Following the news that GameMaker: Studio developer YoYo Games was bought by a gambling tools outfit, CEO Sandy Duncan has left the company.
According to updates his LinkedIn and Twitter profiles, the ex-VP of Xbox Europe Duncan stepped down as CEO to join Ferno Technology, which is acting as a consultant to YoYo Games.
Game marker
Known for its online gambling business, Playtech boasts a suite of development tools and systems.
It’s here that GameMaker: Studio will now make its mark, helping the Isle of Man-based company strengthen its position in the casual gaming market.
Largely thanks to its cross-platform flexibility and low price point, YoYo Games’ GMS tool has become popular amongst small teams and developers – over 750,000 of them, to be precise.
In total, GameMaker: Studio can be used to make games for iOS, Android, OS X, HTML5, PlayStation, Xbox, Ubuntu, Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8.
"This acquisition will enable the company to further diversify its business, benefiting from a combined B2B/B2C offering focused on a strong and growing segment of the wider gaming market," a Playtech spokesperson said in a statement.