Sheffield’s Sumo Group plc in £2.2m swoop for indie games studio

Sheffield-headquartered games company Sumo Group plc has snapped up game development studio The Chinese Room.

Sumo acquired the Brighton-based firm from its founders, Dan Pinchbeck and Jessica Curry, for £2.2m.

It said the acquisition will accelerate its own-intellectual-property (IP) pipeline and provide new IP, creative talent and the opportunity to expand its presence in the South.

The Chinese Room was founded in 2010. Its games include Dear Esther, Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs and Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture, which won three BAFTAs.

Following the acquisition, Dan Pinchbeck is joining Sumo Group in the role of creative director of The Chinese Room, while Jessica Curry will leave to continue her career as a composer.

Carl Cavers, chief exec of Sumo Group, said: “I am really pleased with the acquisition of The Chinese Room and that Dan has chosen to join Sumo Digital.

“We believe his renowned and proven creative abilities will add real value to the business. The Chinese Room has an outstanding reputation and its acquisition will enhance and extend Sumo Digital’s capabilities, as well as bringing new intellectual property and accelerating our own IP pipeline.”

He continued: “This acquisition follows on from our new studio in Newcastle, which we took over from CCP Games in January this year and which is now performing strongly.

“Having a studio in the South of England opens further doors for the group and we are confident that it will create exciting opportunities.”

The expansion follows Sumo Group’s listing on AIM via a £145m IPO.

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