $28 million into Chris DeWolfe's business, Platform G.[1] Platform G acquired MindJolt and took its name.[2] The company acquired Social Gaming Network (or SGN) and Hallpass Media, which added mobile games to the company's portfolio.[3][4] The company was known as SGN from March 2012 to September 2016.[5][6] In June 2013, SGN acquired Mob Science, a Facebook games developer of "mid-core social games" and known for Legends: Rise of a Hero.[7] The company launched bubble shooter Panda Pop in 2013, which would later become one of the high-grossing mobile games.[8][9] Match-3 puzzle game Cookie Jam launched in 2014.[10] Cookie Jam was named Facebook's game of the year with more than 100 million downloads and 5 million active players at the time.[11][12] Cookie Jam was also among the 20 highest-grossing mobile games for Google Play and Apple's App Store.[13]
In the wake of Cookie Jam's success, South Korean mobile game company Netmarble invested $130 million in July 2015, becoming SGN's largest shareholder; this was one of the largest investments in mobile gaming since 2013.[14][15] By the time of Netmarble's investment, SGN games were downloaded 500 million times.[16]
Following Netmarble's investment, SGN acquired several companies, including TinyCo in July 2016.[17] With the TinyCo acquisition, SGN added 125 employees to its ranks, bringing its total number to about 400.[17][18] Mobile entertainment games that TinyCo had created included Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff and Marvel Avengers Academy.[19]
The company rebranded as Jam City, Inc. in 2016,[6] the same year Genies & Gems, a match-3 puzzle game, launched.[20]
Jam City's game library expanded in 2018. On April 25, 2018, Jam City released Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, a mobile game based on J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World franchise.[21] Within its first day, Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery was ranked No. 1 on the App Store's free-to-play category and reached No. 10 on the list of top-grossing games across categories.[22] It was the fastest of Jam City's games to reach $100 million in revenue,[23] generating $110 million in its first year.[24] By October 2019, it had been downloaded 54.6 million times.[25] Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery was awarded Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Mobile Game during the 2018 Dragon Awards.[26] The game was nominated for Best Breakthrough Game during the 2019 Google Play Awards.[27][28]
Jam City also bought Bingo Pop from Uken Games, expanding geographically into Toronto, Canada.[29][30] In addition to the mobile game, Jam City acquired Bingo Pop's intellectual property, management, and development team.[31] Also in 2018, Jam City and Disney reached a multi-year deal for Jam City to develop licensed games based on stories and characters from Disney and Pixar.[32] Jam City took over the game Disney Emoji Blitz.[32] Jam City's first new game under its deal with Disney was Frozen Adventures based on the Frozen and Frozen 2 films, which launched the next year.[32][33]
Jam City announced in January 2019 that it raised $145 million in funding from JPMorgan Chase Bank, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, and others to support Jam City’s acquisitions and global growth initiatives.[34][35] Jam City acquired Berlin-based studio 231 Play in April.[36] DeWolfe told GamesBeat that the acquisition of studios in Toronto and Berlin allowed Jam City to expand into more game genres, such as solitaire, mahjong, and bingo.[37] According to analytics provider Sensor Tower, solitaire, mahjong, and bingo games ranked among Jam City's top games, as of February 2021.[38]
By mid-2020, Jam City's valuation was estimated at greater than $2 billion.[39]==History==
Jam City launched in 2010 when [[Austin Ventures]] and the startup's founders initially invested $28 million into Chris DeWolfe's business, Platform G.<ref name="Variety-2015">{{cite news |last=Spangler |first=Todd |url=https://variety.com/2015/digital/news/sgn-netmarble-funding-mobile-games-1201546770/ |title=Mobile-Game Studio SGN Lands $130 Million from Korea’s Netmarble |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=July 23, 2015 |access-date=February 17, 2021}}</ref> Platform G acquired MindJolt and took its name.<ref name = "TechCrunch March2010">{{cite web |url= https://techcrunch.com/2010/03/03/chris-dewolfe-mindjolt-austin-ventures/ |title=Chris DeWolfe Makes His Move – Raises Big Round, Acquires Gaming Platform MindJolt |date=3 March 2010 |last=Arrington |first=Michael |website=[[TechCrunch]] |access-date=23 January 2017}}</ref> The company acquired Social Gaming Network (or SGN) and Hallpass Media, which added [[mobile game]]s to the company's portfolio.<ref name = "NYTimes April2011" >{{cite web |url= https://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/04/18/a-myspace-founder-is-building-again-with-online-games/ |title=A Myspace Founder Builds Again, Buying Game Companies |date=18 April 2011 |last=Rusli |first=Evelyn M. |website=New York Times Dealbook |access-date=23 January 2017 }}</ref><ref name = "Forbes June2013">{{cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/lorikozlowski/2013/06/12/the-science-of-social-games/#54899d866c16 |title=The Science of Social Games |date=12 June 2013 |last=Kozlowski |first=Lori |website=[[Forbes]] |access-date=23 January 2017}}</ref> The company was known as SGN from March 2012 to September 2016.<ref name = "TechCrunch March 2012">{{cite web |url= https://techcrunch.com/2012/03/02/mindjolt-becomes-social-gaming-network/ |title=MySpace Co-Founder Chris DeWolfe Explains SGN’s New Name, Multi-Platform Plans |date=2 March 2012 |last=Ha |first=Anthony |website=TechCrunch |access-date=23 January 2017}}</ref><ref name = "Variety September2016">{{cite web |url= https://variety.com/2016/digital/news/sgn-jam-city-peanuts-mobile-game-1201867364/ |title=SGN Changes Name to Jam City, Acquires Rights to Make ‘Peanuts’ Mobile Game |date=22 September 2016 |last=Spangler |first=Todd |website=Variety |publisher=Variety Media, LLC |access-date=10 January 2017}}</ref> In June 2013, SGN acquired Mob Science, a Facebook games developer of "mid-core social games" and known for ''Legends: Rise of a Hero''.<ref name = "AdWeek June2013">{{cite web |url=http://www.adweek.com/socialtimes/social-gaming-network-mob-science/423171 |title=Social Gaming Network’s Acquisition Of Mob Science Continues Trend Away From Facebook-Only Social Games |date=17 June 2013 |last=M |first = Will |website=[[AdWeek]]: Social Times |access-date=23 January 2017}}</ref> The company launched bubble shooter ''Panda Pop'' in 2013, which would later become one of the high-grossing mobile games.<ref name=Pocketgamer 2017">{{cite news |url=https://www.pocketgamer.biz/news/66479/panda-pop-100-million-downloads/ |title=Jam City's Panda Pop clears 100 million downloads in under four years |date=August 25, 2017 |last=Cowley |first=Ric |work=[[Pocket Gamer]] |access-date=February 23, 2021}}</ref><ref name="panda100m">{{cite news |title=Panda Pop passes 100 million users as Jam City readies for an IPO |last=Shieber |first=Jonathan |url=https://techcrunch.com/2017/08/24/panda-pop-readies-jam-city-closeup/ |work=[[TechCrunch]] |date=August 24, 2017 |access-date=March 10, 2021}}</ref> Match-3 [[puzzle game]] ''Cookie Jam'' launched in 2014.<ref name="USA Today March 2014">{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2014/03/24/cookie-jam-app-review/6824875/ |title='Cookie Jam': A tasty puzzle game with new twists |date=March 24, 2014 |last=Saltzman |first=Marc |work=[[USA Today]] |access-date=February 23, 2021}}</ref> ''Cookie Jam'' was named [[Facebook]]'s game of the year with more than 100 million downloads and 5 million active players at the time.<ref name="100 million">{{cite news |access-date=June 27, 2018 |url=https://venturebeat.com/2017/05/24/jam-citys-cookie-jam-hits-100-million-downloads-as-cookie-jam-blast-debuts |title=Jam City's Cookie Jam hits 100 million downloads as Cookie Jam Blast debuts |work=VentureBeat |location=San Francisco, CA |date=May 24, 2017 |author=Takahashi, Dean}}</ref><ref name="LATimes December 2014">{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-cookie-jam-netease-20141216-story.html |title=Mobile game ‘Cookie Jam’ latest hit being exported to China |date=December 16, 2014 |last=Dave |first=Paresh |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=February 23, 2021}}</ref> ''Cookie Jam'' was also among the 20 highest-grossing mobile games for [[Google Play]] and Apple's [[App Store]].<ref name="entrepreneur">{{cite news |title=Maker of 'Cookie Jam' Lands $130 Million Investment From Korea's Top Gaming Giant |last=Zipkin |first=Nina |url=https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/248739 |work=[[Entrepreneur (magazine)]] |date=July 23, 2015 |access-date=March 10, 2021}}</ref>
