Tencent's Game Plan to Retain its Mobile Gaming Crown

(Beijing) – Internet giant Tencent is betting on its US$ 8.6 billion deal to buy a controlling stake in Finnish mobile game developer Supercell Oy to cement its position as the leader in the sizzling market for smartphone and tablet games in China.

Tencent led a group that bought an 84.3 percent stake in the Helsinki-based maker of "Clash of Clans" – one of the world's highest-grossing mobile games– from SoftBank Group Corporation of Japan and other shareholders in late June. SoftBank had a 73 percent stake in Supercell and was the company's largest shareholder since October 2013.