Simon Hade and Olly Barnes Found NextBeat Backed by Supercell
Following Supercell's full acquisition of Space Ape Games, former managers Simon Hade and Olly Barnes have launched a new company, NextBeat, taking the music-focused games Beatstar and Country Star with them. NextBeat aims to open up new revenue channels for the music industry through apps and games, with Supercell as a minority shareholder.
It remains unclear why Supercell chose not to expand these platforms itself. Beatstar and Country Star were part of the portfolio of Space Ape Games, a UK-based studio in which Supercell held a stake for years before acquiring it outright in November. Media reports suggested that Supercell's primary goal with the acquisition was to establish a presence in the UK’s robust game development community and tap into its talent pool. However, it was not apparent at the time that Supercell would part with at least some Space Ape Games' brands.