In the wake of ''Cookie Jam''{{'}}s success, South Korean mobile game company [[Netmarble]] invested $130 million in July 2015, becoming SGN's largest shareholder; this was one of the largest investments in mobile gaming since 2013.<ref name = "NYTimes July2015">{{cite news |title=Netmarble Takes Stake in SGN, Extending Asia’s Reach Into U.S. Mobile Games |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/23/technology/netmarble-takes-stake-in-sgn-extending-asias-reach-into-us-mobile-games.html?_r=1 |date=23 July 2015 |last=Zimmerman |first=Eilene |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |publisher=The New York Times Company |access-date=13 January 2017}}</ref><ref name="FastCompany July2015">{{cite web |url= https://www.fastcompany.com/3048962/tech-forecast/why-this-mobile-game-company-raised-130-million |title=Why This Mobile Game Company Raised $130 Million |date=23 July 2015 |last=Ungerleider |first=Neal |website=[[Fast Company (magazine)|Fast Company]] |publisher=Mansueto Ventures, LLC |access-date=13 January 2017}}</ref> By the time of Netmarble's investment, SGN games were downloaded 500 million times.<ref name="variety-netmarble">{{cite news |title=Mobile-Game Studio SGN Lands $130 Million from Korea’s Netmarble |last=Spangler |first=Todd |url=https://variety.com/2015/digital/asia/sgn-netmarble-funding-mobile-games-1201546770/ |work=[[Variety (magazine)]] |date=July 23, 2015 |access-date=March 10, 2021}}</ref>
Following Netmarble's investment, SGN acquired several companies, including [[TinyCo]] in July 2016.<ref name = "BizJournals July2016">{{cite web |url= http://www.bizjournals.com/losangeles/news/2016/07/06/sgn-buys-startup-behind-marvel-family-guy-mobile.html |title=SGN buys startup behind Marvel, ‘Family Guy’ mobile games |date=6 July 2016 |last=Ellingson |first=Annlee |website=Biz Journals |publisher=American City Business Journals |access-date=10 January 2017}}</ref> With the TinyCo acquisition, SGN added 125 employees to its ranks, bringing its total number to about 400.<ref name = "BizJournals July2016"/><ref name = "Variety July2016">{{cite web |url= https://variety.com/2016/digital/news/sgn-tinyco-marvel-avengers-academy-1201809201/ |title=SGN Buys TinyCo, Maker of ‘Marvel Avengers Academy’ Mobile Game |date=6 July 2016 | last=Spangler |first=Todd |website=Variety |publisher=Variety Media, LLC |access-date=10 January 2017}}</ref> Mobile entertainment games that TinyCo had created included ''Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff'' and ''Marvel Avengers Academy''.<ref name = "AList July2016">{{cite web |url= http://www.alistdaily.com/strategy/sgn-talks-acquiring-tinyco-future-mobile-games-industry/ |title=SGN Talks About Acquiring TinyCo, Future Of Mobile Games Industry |date=7 July 2016 | last=Peterson |first=Steve |website=A List Daily |publisher=Ayzenberg |access-date=10 January 2017}}</ref>
The company rebranded as Jam City, Inc. in 2016,<ref name = "Variety September2016">{{cite web |url= https://variety.com/2016/digital/news/sgn-jam-city-peanuts-mobile-game-1201867364/ |title=SGN Changes Name to Jam City, Acquires Rights to Make ‘Peanuts’ Mobile Game |date=22 September 2016 |last=Spangler |first=Todd |website=Variety |publisher=Variety Media, LLC |access-date=10 January 2017}}</ref> the same year ''Genies & Gems'', a match-3 puzzle game, launched.<ref name="VentureBeat April 2017">{{cite news |url=https://venturebeat.com/2017/04/25/how-jam-city-ceo-chris-dewolfe-sees-the-freakin-mobile-game-world/ |title=How Jam City CEO Chris DeWolfe sees the freakin’ mobile game world |date=April 25, 2017 |work=[[VentureBeat]] |access-date=February 23, 2021}}</ref>
Jam City's game library expanded in 2018. On April 25, 2018, Jam City released ''[[Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery]]'', a mobile game based on J.K. Rowling's [[Wizarding World]] franchise.<ref name="VentureBeat April 2018">{{cite news |url=https://venturebeat.com/2018/04/26/harry-potter-hogwarts-mystery-tops-apple-app-store-charts-a-day-after-launch/ |title=Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery tops Apple App Store charts a day after launch |last=Chan |first=Stephanie |work=[[VentureBeat]] |date=April 26, 2018 |access-date=February 23, 2021}}</ref> Within its first day, ''Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery'' was ranked No. 1 on the App Store's free-to-play category and reached No. 10 on the list of top-grossing games across categories.<ref name="Hogwartsfirstday">{{cite news |title=Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery tops Apple App Store charts a day after launch |last=Chan |first=Stephanie |url=https://venturebeat.com/2018/04/26/harry-potter-hogwarts-mystery-tops-apple-app-store-charts-a-day-after-launch/ |work=[[GamesBeat]] |date=April 26, 2018 |access-date=March 11, 2021}}</ref> It was the fastest of Jam City's games to reach $100 million in revenue,<ref name="145m">{{cite news |title=Harry Potter mobile game maker Jam City raises $145 million |last=Takahashi |first=Dean |url=https://venturebeat.com/2019/01/16/harry-potter-mobile-game-maker-jam-city-raises-145-million/ |work=[[GamesBeat]] |date=January 16, 2019 |access-date=March 11, 2021}}</ref> generating $110 million in its first year.<ref name="110m">{{cite news |title=Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery grosses $110m in first year |last=Taylor |first=Haydn |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2019-03-14-harry-potter-hogwarts-mystery-grosses-usd110m-in-first-year |work=[[Gamesindustry.biz]] |date=March 14, 2019 |access-date=March 11, 2021}}</ref> By October 2019, it had been downloaded 54.6 million times.<ref name="Potterdownloads19">{{cite news |title=Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery reaches $150m in revenue |last=Dealessandri |first=Marie |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2019-10-10-harry-potter-hogwarts-mystery-reaches-usd150m-in-revenue |work=[[Gamesindustry.biz]] |date=October 10, 2019 |access-date=March 12, 2021}}</ref> ''Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery'' was awarded Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Mobile Game during the [[Dragon Awards#Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Mobile Game|2018 Dragon Awards]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jamcity.com/2018-dragon-awards/|title=Jam City|website=jamcity.com}}</ref> The game was nominated for Best Breakthrough Game during the 2019 Google Play Awards.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-04-26|title=2019 Google Play Awards nominees announced ahead of Google I/O|url=https://www.androidauthority.com/2019-google-play-awards-979976/|access-date=2021-01-27|website=Android Authority}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Kerr|first=Chris|title=Marvel Strike Force and Shadowgun Legends honored at 2019 Google Play Awards|url=https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/342193/Marvel_Strike_Force_and_Shadowgun_Legends_honored_at_2019_Google_Play_Awards.php|access-date=2021-01-27|website=gamasutra.com}}</ref>
