All the sessions from Transform 2021 are available on-demand now. Watch now.
Roblox has quietly acqui-hired Bash Video, a social video conferencing platform that Kongregate cofounder Jim Greer started.
It’s a small deal, as Bash Video only has six employees, but Greer is well known in gaming circles. Greer founded Kongregate with his sister, Emily Greer, in 2006. That company focused on publishing web games from indie developers, and it grew over time. Greer posted the news on his Facebook and LinkedIn pages. Roblox acknowledged the deal in a statement.
GameStop bought Kongregate for $50 million in 2010, and Kongregate made its pivot to mobile games in 2013. Greer left the company in 2014 and his sister became CEO. Kongregate was sold once again to Modern Times Group in 2017. Meanwhile, Greer focused on nonprofit work to improve elections for a time.
Above: Jim Greer in 2012.
He returned to the startup scene in 2020, starting Bash Video, which was all about connecting people through games. It had built a video conferencing application. Investors included Bloomberg Beta and Precursor Ventures. We don’t know what the download numbers were for Bash Video, but it is probably safe to say they weren’t huge. I would probably venture that the valuable thing about this to Roblox, which has more than 1,000 employees, is to get a team that has a talent for building things.
Webinar
Three top investment pros open up about what it takes to get your video game funded.
Bash Video’s team has become part of the Roblox developer group, and Greer has been appointed a director of engineering.
GamesBeat
GamesBeat’s creed when covering the game industry is “where passion meets business.” What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you — not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it.
How will you do that? Membership includes access to:
- Newsletters, such as DeanBeat
- The wonderful, educational, and fun speakers at our events
- Networking opportunities
- Special members-only interviews, chats, and “open office” events with GamesBeat staff
- Chatting with community members, GamesBeat staff, and other guests in our Discord
- And maybe even a fun prize or two
- Introductions to like-minded parties
Author: Dean Takahashi
Source: Venturebeat
