Chris DeWolfe, the University of Washington grad who went on to co-found MySpace, continues to reinvent himself as an online gaming entrepreneur. DeWolfe’s profitable company, MindJolt, has made two recent buys and is considering others as it looks to take on top-dog Zynga.
The company just purchased Social Gaming Network and Hallpass, with Tricia Duryee at All Things D reporting that the deals will give the upstart momentum in both social and mobile games. Meanwhile, DeWolfe tells The New York Times that the San Francisco and L.A.-based company plans to gobble up other entertainment and gaming companies in the future.
There’s been some speculation that DeWolfe also may make a run at his former employer, MySpace.
Social Gaming Network is a maker of mobile games for the iPad and iPhone, including Mini Tycoon Casino and Skies of Glory. The company raised $18 million in venture capital from a high-profile set of investors in 2008, which included Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos, Greylock, Founder’s Fund and others,
Hallpass, meanwhile, is a maker of Flash-based games.
The acquisitions come amid massive disruption in the ways games are distributed and played as more game players move to mobile devices such as the iPad and iPhone. MindJolt now employs more than 80 people, with the sites attracting roughly 20 million users per month, according to The Times.
The purchase of Social Gaming Network marks the third startup company backed by Bezos that has found a buyer in recent days, joining Seattle’s Pelago (purchased by Groupon) and Silicon Valley’s Kosmix (gobbled up by Wal-Mart for a reported $300 million).
DeWolfe is not the only UW Husky on the team at MindJolt. Aber Whitcomb, who also previously worked at MySpace, is serving as the gaming company’s CTO..