Jam City also bought ''Bingo Pop'' from [[Uken Games]], expanding geographically into [[Toronto, Canada]].<ref name="VentureBeat-November 2018>{{cite news |last=Takahashi |first=Dean |url=https://venturebeat.com/2018/11/28/jam-city-acquires-bingo-pop-maker-uken/ |title=Jam City acquires Bingo Pop maker from Uken |work=[[VentureBeat]] |date=November 28, 2018 |access-date=February 17, 2021}}</ref><ref name="TechCrunch-November 2018>{{cite news |last=Shieber |first=Jonathan |url=https://techcrunch.com/2018/11/28/jam-city-is-setting-up-a-toronto-shop-by-buying-bingo-pop-from-uken-games/ |title=Jam City is setting up a Toronto shop by buying Bingo Pop from Uken Games |work=[[TechCrunch]] |date=November 28, 2018 |access-date=February 17, 2021}}</ref> In addition to the mobile game, Jam City acquired Bingo Pop's intellectual property, management, and development team.<ref name="LABJ-November 2018">{{cite news |last=Amore |first=Samson |url=https://labusinessjournal.com/news/2018/nov/28/jam-city-acquires-bingo-pop-mobile-game/ |title=Jam City Acquires Bingo Pop Mobile Game |work=[[Los Angeles Business Journal]] |date=November 28, 2018 |access-date=February 17, 2021}}</ref> Also in 2018, Jam City and [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]] reached a multi-year deal for Jam City to develop licensed games based on stories and characters from Disney and [[Pixar]].<ref name="Gamesindustry.biz November 2018">{{cite news |last=Taylor |first=Haydn |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2018-11-14-jam-city-announces-multi-year-deal-with-disney |title=Jam City secures multi-year deal with Disney |work=[[GamesIndustry.biz]] |date=November 14, 2018 |access-date=February 18, 2021}}</ref> Jam City took over the game ''Disney Emoji Blitz''.<ref name="Gamesindustry.biz November 2018"/> Jam City's first new game under its deal with Disney was ''Frozen Adventures'' based on the [[Frozen]] and [[Frozen 2]] films, which launched the next year.<ref name="Gamesindustry.biz November 2018"/><ref name="THR August 2019">{{cite news |last=Beresford |first=Trilby |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/jam-city-disney-unveil-first-look-at-frozen-adventures-mobile-game-1234246 |title=Jam City, Disney Unveil First Look at 'Frozen Adventures' Mobile Game |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=August 23, 2019 |access-date=February 18, 2021}}</ref>
Jam City announced in January 2019 that it raised $145 million in funding from [[JPMorgan Chase Bank]], [[Bank of America Merrill Lynch]], and others to support Jam City’s acquisitions and global growth initiatives.<ref name="VentureBeat-January 2019">{{cite news |last=Takahashi |first=Dean |url=https://venturebeat.com/2019/01/16/harry-potter-mobile-game-maker-jam-city-raises-145-million/ |title=Harry Potter mobile game maker Jam City raises $145 million |work=[[VentureBeat]] |date=January 16, 2019 |access-date=February 17, 2021}}</ref><ref name="TechCrunch-January 2019">{{cite news |last=Shieber |first=Jonathan |url=https://techcrunch.com/2019/01/16/consolidation-is-coming-to-gaming-and-jam-city-raises-145-million-to-capitalize-on-it/ |title=Consolidation is coming to gaming, and Jam City raises $145 million to capitalize on it |work=[[TechCrunch]] |date=January 16, 2019 |access-date=February 17, 2021}}</ref> Jam City acquired [[Berlin, Germany|Berlin]]-based studio 231 Play in April.<ref name="Pocketgamer.biz April 2019">{{cite news |last=Chapple |first=Craig |url=https://www.pocketgamer.biz/news/70410/jam-city-acquires-berlin-studio-231-play/ |title=Jam City acquires Berlin studio 231 Play |work=[[Pocket Gamer]] |date=April 5, 2019 |access-date=February 18, 2021}}</ref> DeWolfe told [[GamesBeat]] that the acquisition of studios in Toronto and Berlin allowed Jam City to expand into more game genres, such as [[solitaire]], [[mahjong]], and [[Bingo (American version)|bingo]].<ref name="parlor">{{cite news |title=Chris DeWolfe interview: Jam City bets on Disney Frozen 2 collaboration |last=Takahashi |first=Dean |url=https://venturebeat.com/2019/11/14/chris-dewolfe-interview-jam-city-makes-big-bet-on-disney-frozen-2-collaboration/ |work=[[GamesBeat]] |date=November 14, 2019 |access-date=March 10, 2021}}</ref> According to analytics provider Sensor Tower, solitaire, mahjong, and bingo games ranked among Jam City's top games, as of February 2021.<ref name="sensortower">{{cite web |title= Jam City, Inc. |url=https://sensortower.com/android/publisher/jam-city-inc/Jam%2BCity%2C%2BInc. |work=Sensor Tower |access-date=March 10, 2021}}</ref>
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I keep my Wikipedia contributions where I have a financial conflict of interest on Talk pages rather than directly edit entries, so I'm looking for editors who might be willing to review my request and update the article as they feel is appropriate. Please ping me if you have any questions or feedback. I am happy to collaborate with others. Thank you in advance, Danilo Two (talk) 19:02, 23 March 2021 (UTC)
Reviewing... Will finish during the long weekend. We previously worked together on Riot Games, so this should be smooth sailing. IceWelder [✉] 12:57, 1 April 2021 (UTC)
- @IceWelder: Yes, I recall working on that article with you. It was a pleasure collaborating with you on there, and I look forward to doing so again here. Feel free to leave me any questions or feedback. Danilo Two (talk) 13:22, 1 April 2021 (UTC)
- @Danilo Two: Here are some notes I took while reading through the draft:
- @IceWelder: Yes, I recall working on that article with you. It was a pleasure collaborating with you on there, and I look forward to doing so again here. Feel free to leave me any questions or feedback. Danilo Two (talk) 13:22, 1 April 2021 (UTC)
- Jam City launched in 2010 when Austin Ventures and the startup's founders initially ... – What is "the startup" here?
- Platform G acquired MindJolt and took its name. – Specify that this happened in March and consider stating MindJolt's existing business as well as founder Richard Fields' position after the buyout.
- The company was known as SGN from March 2012 to September 2016. – This should be simplified to renaming as SGN. The Jam City rebranding is mentioned later on. Also clarify that 'The company' is MindJolt, not the old SGN or Hallpass Media.
- In June 2013, SGN acquired Mob Science, a Facebook games developer of "mid-core social games" and ... – Either "Facebook games" or "mid-core social games" is redundant. "a developer of social games" should be sufficient.
- Following Netmarble's investment, SGN acquired several companies, including TinyCo in July 2016. With the TinyCo acquisition, SGN added 125 employees to its ranks, bringing its total number to about 400. – This is a bit wordy and "several companies" is vague. Possible rewording: SGN bought the developers Fat Rascal Games and Kiwi Inc. in late 2015, followed by TinyCo in July 2016. The latter acquisition raised SGN's staff count from 125 to 400. The BizJournals.com article for the TinyCo acquisition also links to another article for the purchases of FRG and Kiwi if you'd like to cite that.
- The company rebranded as Jam City, Inc. in 2016 – Pursuant to the change above, re-add "September" here. The ", Inc." is probably unnecessary as it is not part of the brand in that rebranding (and not mentioned in the source anyway).
- Jam City's game library expanded in 2018. – This is redundant.
- ... a mobile game based on J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World franchise ... – "J.K. Rowling" should be "J. K. Rowling" and wiki-linked.
- Jam City also bought Bingo Pop from Uken Games, ... – "also" is redundant here. The month when this happened should be mentioned. I would also work in the subsequent sentence, e.g. Jam City bought the intellectual property, management, and development team of Bingo Pop from ...
- Jam City took over the game Disney Emoji Blitz. – Consider mentioning that this was part of the deal mentioned in the prior sentence.
- was Frozen Adventures based on the Frozen and Frozen 2 films, ... – Change the link for Frozen [1] to Frozen (2013 film) and add italics to both film names.
