Apple eyeing Chinese gaming company?
An executive of Handseeing Information Technology says his company has been talking with Apple about the possibility of an acquisition, according to reports.
- 30 years experience at tech and consumer publications, print and online. Five years in the US Army as a translator (German and Polish).
This is just one man's word for now, but he would seem to be in a position to know: an executive of Chinese game developer Handseeing Information Technology says his company is an acquisition target for Apple.
According to reports from Reuters, Agence France Presse, the IDG News Service, and others, Handseeing Deputy General Manager Tian Bo on Friday said the two companies have been huddling.
"We are indeed in talks," <="" a="" rel="noopener nofollow" class="c-regularLink" target="_blank"> Tian told AFP, and have been for "a certain period of time." Reuters, meanwhile, reports that Tian said to expect an announcement in the next two months.
And that's as detailed as it gets. The other news reports, which seem based on individual conversations with Tian, have slight variations on that quote. Apple declined to comment on the reports.
As a final caveat, it should be noted that acquisition talks between any two companies are subject to falling apart at any point up to the dotted lines being signed.
Chengdu-based Handseeing, founded in late 2005, has an application engine it says "can be applied for high-end Web games, super graphics communities, 3G mobile online, set-top box online communities, and online games."
Apple, meanwhile, seems to be on the verge of releasing a Wi-Fi-enabled iPhone in China, and sales of Macs and other Apple gear have been booming there of late.
Updated 9:49 a.m. PDT with Apple's response to the reports.