Bethesda Softworks announced it has acquired Nova Scotia, Canada-based Alpha Dog Games. Alpha Dog Games is known for developing fun and engaging products for the mobile platform and this purchase is seen by many in the industry as a way to expand Bethesda's growing mobile game initiative.
According to a press statement from Bethesda Senior Vice President of Development Todd Vaughn Bethesda is "impressed by the team at Alpha Dog’s commitment to quality and depth of experience in mobile,” and added that they are more than happy for them to be part of the Bethesda family.
So far Bethesda has two games released for Android and iOS. The first was the free-to-play simulation game Fallout Shelter, which was released in 2015. The game received mainly positive reviews with critics citing how the game extended the Fallout universe, its core gameplay, and even visual style. Criticism was focused on the lack of depth, lack of ending, and unnecessary microtransactions. Bethesda is set to release its second mobile game with The Elder Scrolls: Blades this year. The game is a spin-off of The Elder Scrolls series and is set after The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, but before The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
Alpha Dog was founded in 2012 by Shawn Woods and Jeff Cameron. Woods was formerly an Art Director at Microsoft, Relic Entertainment and Fit Brains while Cameron has a 20-year experience in the industry serving as leader of game development teams on numerous titles for publishers such as Microsoft, THQ, Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, HBO, and 2K.
According to their website, Alpha Dog says that they make sure each game is unique and has the needed handcrafted experiences that fit the audience. The studio develops games and sets the bar high by putting on social experiences and making the best use of Unity and Unreal Engine 4. Alpha Dog is known for Monstrocity: Rampage, where players lead an army of massive monsters who go into epic battles while smashing cities to the ground. It's not all monsters, as this real-time strategy game also lets players build their city from a small town into a mighty metropolis. Another game under Alpha Dog's belt is the action RPG Wraithborne. Since its 2012 release, the game has been downloaded by at least 1.5 million players. In the game, players take control of a lone warrior to defeat monsters with a combination of combat and Rune Magic.