- DeWolfe told GamesBeat that ... – GamesBeat should be in italics.
- I will re-review once the changes are implemented. Regards, IceWelder [✉] 12:07, 3 April 2021 (UTC)
- IceWelder: This is great feedback. I'll get the draft updated and ping you when I'm finished with it. Thanks for your thorough and constructive review! Danilo Two (talk) 12:22, 5 April 2021 (UTC)
- I will re-review once the changes are implemented. Regards, IceWelder [✉] 12:07, 3 April 2021 (UTC)
@IceWelder: I incorporated your feedback into my userspace draft and the collapse boxes below. My initial draft left out the names of some of the acquisitions because I felt having too many names made the text confusing to readers. After seeing your suggestions in practice, I no longer think that's the case. Thanks again for taking the time to offer such constructive feedback.
Jam City launched in 2010 when Austin Ventures and the founders of Chris DeWolfe's business, Platform G, initially invested $28 million.[1] Joining DeWolfe were fellow Myspace co-founders Colin Digiaro and Aber Whitcomb, and former 20th Century Fox executive Josh Yguado.[2][3] Platform G acquired MindJolt, a social gaming platform founded by Richard Fields, and took its name.[4] Fields remained with the company to lead strategy.[4] The company acquired Social Gaming Network (or SGN) and Hallpass Media, which added mobile games to the company's portfolio.[5][6] MindJolt renamed as SGN in March 2012.[7][8] In June 2013, SGN acquired Mob Science, a developer of social games and known for Legends: Rise of a Hero.[9] The company launched bubble shooter Panda Pop in 2013, which would later become one of the high-grossing mobile games.[10][11] Match-3 puzzle game Cookie Jam launched in 2014.[12] Cookie Jam was named Facebook's game of the year with more than 100 million downloads and 5 million active players at the time.[13][14] Cookie Jam was also among the 20 highest-grossing mobile games for Google Play and Apple's App Store.[15]
In the wake of Cookie Jam's success, South Korean mobile game company Netmarble invested $130 million in July 2015, becoming SGN's largest shareholder; this was one of the largest investments in mobile gaming since 2013.[16][17] By the time of Netmarble's investment, SGN games were downloaded 500 million times.[18]
Following Netmarble's investment, SGN bought the developers Fat Rascal Games and Kiwi Inc. in late 2015, followed by TinyCo in July 2016. The latter acquisition raised SGN's staff count from 125 to 400.[19] With the TinyCo acquisition, SGN added 125 employees to its ranks, bringing its total number to about 400.[19][20] Mobile entertainment games that TinyCo had created included Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff and Marvel Avengers Academy.[21]
The company rebranded as Jam City in September 2016,[8] the same year Genies & Gems, a match-3 puzzle game, launched.[22]
On April 25, 2018, Jam City released Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, a mobile game based on J. K. Rowling's Wizarding World franchise.[23] Within its first day, Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery was ranked No. 1 on the App Store's free-to-play category and reached No. 10 on the list of top-grossing games across categories.[24] It was the fastest of Jam City's games to reach $100 million in revenue,[25] generating $110 million in its first year.[26] By October 2019, it had been downloaded 54.6 million times.[27] Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery was awarded Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Mobile Game during the 2018 Dragon Awards.[28] The game was nominated for Best Breakthrough Game during the 2019 Google Play Awards.[29][30]
Jam City bought the intellectual property, management, and development team of Bingo Pop from Uken Games in November 2018, expanding geographically into Toronto, Canada.[31][32][33] Also in 2018, Jam City and Disney reached a multi-year deal for Jam City to develop licensed games based on stories and characters from Disney and Pixar.[34] As part of that deal, Jam City took over the game Disney Emoji Blitz.[34] Jam City's first new game under its deal with Disney was Frozen Adventures based on the Frozen and Frozen 2 films, which launched the next year.[34][35]
Jam City announced in January 2019 that it raised $145 million in funding from JPMorgan Chase Bank, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, and others to support Jam City’s acquisitions and global growth initiatives.[36][37] Jam City acquired Berlin-based studio 231 Play in April.[38] DeWolfe told GamesBeat that the acquisition of studios in Toronto and Berlin allowed Jam City to expand into more game genres, such as solitaire, mahjong, and bingo.[39] According to analytics provider Sensor Tower, solitaire, mahjong, and bingo games ranked among Jam City's top games, as of February 2021.[40]
By mid-2020, Jam City's valuation was estimated at greater than $2 billion.[41]==History==
Jam City launched in 2010 when [[Austin Ventures]] and the founders of [[Chris DeWolfe]]'s business, Platform G, initially invested $28 million.<ref name="Variety-2015">{{cite news |last=Spangler |first=Todd |url=https://variety.com/2015/digital/news/sgn-netmarble-funding-mobile-games-1201546770/ |title=Mobile-Game Studio SGN Lands $130 Million from Korea’s Netmarble |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=July 23, 2015 |access-date=February 17, 2021}}</ref> Joining DeWolfe were fellow [[Myspace]] co-founders [[Colin Digiaro]] and [[Aber Whitcomb]], and former [[20th Century Fox]] executive Josh Yguado.<ref name="ipo">{{cite news |access-date=June 1, 2018 |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/talkingtech/2017/03/22/jam-city-seeks-another-hit-more-family-guy-plans-ipo/99431382 |title=Jam City seeks another hit with more Family Guy, plans for IPO |work=USA Today |location=Tysons Corner, VA |date=March 22, 2017 |author=Graham, Jefferson}}</ref><ref name="comeback">{{cite news |access-date=June 1, 2018 |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/kathleenchaykowski/2017/06/12/former-myspace-ceo-makes-a-comeback-as-a-mobile-gaming-hitmaker |title=Former MySpace CEO Makes A Comeback As A Mobile Gaming Hitmaker |work=Forbes |location=New York, NY |date=June 12, 2017 |author=Chaykowski, Kathleen}}</ref> Platform G acquired MindJolt, a social gaming platform founded by Richard Fields, and took its name.<ref name = "TechCrunch March2010">{{cite web |url= https://techcrunch.com/2010/03/03/chris-dewolfe-mindjolt-austin-ventures/ |title=Chris DeWolfe Makes His Move – Raises Big Round, Acquires Gaming Platform MindJolt |date=3 March 2010 |last=Arrington |first=Michael |website=[[TechCrunch]] |access-date=23 January 2017}}</ref> Fields remained with the company to lead strategy.<ref name = "TechCrunch March2010"/> The company acquired Social Gaming Network (or SGN) and Hallpass Media, which added [[mobile game]]s to the company's portfolio.<ref name = "NYTimes April2011" >{{cite web |url= https://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/04/18/a-myspace-founder-is-building-again-with-online-games/ |title=A Myspace Founder Builds Again, Buying Game Companies |date=18 April 2011 |last=Rusli |first=Evelyn M. |website=New York Times Dealbook |access-date=23 January 2017 }}</ref><ref name = "Forbes June2013">{{cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/lorikozlowski/2013/06/12/the-science-of-social-games/#54899d866c16 |title=The Science of Social Games |date=12 June 2013 |last=Kozlowski |first=Lori |website=[[Forbes]] |access-date=23 January 2017}}</ref> MindJolt renamed as SGN in March 2012.<ref name = "TechCrunch March 2012">{{cite web |url= https://techcrunch.com/2012/03/02/mindjolt-becomes-social-gaming-network/ |title=MySpace Co-Founder Chris DeWolfe Explains SGN’s New Name, Multi-Platform Plans |date=2 March 2012 |last=Ha |first=Anthony |website=TechCrunch |access-date=23 January 2017}}</ref><ref name = "Variety September2016">{{cite web |url= https://variety.com/2016/digital/news/sgn-jam-city-peanuts-mobile-game-1201867364/ |title=SGN Changes Name to Jam City, Acquires Rights to Make ‘Peanuts’ Mobile Game |date=22 September 2016 |last=Spangler |first=Todd |website=Variety |publisher=Variety Media, LLC |access-date=10 January 2017}}</ref> In June 2013, SGN acquired Mob Science, a developer of social games and known for ''Legends: Rise of a Hero''.