RealNetworks / Mr. Goodliving

RealNetworks Buys Finnish Mobile Games Maker Mr. Goodliving for About $15 Million SEATTLE (AP) -- RealNetworks Inc., which produces digital media and software, said Wednesday it acquired Finnish mobile games designer Mr.Goodliving Ltd. for about $15 million in cash, in a move into the mobile-game publishing business.

Based in Helsinki and founded in 1999, Mr.Goodliving has created casual mobile games available throughout Europe. The company's library includes the Playman Sports series and the European-distribution rights for the Trivial Pursuit mobile edition. The company's games are available through more than 100 distributors and carriers, including Vodafone, Telefonica and T-Mobile International.

Mr.Goodliving will operate as a unit of RealNetworks, and all of Mr.Goodliving's employees will continue with the company and remain in their Helsinki location. Juha Ruskola will continue as managing director of the Finnish firm and lead RealNetworks' mobile games business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

RealNetworks said it expects the acquisition to generate about $3 million of incremental revenue for the remainder of 2005 and about $8 million in 2006. Accordingly, RealNetworks raised 2005 revenue guidance to between $323 million and $333 million, up from prior estimates of $320 million to $330 million.

The company said the transaction won't impact 2005 profit guidance, but will add slightly to 2006 earnings per share.

(AP)