Mobile games developer and publisher Nifty Games has formed a new development studio in Chicago, Illinois.

Recently, the developer and publisher confirmed that it had signed agreements with the NFL, NFLPA, NBA, NBPA, and THINK450 to bring a range of sports titles to mobile devices.

As a result, having an office in Chicago makes perfect sense for Nifty, especially since the city boasts multiple sports teams – the Bears are part of the NFL, while the Bulls are in the NBA. It is also worth noting that there is also an NHL team known as the Blackhawks in Chicago.

"There may not be a better-suited city in the world to develop mobile-first, authentic sports games than Chicago," said Nifty Games CEO Jon Middleton.

"Nifty Games Chicago's development team have worked together to build licensed sports games for decades, while also bringing additional extensive mobile free-to-play sports game expertise under the Nifty Games banner."

At the helm

The US-based office will be led by David Michicich and serves as the company's first internal development studio. Michicich has more than 25 years of experience in the industry; not only is he a co-founder of Robomodo, he also held a range of leadership roles at companies such as Electronic Arts.

"The opportunity to spearhead the Nifty Games Chicago studio is tremendous," said Michicich.

"The ability to start a studio with a group that has worked together for years, doing what we love is incredibly unique. There is a deep pool of talented developers residing in Chicago who are truly passionate about sports. We aim to build the best sports-focused mobile studio to bring fun and competitive, mobile-first games to sports fans globally."