<ref name = "AdWeek June2013">{{cite web |url=http://www.adweek.com/socialtimes/social-gaming-network-mob-science/423171 |title=Social Gaming Network’s Acquisition Of Mob Science Continues Trend Away From Facebook-Only Social Games |date=17 June 2013 |last=M |first = Will |website=[[AdWeek]]: Social Times |access-date=23 January 2017}}</ref> The company launched bubble shooter ''Panda Pop'' in 2013, which would later become one of the high-grossing mobile games.<ref name=Pocketgamer 2017">{{cite news |url=https://www.pocketgamer.biz/news/66479/panda-pop-100-million-downloads/ |title=Jam City's Panda Pop clears 100 million downloads in under four years |date=August 25, 2017 |last=Cowley |first=Ric |work=[[Pocket Gamer]] |access-date=February 23, 2021}}</ref><ref name="panda100m">{{cite news |title=Panda Pop passes 100 million users as Jam City readies for an IPO |last=Shieber |first=Jonathan |url=https://techcrunch.com/2017/08/24/panda-pop-readies-jam-city-closeup/ |work=[[TechCrunch]] |date=August 24, 2017 |access-date=March 10, 2021}}</ref> Match-3 [[puzzle game]] ''Cookie Jam'' launched in 2014.<ref name="USA Today March 2014">{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2014/03/24/cookie-jam-app-review/6824875/ |title='Cookie Jam': A tasty puzzle game with new twists |date=March 24, 2014 |last=Saltzman |first=Marc |work=[[USA Today]] |access-date=February 23, 2021}}</ref> ''Cookie Jam'' was named [[Facebook]]'s game of the year with more than 100 million downloads and 5 million active players at the time.<ref name="100 million">{{cite news |access-date=June 27, 2018 |url=https://venturebeat.com/2017/05/24/jam-citys-cookie-jam-hits-100-million-downloads-as-cookie-jam-blast-debuts |title=Jam City's Cookie Jam hits 100 million downloads as Cookie Jam Blast debuts |work=VentureBeat |location=San Francisco, CA |date=May 24, 2017 |author=Takahashi, Dean}}</ref><ref name="LATimes December 2014">{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-cookie-jam-netease-20141216-story.html |title=Mobile game ‘Cookie Jam’ latest hit being exported to China |date=December 16, 2014 |last=Dave |first=Paresh |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=February 23, 2021}}</ref> ''Cookie Jam'' was also among the 20 highest-grossing mobile games for [[Google Play]] and Apple's [[App Store]].<ref name="entrepreneur">{{cite news |title=Maker of 'Cookie Jam' Lands $130 Million Investment From Korea's Top Gaming Giant |last=Zipkin |first=Nina |url=https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/248739 |work=[[Entrepreneur (magazine)]] |date=July 23, 2015 |access-date=March 10, 2021}}</ref>
In the wake of ''Cookie Jam''{{'}}s success, South Korean mobile game company [[Netmarble]] invested $130 million in July 2015, becoming SGN's largest shareholder; this was one of the largest investments in mobile gaming since 2013.<ref name = "NYTimes July2015">{{cite news |title=Netmarble Takes Stake in SGN, Extending Asia’s Reach Into U.S. Mobile Games |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/23/technology/netmarble-takes-stake-in-sgn-extending-asias-reach-into-us-mobile-games.html?_r=1 |date=23 July 2015 |last=Zimmerman |first=Eilene |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |publisher=The New York Times Company |access-date=13 January 2017}}</ref><ref name="FastCompany July2015">{{cite web |url= https://www.fastcompany.com/3048962/tech-forecast/why-this-mobile-game-company-raised-130-million |title=Why This Mobile Game Company Raised $130 Million |date=23 July 2015 |last=Ungerleider |first=Neal |website=[[Fast Company (magazine)|Fast Company]] |publisher=Mansueto Ventures, LLC |access-date=13 January 2017}}</ref> By the time of Netmarble's investment, SGN games were downloaded 500 million times.<ref name="variety-netmarble">{{cite news |title=Mobile-Game Studio SGN Lands $130 Million from Korea’s Netmarble |last=Spangler |first=Todd |url=https://variety.com/2015/digital/asia/sgn-netmarble-funding-mobile-games-1201546770/ |work=[[Variety (magazine)]] |date=July 23, 2015 |access-date=March 10, 2021}}</ref>
Following Netmarble's investment, SGN bought the developers Fat Rascal Games and Kiwi Inc. in late 2015, followed by TinyCo in July 2016. The latter acquisition raised SGN's staff count from 125 to 400.<ref name = "BizJournals July2016">{{cite web |url= http://www.bizjournals.com/losangeles/news/2016/07/06/sgn-buys-startup-behind-marvel-family-guy-mobile.html |title=SGN buys startup behind Marvel, ‘Family Guy’ mobile games |date=6 July 2016 |last=Ellingson |first=Annlee |website=Biz Journals |publisher=American City Business Journals |access-date=10 January 2017}}</ref> With the TinyCo acquisition, SGN added 125 employees to its ranks, bringing its total number to about 400.<ref name = "BizJournals July2016"/><ref name = "Variety July2016">{{cite web |url= https://variety.com/2016/digital/news/sgn-tinyco-marvel-avengers-academy-1201809201/ |title=SGN Buys TinyCo, Maker of ‘Marvel Avengers Academy’ Mobile Game |date=6 July 2016 | last=Spangler |first=Todd |website=Variety |publisher=Variety Media, LLC |access-date=10 January 2017}}</ref> Mobile entertainment games that TinyCo had created included ''Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff'' and ''Marvel Avengers Academy''.<ref name = "AList July2016">{{cite web |url= http://www.alistdaily.com/strategy/sgn-talks-acquiring-tinyco-future-mobile-games-industry/ |title=SGN Talks About Acquiring TinyCo, Future Of Mobile Games Industry |date=7 July 2016 | last=Peterson |first=Steve |website=A List Daily |publisher=Ayzenberg |access-date=10 January 2017}}</ref>
The company rebranded as Jam City in September 2016,<ref name = "Variety September2016">{{cite web |url= https://variety.com/2016/digital/news/sgn-jam-city-peanuts-mobile-game-1201867364/ |title=SGN Changes Name to Jam City, Acquires Rights to Make ‘Peanuts’ Mobile Game |date=22 September 2016 |last=Spangler |first=Todd |website=Variety |publisher=Variety Media, LLC |access-date=10 January 2017}}</ref> the same year ''Genies & Gems'', a match-3 puzzle game, launched.<ref name="VentureBeat April 2017">{{cite news |url=https://venturebeat.com/2017/04/25/how-jam-city-ceo-chris-dewolfe-sees-the-freakin-mobile-game-world/ |title=How Jam City CEO Chris DeWolfe sees the freakin’ mobile game world |date=April 25, 2017 |work=[[VentureBeat]] |access-date=February 23, 2021}}</ref>
On April 25, 2018, Jam City released ''[[Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery]]'', a mobile game based on [[J. K. Rowling]]'s [[Wizarding World]] franchise.<ref name="VentureBeat April 2018">{{cite news |url=https://venturebeat.com/2018/04/26/harry-potter-hogwarts-mystery-tops-apple-app-store-charts-a-day-after-launch/ |title=Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery tops Apple App Store charts a day after launch |last=Chan |first=Stephanie |work=[[VentureBeat]] |date=April 26, 2018 |access-date=February 23, 2021}}</ref> Within its first day, ''Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery'' was ranked No. 1 on the App Store's free-to-play category and reached No. 10 on the list of top-grossing games across categories.<ref name="Hogwartsfirstday">{{cite news |title=Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery tops Apple App Store charts a day after launch |last=Chan |first=Stephanie |url=https://venturebeat.com/2018/04/26/harry-potter-hogwarts-mystery-tops-apple-app-store-charts-a-day-after-launch/ |work=[[GamesBeat]] |date=April 26, 2018 |access-date=March 11, 2021}}</ref> It was the fastest of Jam City's games to reach $100 million in revenue,<ref name="145m">{{cite news |title=Harry Potter mobile game maker Jam City raises $145 million |last=Takahashi |first=Dean |url=https://venturebeat.com/2019/01/16/harry-potter-mobile-game-maker-jam-city-raises-145-million/ |work=[[GamesBeat]] |date=January 16, 2019 |access-date=March 11, 2021}}</ref> generating $110 million in its first year.