About us?
Bigben Interactive is now a major player in the video game industry on the main European markets. With a 32% market share in France for console peripherals, the company located in Lesquin, close to Lille, enjoys a clear leadership in its home market and a strong presence across Europe resulting from its expansion abroad started 8 years ago with:
- the acquisition in 1999 of the Benelux leader for the exclusive distribution of video game software, the Atoll Soft company (located in Tubize near Brussels);
- the takeover in April 2000 of Planet Distribution, the British leading independent video game trader (now located in Eastleigh near Southampton);
- and the creation in April 2000 of a subsidiary in Germany (located in Bergheim near Cologne) now listed with all German major retailers.
This international network was completed by the opening of a R&D structure in Honk-Kong in April 2000.
The history of Bigben Interactive literally began on the market place in towns of Northern France in 1981. Alain Falc, the current CEO, started off selling watches then rapidly moved on towards premium business with electronic goods, still specialising in timepieces. Sales enjoyed a steady growth over the first decade and, as video games sales took off, business focus was shifted towards the consumer electronics market in 1993. Bigben Interactive signed distribution deals with major video game publishers and marketed their products through all trade channels in France as an official, non-exclusive distributor.
Banking on its experience with the design and marketing of electronic goods and a successful outsourcing with Asian manufacturers, Alain Falc gradually invested in the design and manufacturing of his own accessories for video game consoles : memory cards, (digital/analog/infrared) controllers, steering wheels, cable links…
From the onset, this new activity was geared to the needs of end consumers and strongly relied on technology watch and market intelligence. Bigben Interactive gradually became a reference in the video game market.
Simultaneously Alain Falc embarked on the exclusive distribution of video game software. Still a wholesaler, Bigben Interactive signed with several publishers pan-European deals as well as regional deals. The agreement reached with Sega in March 2001 for the takeover of the complete Dreamcast format across Europe including all pending software releases will remain as the most important deal ever signed by the company. It provided Bigben Interactive with a significant return on all the investments made over the years in distribution and logistics.
Bigben Interactive had grown into Europe’s leading manufacturer and distributor of video game console accessories and a major player in the distribution of video game software.
However from 2003 onward Bigben Interactive had to consolidate its network and go for leaner operations after a period of accelerated growth. It managed to survive a deep crisis on the background of a declining product cycle by focussing all its efforts on core business products i.e. exclusive software distribution and accessories.
The Group concentrated its operations on Continental Europe (France, Germany and Benelux), and the pre-eminence of the core businesses had a favourable impact on the gross margin which, combined with consistent reductions in expenses, resulted in a strong improvement in operations.
The support received from new prestigious financial partners such as Deutsche Bank, a leading global banking institution, and MI 29 a French investment fund, which became its core shareholders end of 2006 after the conversion of two thirds of the company’s bank debt into share capital, gave a new momentum to the Group. Year 2006 was actually a recovery year for Bigben Interactive ending on 31 March 2007 with a break even or a profit in all territories, a stronger market position in the Accessory business and the consolidation of complementary businesses.
In just a few years, Bigben Interactive managed to achieve critical mass on the European market and now has more than 237 employees (September 2006). Consolidated sales at end of FY 2007-08 (closing on March 31) amounted to EUR 84,2 M.
Year 2007 is shaping up favourably for Bigben Interactive with the development of the video game market through the arrival of all the new generation home console formats and the rebalancing of manufacturers’ market positions leading to a more competitive and lively market.
The Group’s action plan for the current year is based on a double goal: reinforce the leadership achieved for console accessories and maintain the most flexible operating structure possible in order to ensure a return to growth in the best possible conditions. It will focus on:
- - deepening integration across the Group for the marketing of accessories and for an optimised stock management relying on the automation of its central in Northern France;
- - reinforcing the leadership achieved on the main markets of continental Europe through the increase of export sales as the first axis for development with a sales target doubling the volume achieved in previous year;
- - strengthening the partnerships with console manufacturers in order to offer various ranges of licensed peripherals and transferring innovative concepts such as Shootpad to new console formats.
In this last respect, internal product design and engineering, together with controlled manufacturing, ensure that Bigben Interactive continues to produce innovative and unique products for the gaming community. These are the features which also made it possible to conclude licensing agreements with hardware manufacturers:
Bigben Interactive concluded in November 2006 a pan-European licensing agreement with Nintendo of America Inc. to develop a comprehensive range of accessories for the Nintendo Wii™ video games console. The first products to be released were interactive housings such golf clubs and steering wheels that add a further sense of realism to the ‘Sports’ game software when used with the motion sensing Wii™ Remote as well as tactile Silicon Gloves enabling players to protect their controllers while improving their feel for gaming.
One year before, Bigben Interactive had already concluded a licensing agreement with Microsoft Corporation in order to develop a comprehensive range of peripherals for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, this agreement actually enhanced the partnership already established during the launch of the Xbox© video game and entertainment system from Microsoft in 2002.
By the end of the year 2008 and in 2009, Bigben Interactive will release new innovative game concepts such as MY BODY COACH on Nintendo Wii™, a true realistic fitness program realized in partnership with a famous coach, and propose with two dumbbells of 500g each. Other projects will follow such as HUNTING CHALLENGE on Nintendo Wii™, a hunting simulation proposed with a rifle.
In October 1999, Bigben Interactive went public and floated its equity on the Second Marché of Euronext, Paris (Euroclear code: 7407). The company is presently listed on the Eurolist of Euronext Paris, C market segment.
Corporate Identities
Bigben Interactive S.A.
4 rue de la Voyette, CRT2, 59818 Lesquin - France
Espace 3 Game's S.A.S.
4 rue de la Voyette, CRT2, 59818 Lesquin - France
Bigben Interactive Belgium S.A.
Avenue Ernest Solvay, 1480 Tubize - Belgique
Bigben Interactive Nederland BV
Franciscusweg, 249
1216 SG Hilversum - Pays-Bas
Bigben Interactive GmbH
Walter Gropius Str. 24, 50126 Bergheim - Allemagne
Bigben Interactive (HK) Limited
Nº5, 15th Floor
148 Electric Road, North Point - Hong Kong
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