The National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) have announced production of a new mobile game. The organizations have partnered with developer and publisher Nifty Games to bring the title to market.
The upcoming mobile game will include NBA players in addition to teams and venues that fans are familiar with.
Nifty Games taking it to the hole
Jon Middleton, CEO of Nifty Games, said his team is excited to partner up with the NBA and the NBPA. “Mobile is the most accessible games platform in the world, and we’re focused on bringing NBA fans fast, authentic action with head-to-head mobile gaming that delivers NBA basketball and the teams and players fans love most,” he added.
Middleton’s background is in entrepreneurship, and he’s worked within the video game industry for several years. He was the former founder of a company called Eight Cylinders Inc., which produced authoring tools for game developers. The company was acquired by On2 and, later, Google. Middleton was also the co-founder of Massive and Boom Music, acquired by Microsoft and LiveGamer respectively.
Matthew Holt, NBA senior vice president of global partnerships, is confident in Nifty Games’ ability to engage basketball fans. In a statement, he said the NBA is always looking to bring fans close to the teams and players.
“Nifty Games has a unique vision for bringing the excitement and intensity of the NBA to fans around the world on their mobile devices,” Holt said.
Ted Leonsis, CEO and chairman of Monumental Sports & Entertainment and investor in Nifty Games, also expressed excitement at the deal. “At Monumental,” said Leonsis, “we are a big believer in the power of esports and often utilize traditional sports as a vehicle to best connect with the next generation of fans through gaming.”
The as-yet unnamed mobile game is expected to release later this year.
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