<ref name="110m">{{cite news |title=Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery grosses $110m in first year |last=Taylor |first=Haydn |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2019-03-14-harry-potter-hogwarts-mystery-grosses-usd110m-in-first-year |work=[[Gamesindustry.biz]] |date=March 14, 2019 |access-date=March 11, 2021}}</ref> By October 2019, it had been downloaded 54.6 million times.<ref name="Potterdownloads19">{{cite news |title=Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery reaches $150m in revenue |last=Dealessandri |first=Marie |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2019-10-10-harry-potter-hogwarts-mystery-reaches-usd150m-in-revenue |work=[[Gamesindustry.biz]] |date=October 10, 2019 |access-date=March 12, 2021}}</ref> ''Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery'' was awarded Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Mobile Game during the [[Dragon Awards#Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Mobile Game|2018 Dragon Awards]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jamcity.com/2018-dragon-awards/|title=Jam City|website=jamcity.com}}</ref> The game was nominated for Best Breakthrough Game during the 2019 Google Play Awards.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-04-26|title=2019 Google Play Awards nominees announced ahead of Google I/O|url=https://www.androidauthority.com/2019-google-play-awards-979976/|access-date=2021-01-27|website=Android Authority}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Kerr|first=Chris|title=Marvel Strike Force and Shadowgun Legends honored at 2019 Google Play Awards|url=https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/342193/Marvel_Strike_Force_and_Shadowgun_Legends_honored_at_2019_Google_Play_Awards.php|access-date=2021-01-27|website=gamasutra.com}}</ref>
Jam City bought the intellectual property, management, and development team of ''Bingo Pop'' from [[Uken Games]] in November 2018, expanding geographically into [[Toronto, Canada]].<ref name="VentureBeat-November 2018>{{cite news |last=Takahashi |first=Dean |url=https://venturebeat.com/2018/11/28/jam-city-acquires-bingo-pop-maker-uken/ |title=Jam City acquires Bingo Pop maker from Uken |work=[[VentureBeat]] |date=November 28, 2018 |access-date=February 17, 2021}}</ref><ref name="TechCrunch-November 2018>{{cite news |last=Shieber |first=Jonathan |url=https://techcrunch.com/2018/11/28/jam-city-is-setting-up-a-toronto-shop-by-buying-bingo-pop-from-uken-games/ |title=Jam City is setting up a Toronto shop by buying Bingo Pop from Uken Games |work=[[TechCrunch]] |date=November 28, 2018 |access-date=February 17, 2021}}</ref><ref name="LABJ-November 2018">{{cite news |last=Amore |first=Samson |url=https://labusinessjournal.com/news/2018/nov/28/jam-city-acquires-bingo-pop-mobile-game/ |title=Jam City Acquires Bingo Pop Mobile Game |work=[[Los Angeles Business Journal]] |date=November 28, 2018 |access-date=February 17, 2021}}</ref> Also in 2018, Jam City and [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]] reached a multi-year deal for Jam City to develop licensed games based on stories and characters from Disney and [[Pixar]].<ref name="Gamesindustry.biz November 2018">{{cite news |last=Taylor |first=Haydn |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2018-11-14-jam-city-announces-multi-year-deal-with-disney |title=Jam City secures multi-year deal with Disney |work=[[GamesIndustry.biz]] |date=November 14, 2018 |access-date=February 18, 2021}}</ref> As part of that deal, Jam City took over the game ''Disney Emoji Blitz''.<ref name="Gamesindustry.biz November 2018"/> Jam City's first new game under its deal with Disney was ''Frozen Adventures'' based on the ''[[Frozen (2013 film)|Frozen]]'' and ''[[Frozen 2]]'' films, which launched the next year.<ref name="Gamesindustry.biz November 2018"/><ref name="THR August 2019">{{cite news |last=Beresford |first=Trilby |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/jam-city-disney-unveil-first-look-at-frozen-adventures-mobile-game-1234246 |title=Jam City, Disney Unveil First Look at 'Frozen Adventures' Mobile Game |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=August 23, 2019 |access-date=February 18, 2021}}</ref>
Jam City announced in January 2019 that it raised $145 million in funding from [[JPMorgan Chase Bank]], [[Bank of America Merrill Lynch]], and others to support Jam City’s acquisitions and global growth initiatives.<ref name="VentureBeat-January 2019">{{cite news |last=Takahashi |first=Dean |url=https://venturebeat.com/2019/01/16/harry-potter-mobile-game-maker-jam-city-raises-145-million/ |title=Harry Potter mobile game maker Jam City raises $145 million |work=[[VentureBeat]] |date=January 16, 2019 |access-date=February 17, 2021}}</ref><ref name="TechCrunch-January 2019">{{cite news |last=Shieber |first=Jonathan |url=https://techcrunch.com/2019/01/16/consolidation-is-coming-to-gaming-and-jam-city-raises-145-million-to-capitalize-on-it/ |title=Consolidation is coming to gaming, and Jam City raises $145 million to capitalize on it |work=[[TechCrunch]] |date=January 16, 2019 |access-date=February 17, 2021}}</ref> Jam City acquired [[Berlin, Germany|Berlin]]-based studio 231 Play in April.<ref name="Pocketgamer.biz April 2019">{{cite news |last=Chapple |first=Craig |url=https://www.pocketgamer.biz/news/70410/jam-city-acquires-berlin-studio-231-play/ |title=Jam City acquires Berlin studio 231 Play |work=[[Pocket Gamer]] |date=April 5, 2019 |access-date=February 18, 2021}}</ref> DeWolfe told ''[[GamesBeat]]'' that the acquisition of studios in Toronto and Berlin allowed Jam City to expand into more game genres, such as [[solitaire]], [[mahjong]], and [[Bingo (American version)|bingo]].<ref name="parlor">{{cite news |title=Chris DeWolfe interview: Jam City bets on Disney Frozen 2 collaboration |last=Takahashi |first=Dean |url=https://venturebeat.com/2019/11/14/chris-dewolfe-interview-jam-city-makes-big-bet-on-disney-frozen-2-collaboration/ |work=[[GamesBeat]] |date=November 14, 2019 |access-date=March 10, 2021}}</ref> According to analytics provider Sensor Tower, solitaire, mahjong, and bingo games ranked among Jam City's top games, as of February 2021.<ref name="sensortower">{{cite web |title= Jam City, Inc. |url=https://sensortower.com/android/publisher/jam-city-inc/Jam%2BCity%2C%2BInc. |work=Sensor Tower |access-date=March 10, 2021}}</ref>
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Let me know what you think of this draft. Thank you. Danilo Two (talk) 13:27, 5 April 2021 (UTC)
- Danilo Two, I added the history with slight wording improvements for clarity. I noticed that some elements duplicated the sub-sections in "Games", so I removed those in favor of the expanded History. One thing I had to remove there was the Dragon Award for the Harry Potter game as it was sourced to Jam City's website and I could not immediately find a secondary-source replacement (might look again later). I also performed some general cleanup. Regards, IceWelder [✉] 14:18, 7 April 2021 (UTC)
- @IceWelder: Thank you very much for these updates! I noticed a missing word in the intro: The last sentence says "Netmarble the majority shareholder in Jam City". Can you add the word "is"? "Netmarble is the majority shareholder in Jam City". Also, I will look to see if I can find a secondary source for the Dragon Award. Lastly, I will go through the article to see how the remaining sections may be updated and improved. Hope you don't mind if I ping you when I post those requests. Thanks again! Danilo Two (talk) 15:00, 7 April 2021 (UTC)
- Danilo Two, my bad, I added the missing word. I will of course take future requests (I am watching the article now and will receive emails upon changes there and here). IceWelder [✉] 15:34, 7 April 2021 (UTC)
- @IceWelder: The intro currently says "Netmarble is the majority shareholder in Jam City." Netmarble is Jam City's "largest shareholder", not majority. I see that the Bloomberg source says "majority", but I'm told by Jam City that's not the case. "Largest" is verified in The New York Times[1] and Fast Company.[2]. Would you please consider changing "majority" to "largest"?
