Sega has announced that it has acquired San Francisco-based social games maker Three Rings Design. Developer of 2003's Puzzle Pirates, 2009's Spiral Knights and the forthcoming Doctor Who: Worlds In Time, Three Rings has done much to pioneer and advance social and multiplayer gaming.
Sega in its press release says that the move is "a key part of [its] aggressive expansion into the digital space; the addition of vision, talent, content and technology further secures Sega's foothold in the fastest growing sector of the video game industry."
Three Rings has a long term relationship with Sega, which published Spiral Knights. Says senior vice president of digital business for Sega Haruki Satomi, "We knew from the first time we saw Spiral Knights that the team at Three Rings was not simply talented but truly unique, and the close bond we have formed with them over the past year has only solidified that impression."
Three Rings co-founder and CEO Daniel James adds, "Three Rings has always been a studio that prides itself on the depth and creativity of our games, we are very fortunate to have found a company like Sega that both respects our identity and shares our passion for developing engaging and quality games."