Sobee

Sobee’s origins trace to Dinç İnteraktif, founded by Turkish-British developer Mev Dinc in 2000 after he returned to Turkey from the United Kingdom. Dinc had previously worked on computer and console games in Britain, co-founded Vivid Image, and participated in projects including Last Ninja 2, First Samurai, Second Samurai, Street Racer, and S.C.A.R.S. His return to Turkey was motivated partly by a desire to help establish a sustainable local games industry in a country that had relatively little professional game development infrastructure at the time. The new company operated from the Software Development Centre at Istanbul Technical University. By April 2001, Dinc had recruited British developers Will Cowling and Ben Donnelly, together with Turkish developers Engin Cilasun and Bager Akbay. Dinc stated that he hoped to expand the team to approximately 45 or 50 people. In 2004, Dinç İnteraktif was renamed Sobee Studios. Sobee developed online games in cooperation with MyNet. Its early portfolio included a football-club management title and an online billiards game. Turkish professional billiards player Semih Saygıner contributed to the billiards project. The two games reportedly attracted approximately one million users after their 2004 release, giving Sobee an early position in Turkey’s online-games market. The studio continued to emphasize multiplayer and locally relevant concepts. İstanbul Kıyamet Vakti appeared in 2006 and is described by reference material as Turkey’s first massively multiplayer online game. Sobee later released I Can Football in 2009 and developed additional titles including Süpercan, I Can Football 2, and Süpercan 2. Its work helped connect Turkish-language entertainment, online communities, and domestic game production. In March 2009, Dinc sold Sobee to Türk Telekom. He stayed on as general manager, while the acquisition integrated the developer into a major Turkish telecommunications group. Dinc’s tenure ended in 2013. According to the available biographical account, he became unhappy with the new management’s approach after Paul Doany was replaced and subsequently departed. The available sources do not provide enough information to establish Sobee’s definitive closure date, current ownership beyond the acquisition, continuing product support, or any later corporate restructuring. The company’s present status is therefore unknown rather than definitively defunct. Its historical significance is tied to its role in the development of Turkey’s early online and massively multiplayer games sector.

• 2013

  Founder departs

  [1]Mev Dincen.wikipedia.org

  Mev Dinc leaves Sobee following disagreements with its new management.

• 2009

  Türk Telekom acquisition

  [1]Mev Dincen.wikipedia.org

  Mev Dinc sells Sobee to Türk Telekom and remains as general manager.

• 2006

  İstanbul Kıyamet Vakti launches

  [1]Mev Dincen.wikipedia.org

  Sobee releases a massively multiplayer online game described as Turkey’s first of its type.

• 2004

  Company adopts the Sobee Studios name

  [1]Mev Dincen.wikipedia.org

  Dinç İnteraktif is renamed Sobee Studios as the business develops online games for the Turkish market.

• 2004

  Online games attract a large user base

  [1]Mev Dincen.wikipedia.org

  Sobee and MyNet release football-management and billiards games that reportedly attract about one million users.

• 2001

  Early studio expansion

  [1]Mev Dincen.wikipedia.org

  The company recruits developers from Turkey and the United Kingdom while operating from Istanbul Technical University’s Software Development Centre.

• 2000

  Dinç İnteraktif is founded

  [1]Mev Dincen.wikipedia.org

  Mev Dinc establishes Dinç İnteraktif in Istanbul after returning to Turkey and begins building a local professional game-development studio.

A Turkish game developer focused on locally produced online, multiplayer, sports, and massively multiplayer games.

• Online sports game · 2004

  Football-management game

  One of Sobee’s early online projects, developed in cooperation with MyNet and centered on managing a football club. The available reference material does not identify a definitive English or Turkish title, so it is listed descriptively rather than assigned an unsupported name.

• Online sports game · 2004

  Online billiards game

  An early Sobee and MyNet online billiards title. Turkish professional billiards player Semih Saygıner contributed to the project, giving the game a connection with a prominent national sports figure. The supplied sources do not establish its formal title.

• Massively multiplayer online game · 2006

  İstanbul Kıyamet Vakti

  A Turkish massively multiplayer online game developed by Sobee and released in 2006. It is described in the reference material as Turkey’s first MMORPG, making it a notable domestic milestone for online game development and virtual-world entertainment.

• Online football game · 2009

  I Can Football

  A football game developed by Sobee and released in 2009. It formed part of the studio’s emphasis on online and locally targeted sports entertainment and was followed by a second installment.

• Video game

  Süpercan

  A later Sobee project developed after the Türk Telekom acquisition. The supplied reference identifies the title as part of Sobee’s post-acquisition portfolio but does not provide enough detail to describe its mechanics or distribution reliably.

• Online football game

  I Can Football 2

  A sequel to I Can Football developed by Sobee after its acquisition by Türk Telekom. Specific launch and platform details are not established by the supplied material.

• Video game

  Süpercan 2

  A follow-up to Süpercan identified among Sobee’s later projects. The available reference does not provide sufficient information about its release date, gameplay, or commercial status.

• 2009

  Sale to Türk TelekomM&A

  Background

  Sobee had established a position in Turkey’s online-games market through football, billiards, massively multiplayer, and football-game projects. Türk Telekom acquired the studio as part of its interest in digital entertainment and online services.

  Action taken

  Mev Dinc sold Sobee to Türk Telekom in March 2009 and continued to lead the studio as general manager.

  Aftermath

  Sobee developed additional projects, including Süpercan, I Can Football 2, and Süpercan 2, under the new ownership. Dinc left in 2013 after disagreements with the company’s new management.

  Source

1. 1Mev Dincen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Sobee official websitesobee.com.tr