- Danilo Two, my bad, I added the missing word. I will of course take future requests (I am watching the article now and will receive emails upon changes there and here). IceWelder [✉] 15:34, 7 April 2021 (UTC)
- @IceWelder: Thank you very much for these updates! I noticed a missing word in the intro: The last sentence says "Netmarble the majority shareholder in Jam City". Can you add the word "is"? "Netmarble is the majority shareholder in Jam City". Also, I will look to see if I can find a secondary source for the Dragon Award. Lastly, I will go through the article to see how the remaining sections may be updated and improved. Hope you don't mind if I ping you when I post those requests. Thanks again! Danilo Two (talk) 15:00, 7 April 2021 (UTC)
- Additionally, I looked around for a source for the Dragon Award. There aren't great third-party sources for it. I did see that the Dragon Awards article cites Dragon Awards website. I saw a few blogs, too, such as Comics Beat, but those may not meet WP:RS. Do you think the Dragon Awards website is applicable here?
- Thanks again for helping with this article. Danilo Two (talk) 16:26, 19 April 2021 (UTC)
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- @Danilo Two: I altered Netmarble's position per your request; both The New York Times and Fast Company were already used in the body for this exact statement, so no citation is required in the lead (per WP:CITELEAD). As for the Dragon Awards, the rule of thumb is to avoid awards that are not covered by reliable secondary sources, as it would create a precedent inviting any odd award that happens to have an online awardee listing. Comics Beat ("The Beat") does not appear reliable at first glance but I might put before to the reliable sources noticeboard if required. Alas, I personally think that mentioning a single seemingly random award on the developer's article is somewhat superfluous. IceWelder [✉] 17:59, 19 April 2021 (UTC)
- @IceWelder: Thanks again for updating the infobox and intro regarding the Netmarble investment. As for the Dragon Award, I see no need to go to RSN or dig any further. The sourcing isn't great, and I certainly understand and respect that. The only reason I even brought it up was because it was in the article previously. Should there be a time where a reliable source can verify the Dragon Award, great, I'll revisit then. Otherwise, I'm happy to drop it. Danilo Two (talk) 18:24, 19 April 2021 (UTC)
- @Danilo Two: I altered Netmarble's position per your request; both The New York Times and Fast Company were already used in the body for this exact statement, so no citation is required in the lead (per WP:CITELEAD). As for the Dragon Awards, the rule of thumb is to avoid awards that are not covered by reliable secondary sources, as it would create a precedent inviting any odd award that happens to have an online awardee listing. Comics Beat ("The Beat") does not appear reliable at first glance but I might put before to the reliable sources noticeboard if required. Alas, I personally think that mentioning a single seemingly random award on the developer's article is somewhat superfluous. IceWelder [✉] 17:59, 19 April 2021 (UTC)
@IceWelder: I was looking over the introduction and the beginning of the History section again and a few things struck me that I thought I could run by you.
First, the intro and the first paragraph of History may make it seem like Chris DeWolfe was the only founder of the Jam City, instead of a co-founder alongside Colin Digiaro, Aber Whitcomb, and Josh Yguado.
Second, the intro emphasizes Jam City's name changes. I wonder if we could edit it similar to how it used to read, but with your updates to the first sentence and additional updates to the company's size (number of studios and employees). Below I posted a proposed introduction (and markup) followed by a proposed first paragraph of History with the changes in green text (and markup).
Jam City, Inc. (formerly MindJolt and Social Gaming Network) is an American video game developer based in Culver City, California. The company was founded in 2010 by MySpace co-founders Chris DeWolfe, Colin Digiaro and Aber Whitcomb, and former 20th Century Fox executive Josh Yguado.[1][2][3] The company has 50 million monthly active users and 7 titles to date that have ranked in the 100 highest-grossing charts in the Apple App Store.[4][5] As of 2020, Jam City had 700 employees and nine studios located in the U.S., Canada, South America,[6] and Europe..[7] Netmarble is the largest shareholder in Jam City.
References
- Arrington, Michael (3 March 2010). "Chris DeWolfe Makes His Move – Raises Big Round, Acquires Gaming Platform MindJolt". TechCrunch. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
- Graham, Jefferson (March 22, 2017). "Jam City seeks another hit with more Family Guy, plans for IPO". USA Today. Tysons Corner, VA. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
- Chaykowski, Kathleen (June 12, 2017). "Former MySpace CEO Makes A Comeback As A Mobile Gaming Hitmaker". Forbes. New York, NY. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
- Karlin, Susan (August 9, 2017). "Jam City CEO Chris DeWolfe Talks Mobile Gaming Strategy—And A 2019 IPO". Fast Company. New York, NY. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
- Chan, Stephanie (April 26, 2018). "Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery tops Apple App Store charts a day after launch". VentureBeat. San Francisco, CA. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
- Shanley, Patrick (February 13, 2020). "Former Myspace Mogul Chris DeWolfe Reflects on Mobile Gaming's Future". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
- Chapple, Craig (April 5, 2019). "Jam City acquires Berlin studio 231 Play". Pocket Gamer. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
Jam City was co-founded by former Myspace co-founders Chris DeWolfe, Colin Digiaro and Aber Whitcomb, and former 20th Century Fox executive Josh Yguado.[1][2][3] The company launched in 2010 when Austin Ventures and the co-founders invested $28 million into their business, then called Platform G.[1][4] Platform G acquired MindJolt, a social gaming platform founded by Richard Fields, and took its name.[1] Fields remained with the company to lead strategy.[1] The company acquired Social Gaming Network (or SGN) and Hallpass Media, which added mobile games to the company's portfolio.[5][6] MindJolt renamed as SGN in March 2012.[7][8] In June 2013, SGN acquired Mob Science, a developer of social games and known for Legends: Rise of a Hero.[9] The company launched bubble shooter Panda Pop in 2013, which would later become one of the high-grossing mobile games.[10][11] Match-3 puzzle game Cookie Jam launched in 2014.[12] Cookie Jam was named Facebook's game of the year with more than 100 million downloads and 5 million active players at the time.[13][14] Cookie Jam was also among the 20 highest-grossing mobile games for Google Play and Apple's App Store.[15]
References
- Arrington, Michael (3 March 2010). "Chris DeWolfe Makes His Move – Raises Big Round, Acquires Gaming Platform MindJolt". TechCrunch. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
- Graham, Jefferson (March 22, 2017). "Jam City seeks another hit with more Family Guy, plans for IPO". USA Today. Tysons Corner, VA. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
- Chaykowski, Kathleen (June 12, 2017). "Former MySpace CEO Makes A Comeback As A Mobile Gaming Hitmaker". Forbes. New York, NY. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
- Spangler, Todd (July 23, 2015). "Mobile-Game Studio SGN Lands $130 Million from Korea's Netmarble". Variety. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
- Rusli, Evelyn M. (18 April 2011). "A Myspace Founder Builds Again, Buying Game Companies". New York Times Dealbook. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
- Kozlowski, Lori (12 June 2013). "The Science of Social Games". Forbes. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
- Ha, Anthony (2 March 2012). "MySpace Co-Founder Chris DeWolfe Explains SGN's New Name, Multi-Platform Plans". TechCrunch. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
- Spangler, Todd (22 September 2016). "SGN Changes Name to Jam City, Acquires Rights to Make 'Peanuts' Mobile Game". Variety. Variety Media, LLC. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
- M, Will (17 June 2013). "Social Gaming Network's Acquisition Of Mob Science Continues Trend Away From Facebook-Only Social Games". AdWeek: Social Times. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
- Cowley, Ric (August 25, 2017). "Jam City's Panda Pop clears 100 million downloads in under four years". Pocket Gamer. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
- Shieber, Jonathan (August 24, 2017). "Panda Pop passes 100 million users as Jam City readies for an IPO". TechCrunch. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
- Saltzman, Marc (March 24, 2014). "'Cookie Jam': A tasty puzzle game with new twists". USA Today. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
- Takahashi, Dean (May 24, 2017). "Jam City's Cookie Jam hits 100 million downloads as Cookie Jam Blast debuts". VentureBeat. San Francisco, CA. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
- Dave, Paresh (December 16, 2014). "Mobile game 'Cookie Jam' latest hit being exported to China". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
- Zipkin, Nina (July 23, 2015). "Maker of 'Cookie Jam' Lands $130 Million Investment From Korea's Top Gaming Giant". Entrepreneur (magazine). Retrieved March 10, 2021.
