Bastei Lübbe AG

M&A Activity • May 16, 2014

News Details

Ad-hoc | 16 May 2014 15:40

Bastei Lübbe AG: Bastei Lübbe AG acquiring majority share in prize-winning game development house Daedalic Entertainment GmbH

Bastei Lübbe AG / Key word(s): Investment

16.05.2014 15:40

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The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

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Cologne/Hamburg, 16th of May 2014 - Bastei Lübbe AG, listed in the Prime
Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (ISIN DE000A1X3YY0), is acquiring
a 51% stake in Daedalic Entertainment GmbH of Hamburg. The contracts for
this transaction, part of the company's multimedia growth strategy, were
signed today. Daedalic Entertainment, known for its prize-winning adventure
and story-based computer games, is widely regarded as one of Germany's top
game development and publishing houses. The company received its second
"Studio of the Year" award in 2013, following in the footsteps of its
triumph in 2009. Daedalic Entertainment earned revenues of roughly 6 mn
euros in 2013, representing EBIT margins of over 10%. The Hamburg-based
company is forecasting rising revenues through 2015, to around 14 mn euros,
and EBIT growth of over 2 mn euros.

The two companies are planning a close strategic partnership that will
preserve and promote Daedalic's creative freedom for future developments.
For Bastei Lübbe, the acquisition represents an expansion of its activities
in this field. Deadalic's brands, including the games "Deponia" and "Edna &
Harvey: The Breakout", bring with them a significant fan base, laying an
ideal groundwork for synergy in the film, audio, comic and eBook areas.

The operative collaboration is effective immediately. The sides have agreed
not to disclose any information about the purchase price for the
controlling stake.

About Bastei Lübbe AG:
Bastei Lübbe AG is a media company organised around its publishing venture.
It publishes books, audio books, ebooks and digital products in both the
literary and popular science genres, as well as serialised novels and
puzzle magazines. Bastei Lübbe is also actively involved in brand
licensing and the development, production and distribution of gift,
decoration and merchandising articles. Bastei Lübbe has for many years
enjoyed an almost unbroken streak as the market leader in the growing
segment of hard-cover literature; in 2013 its literary ebooks division was
also ranked number one on the market. 2013 saw the company's 60th
anniversary celebration and its launch as a publicly traded company. Shares
of Bastei Lübbe AG are listed in the Prime Standard segment of the
Frankfurt Stock Exchange (WKN A1X3YY, ISIN DE000A1X3YY0).

About Daedalic Entertainment GmbH:
Hamburg-based Daedalic Entertainment develops and markets high-quality
computer and video games for a global market. The studio puts a
developmental focus on outstanding entertainment software with a strong
narrative character. Daedalic titles like Goodbye Deponia have claimed 21
German Developer prizes, including "Studio of the Year" in 2009 and 2013.
Its Chaos on Deponia also earned the studio the German Computer Gaming
Prize as "Best German Game of 2013". Daedalic Entertainment has won the
German Computer Gaming Prize five times in all, as well as one European
Games Award. Titles like Goodbye Deponia, Memoria and Edna & Harvey: The
Breakout have set new benchmarks for the adventure segment. As a publisher
of third-party content, Daedalic Entertainment has released unusual and
outstanding titles such as Torchlight II, Gomo, Munin and Divinity:
Original Sin.

Kontakt Bastei Lübbe AG:
Barbara Fischer
Leitung Presse und
Veranstaltungsmarketing
Tel.: 0221 / 82 00 28 50
E-Mail: barbara.fischer@luebbe.de

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Language: English
Company: Bastei Lübbe AG
Schanzenstraße 6 - 20
51063 Köln
Germany
Phone: 02 21 / 82 00 - 0
Fax: 02 21 / 82 00 - 1900
E-mail: investorrelations@luebbe.de
Internet: www.luebbe.de
ISIN: DE000A1X3YY0, DE000A1K0169
WKN: A1X3YY, A1K016
Listed: Regulierter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr
in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Hannover, Stuttgart

End of Announcement DGAP News-Service

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