Starbreeze acquires 'toys-to-life' studio for $7 million in shares

Payday 2 and Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons publisher Starbreeze Studios has purchased Geminose, a developer working on a new, toy-incorporating IP that's comparable to the Skylanders and Disney Infinity franchises. The acquisition, made via North American subsidiary Starbreeze USA Inc., is worth $7 million of shares in Starbreeze Studios, with an additional $3 million in cash possible, should Geminose reach unspecified performance targets set for the next five years.

In a related press release, Starbreeze explains that Geminose will "strengthen Starbreeze's range of IP's further to include a youth targeted franchise, 'Geminose.'" (The game shares a name with its developer.) "The Geminose franchise combines physical toys and interactive multiplatform gameplay for youths aged 5-12."

An included statement from Starbreeze CEO Bo Andersson Klint remarks that Geminose will see development "during 2015/2016," so we can't expect a fresh competitor to line up beside Skylanders, Disney figurines and amiibos anytime soon.

The Geminose studio is led by Cos Lazouras and Foo Katan, which the pair's accumulative experience including work at Warner Bros. Interactive, Bits Studios and Tigon Studios, where Lazouras produced Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay. Starbreeze has managed acquisitions before, including its 2012 purchase of Overkill Software, developer of Payday 2 and an upcoming co-op shooter based on the The Walking Dead.