Thanks again for helping with this article, and I appreciate you taking the time to consider these edits. Let me know if you have any questions or other feedback. Danilo Two (talk) 12:47, 12 May 2021 (UTC)
- Edited as requested, with teaks for the manual of style. IceWelder [✉] 22:03, 13 May 2021 (UTC)
- @IceWelder: Thanks so much for these updates. Danilo Two (talk) 12:13, 17 May 2021 (UTC)
Edit request: Games; Products and collaborations
 | This edit request by an editor with a conflict of interest has now been answered. |
Hello, I'd like to make another request to update this article. Disclosure: I am here with a financial conflict of interest on behalf of Jam City through my work with Beutler Ink.
Next up, I have researched and written a new draft of the article's Games and Products and collaborations sections. Since these two sections are related, I am proposing updates to both at the same time. I placed a draft in my userspace for review (you can also see a diff I made comparing it to the live version). I would usually include my draft on this Talk page as part of the request, but the gameography table wasn't rendering properly in a collapse box, so I'm just linking to my userspace draft. I hope that makes sense.
The live Jam_City_(company)#Games section is short and outdated, so I put together an updated version that renames the section Selected gameography and includes a table of some of Jam City's games based on the availability of third-party reliable sources. In the table, I included the year the game was released, its platforms, genres, and any special notes that are needed.
I also shortened the Jam_City_(company)#Products_and_collaborations section by removing information about Book of Life and Peanuts, as that information exists in my Selected gameography draft. I removed "In contrast to the two major app stores in the US (App Store and Google Play), China has over a dozen." as it didn't seem the information was material for an article about Jam City.
@IceWelder: I know you said you are busy at the moment, but I wanted to give you a heads up about this request in case it is of interest when your time frees up a bit.
I keep my Wikipedia contributions where I have a financial conflict of interest on Talk pages rather than directly edit entries, so I'm looking for editors who might be willing to review my request and update the article as they feel is appropriate. Please ping me if you have any questions or feedback. I am happy to collaborate with others. Thank you in advance, Danilo Two (talk) 14:10, 26 May 2021 (UTC)
Partly done: I overtook the "Products and collaborations" as drafted but I'm holding off from the table for now. Notes columns should usually only contain something that affected the company's role (e.g. is/was a licensee; bought the game from another developer; bought the developer of the game). Details like player count, awards, or revenue are usually not mentioned. Furthermore, the word "gameography" (or "ludography") is not in widespread use and was largely replaced by the Video games WikiProject with more recognizable terms. Android and iOS should be linked in their first instance (and consider using rowspanas all games are on the same platforms). IceWelder [✉] 13:25, 10 June 2021 (UTC)- @IceWelder: Thanks so much! I updated the table in my user space. Let me know if this works better! I updated the title to "Selected games", used
rowspanper your suggestion, and removed notes about revenues, player counts, and awards. Thanks again for your constructive feedback. Danilo Two (talk) 13:50, 10 June 2021 (UTC)- Looks good.
Done with the usual wikification/fixes. IceWelder [✉] 15:05, 10 June 2021 (UTC)
- Thank you! Danilo Two (talk) 16:14, 10 June 2021 (UTC)
- Looks good.
- @IceWelder: Thanks so much! I updated the table in my user space. Let me know if this works better! I updated the title to "Selected games", used
Jam City going public
| This edit request by an editor with a conflict of interest has now been answered. |
Hello, Jam City recently announced that it would go public through a merger with a special purpose acquisition company. The story was picked up by several reliable sources, so I put together proposed wording, citing Reuters and Bloomberg, for editors to consider adding to History. Disclosure: I am here with a financial conflict of interest on behalf of Jam City through my work with Beutler Ink.
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Coverage of the announcement also included some updated stats that could be added to the article, if editors think it's appropriate. This GamesBeat story[1] verifies that as of 2021:
- Jam City had more than 825 employees
- Jam City's games were downloaded 1.3 billion times
- Jam City had 31 million monthly active users
References
- Takahashi, Dean (May 20, 2021). "Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery publisher Jam City will launch SPAC at $1.2B value, buy Ludia for $175M". GamesBeat. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
@IceWelder: I also wanted to give you a heads up about this request in case it is of interest when your time frees up a bit.
I keep my Wikipedia contributions where I have a financial conflict of interest on Talk pages rather than directly edit entries, so I'm looking for editors who might be willing to review my request and update the article as they feel is appropriate. Please ping me if you have any questions or feedback. I am happy to collaborate with others. Thank you in advance, Danilo Two (talk) 12:44, 9 June 2021 (UTC)
- Done. IceWelder [✉] 13:25, 10 June 2021 (UTC)
- @IceWelder: Thanks so much for this! What are your thoughts on using this GamesBeat story[1] to update the introduction with the following as of 2021:
- Jam City had more than 825 employees
- Jam City's games were downloaded 1.3 billion times
- Jam City had 31 million monthly active users
- Thanks for considering. Danilo Two (talk) 13:53, 10 June 2021 (UTC)
- @IceWelder: Thanks so much for this! What are your thoughts on using this GamesBeat story[1] to update the introduction with the following as of 2021:
References
- Takahashi, Dean (May 20, 2021). "Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery publisher Jam City will launch SPAC at $1.2B value, buy Ludia for $175M". GamesBeat. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
- That must have slipped my mind, sorry. I inserted this, distributed across the respective sections and with a short mention in the lead. IceWelder [✉] 15:22, 10 June 2021 (UTC)
- Thank you! Danilo Two (talk) 16:15, 10 June 2021 (UTC)
- That must have slipped my mind, sorry. I inserted this, distributed across the respective sections and with a short mention in the lead. IceWelder [✉] 15:22, 10 June 2021 (UTC)
Request edit on 23 July 2024 for Jam City
| This edit request by an editor with a conflict of interest has now been answered. |
- What I think should be changed: Jam City CEO is co-founder and former Jam City president and COO Josh Yguado.
- Why it should be changed: Josh Yguado was elevated to the position on Jan 19, 2023.
- References supporting the possible change (format using the "cite" button):
https://labusinessjournal.com/media/entertainment/jam-city-names-yguado-its-new-ceo/ https://techcrunch.com/2023/01/19/a-32-million-seed-round-for-chris-dewolfes-next-gaming-biz-defies-2023-trends/ https://venturebeat.com/games/jam-city-appoints-josh-yguado-as-ceo-as-chris-dewolfe-leaves-for-plai-labs-startup/ https://mobilegamer.biz/jobs-weekly-moves-at-jam-city-supercell-homa-big-fish-king-and-more/ https://www.pocketgamer.biz/josh-yguado-appointed-ceo-of-jam-city/
MCJamCity (talk) 21:21, 23 July 2024 (UTC)
References