Unity Acquires Delta DNA

Scottish games technology company DeltaDNA has been bought by gaming giant Unity Technologies, for an undisclosed sum.

According to Unity, DeltaDNA will continue to operate as a separate entity, providing analytics, player management tools and ‘live ops’ to developers on a global basis.

DeltaDNA, which started life as Games Analytics, is already used by many of the leading publishers and developers, including Viacom, Bandai Namco and 505 Games.

According to Delta DNA, the acquisition will enable greater integration between the company’s tools and the increasingly ubiquitous games platform. The company notes a number of benefits which developers will be able to take advantage of:

Game Management

We have always talked about how deltaDNA allows you to manage the whole game economy. Joining Unity evolves the proposition yet again as we look to tie everything together across Unity’s Acquire, Engage, and Monetize functionalities.

Feature Access

Unity users will have the opportunity to access our advanced analytics and engagement tools. Building games with Unity’s engine and then optimizing them using our platform will be easier than ever.

Advanced Automation

A direct line between deltaDNA and the Unity Engine will cut out the need for developers to act as intermediaries. This will, in turn, make it possible to populate more areas of games with player-specific content for better engagement.

Engine Support

Together we are expanding our remit, not reducing it, and will continue to support all of our clients as we always have. This isn’t just great news for those using Unity – the progress we make will benefit all deltaDNA clients, regardless of which engine they use.

Event Implementation

Automated data collection within the Engine will facilitate easier implementation of events within the platform, significantly reducing the workload associated with intelligent event-tracking.

Unity puts it more simply, stating:

“You can use deltaDNA across any engine, with any backend, and with any monetization system – and we are committed to it staying that way!”

Mark Robinson, chief executive and founder of DeltaDNA, said:

“Operating your game just got a whole lot better. DeltaDNA and Unity have always worked well together, but the possibility of a fully integrated workflow is a game-changer for everyone involved.”

GP Bullhound acted as financial advisor to DeltaDNA on the sale to Unity. Alec Dafferner, a partner at GP Bullhound, said:

“DeltaDNA’s ability to leverage insights using game data and game economy with player experiences allows developers and publishers to manage the game economy in a way which was previously impossible.

“We are delighted to have advised the company on this transaction and help bring their technology to Unity’s massive global installed base.”

Ingrid Lestiyo, general manager, monetisation, at Unity Technologies, added:

“The acquisition of DeltaDNA builds on Unity’s commitment to enabling developer success at all stages of the game life cycle, from creation onwards. We’re excited to welcome DeltaDNA into the Unity family.”

This is a superb exit for an ambitious Scottish company, which has pioneered the use of data and analytics within a gaming context. Now developers around the world will get access to their incredible service and find it simpler to retain and monetise players.

Huge congratulations to Mark and the team.