Boonty
Encyclopedia
Boonty is a global supplier of digital distribution
solutions for online and PC gaming
.
The company's white label
casual game
platform is utilized by over 100 partners worldwide, including Internet portals, ISPs, and mobile operators.
Boonty has also launched its own branded destination sites. Boonty.com is available in localized versions for the United States
, France
, UK, Belgium
, Italy
, Sweden
, Norway
, Denmark
, Japan
, Korea
, Mexico
, Austria
, Australia
, Taiwan
, Hong-Kong, Germany
, Portugal
, Finland
, Singapore
, The Netherlands
, and Spain
.
In October 2006, Boonty announced the acquisition of Beijing-based casual game developer Gamehub.
In February 2007, Boonty launched Cafe.com for free multiplayer social casual games.
In January 2009, Nexway acquired Boonty.
The company started as a pioneer in digital distribution of video games.
The Boonty Digital Platform was rapidly used by the biggest ISP and media sites in the world and the company opened various offices in the world:
After discovering the Asian gaming market, the company decided to launch its own gaming destination website based on free to play and micro-transaction.
, CodeMasters
, Disney, EA
, Eidos
, Hachette Multimedia, MC2, Nevosoft
, Popcap, Sega
, and UbiSoft
.
Games are available as try-before-you-buy, as browser game
s and via monthly subscription packages.
Business models include:
Digital distribution
Online distribution, digital distribution, or electronic software distribution is the practice of delivering content without the use of physical media, typically by downloading via the internet directly to a consumer's device. Online distribution bypasses conventional physical distribution media,...
solutions for online and PC gaming
Personal computer game
A PC game, also known as a computer game, is a video game played on a personal computer, rather than on a video game console or arcade machine...
.
The company's white label
White label product
A white label product or service is a product or service produced by one company that other companies rebrand to make it appear as if they made it.-History:...
casual game
Casual game
A casual game is a video game targeted at or used by a mass audience of casual gamers. Casual games can have any type of gameplay, and fit in any genre. They are typically distinguished by their simple rules and lack of commitment required in contrast to more complex hardcore games...
platform is utilized by over 100 partners worldwide, including Internet portals, ISPs, and mobile operators.
Boonty has also launched its own branded destination sites. Boonty.com is available in localized versions for the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, UK, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, Hong-Kong, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, The Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
In October 2006, Boonty announced the acquisition of Beijing-based casual game developer Gamehub.
In February 2007, Boonty launched Cafe.com for free multiplayer social casual games.
In January 2009, Nexway acquired Boonty.
Corporate history
- Boonty was launched in ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 2001 by brothers Mathieu and Romain Nouzareth. Prior to establishing Boonty, the brothers founded WebConcept, one of the first e-business consulting companies in France, which they sold to Sweden’s IconMedialab (EuronextEuronextEuronext N.V. is a pan-European stock exchange based in Amsterdam and with subsidiaries in Belgium, France, Netherlands, Portugal and the United Kingdom. In addition to equities and derivatives markets, the Euronext group provides clearing and information services...
: icon) in 1999.
The company started as a pioneer in digital distribution of video games.
The Boonty Digital Platform was rapidly used by the biggest ISP and media sites in the world and the company opened various offices in the world:
- July 2004: Opening of Boonty Inc., based in New YorkNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
- September 2004: Opening of Boonty Asia Pte Ltd, based in SingaporeSingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
- February 2006: Opening of Boonty Japan PTD in TokyoTokyo, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
After discovering the Asian gaming market, the company decided to launch its own gaming destination website based on free to play and micro-transaction.
- May 2007: Boonty acquires the Chinese Game Studio GameHub and open Boonty China
- June 2007: Boonty acquires domain name cafe.com and start to operate the online game web site
- October 2008: Boonty launches Facebook app iscool
- December 2008: The company decides to sells its Digital Distribution Platform and the Name Boonty to Gilles Ridel of Nexway, the leader of digital distribution of software and video games.
- January 2009: Boonty changes name to Cafe.com
- February 2009: The founder brothers are leaving the company
- June 2010: Cafe.com enters the NYSE Euronext and changes its name to Weka-Entertainment
Game catalogue
Boonty’s catalogue comprises more than 4,000 PC games and 2,000 mobile games from over 100 game developers including Alawar, AtariAtari
Atari is a corporate and brand name owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by Atari Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of the French publisher Atari, SA . The original Atari, Inc. was founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. It was a pioneer in...
, CodeMasters
Codemasters
The Codemasters Software Company Limited, or Codemasters is a British video game developer founded by Richard and David Darling in 1986...
, Disney, EA
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
, Eidos
Eidos Interactive
Eidos Interactive Ltd. is a British video game publisher and is a label of Square Enix Europe. As an independent company Eidos plc was headquartered in the Wimbledon Bridge House in Wimbledon, London Borough of Merton....
, Hachette Multimedia, MC2, Nevosoft
Nevosoft
Nevosoft is a casual game developer, publisher, distributor, and portal headquartered in St. Petersburg, Russia. Nevosoft was founded in 2002 and become famous for its high quality games which are well known worldwide. The company has four development studios situated in St...
, Popcap, Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
, and UbiSoft
Ubisoft
Ubisoft Entertainment S.A. is a major French video game publisher and developer, with headquarters in Montreuil, France. The company has a worldwide presence with 25 studios in 17 countries and subsidiaries in 26 countries....
.
Games are available as try-before-you-buy, as browser game
Browser game
A browser game is a computer game that is played over the Internet using a web browser. Browser games can be created and run using standard web technologies or browser plug-ins. Browser games include all video game genres and can be single-player or multiplayer...
s and via monthly subscription packages.
Business models include:
- Advertising-supported
- Licenses selling