The former head honcho at Nintendo of Europe finds his new home at the mobile game developer.Games Industry Veteran Jim Merrick Named President and CEO of Mobliss, Mobile Entertainment Publisher
SEATTLE, June 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Mobliss, an Index Group Company, known for powering American Idol SMS voting and bringing entertainment brands like Family Feud(TM) and the New York Times Crossword(TM) to mobile, today announces a new president and CEO. Jim Merrick, a 12-year entertainment industry veteran hits the ground running with firm plans on expanding the company's space in creative mobile entertainment, including beefing up the company's focus in the mobile-phone gaming arena which is one of the fastest growing segments of the $27.5 billion global interactive entertainment industry.
Merrick joins Mobliss after a long history with Nintendo. His diverse roles have included head of software, hardware and brand marketing across Europe, as well as technical director for Nintendo in the US, developing new technologies and leading a support team dedicated to helping licensees develop games for Nintendo systems.
Merrick will oversee all Mobliss operations, which include game licensing and development, mobile messaging and Mobliss' proprietary SMS voting platform.
"Jim's years of experience at one of the world's biggest gaming companies, where he oversaw initiatives in the areas of technology, development and marketing, make him the clear choice to lead Mobliss into the future," said Yoshimi Ogawa, President of Index Holdings.
"Mobile phones are a part of everyday life for millions of consumers. That number just keeps growing," notes Jim Merrick. "Mobliss is a pioneer and already has proven people want to do more than just use phones to chat. They love to play video games and they love to communicate instantly in many different and edgy ways. Growing this is my sole focus."
"Jim's deep and virtually unique background in both technical and marketing expertise should benefit Mobliss greatly," notes well-known industry analyst P.J. McNealy, Senior Analyst at American Technology Research. "The field of mobile gaming and entertainment is a growing market, and the timing of this move looks solid."
Mobliss develops some of the most creative concepts in wireless gaming that incorporate the latest in wireless technology. This includes the first multiplayer cross-carrier game, Family Feud(TM), as well as mobile access to the daily New York Times Crossword. With an experienced track record developing and publishing BREW, J2ME, SMS, MMS, and WAP games, Mobliss connects carriers, game developers and brands.
Topic: Jim Merrick Moves to Mobliss (Read 1837 times)
