Software giant Microsoft is getting more serious in the gaming market. The software company has just acquired the backend game platform provider PlayFab. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed to the public.

According to TechCrunch, the Redmond-based company this week announced that it has acquired PlayFab, a startup which accelerates game development by handling live operations and other gaming tasks. The target company, PlayFab, provides cost-effective services to build and launch cloud-connected games across all gaming platforms.

Microsoft plans to strengthen its position in the highly lucrative gaming market. The PlayFab deal is the software giant’s latest move in the gaming market. The software firm plans to integrate PlayFab with Microsoft Azure’s gaming group, according to reports.

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About the target company, PlayFab
Founded in 2014 and based in Seattle, Washington, PlayFab is a backend game platform provider that helps game developers build and manage their online games with simplified back-end services. The startup helps developers launch titles more quickly, providing game developers with services such as data storage, friend lists, leaderboards, profile management, server management, deep analytics, custom game server hosting and in-game purchasing for various companies ranging from small developers to big corporate gaming companies. The startup currently served more than 700 million gamers and powers around 1,200 games from top companies like Angry Birds-maker Rovio, Atari, and Disney.

PlayFab is also active in the funding world. The company has already raised $13 million in total funding. PlayFab’s investors include TEEC Angel Fund, Madrona Venture Group, Benchmark, Startup Capital Ventures, Barney Harford, Jason Kapalka, Larry Bowman, Benjamin Haun, and Maya Rogers.

Software giant Microsoft is no longer stranger when it comes to game-related acquisitions. Last year, Microsoft acquired the interactive streaming service Beam. It also bought the social virtual reality app AltspaceVR this past fall, the TechCrunch reported.


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