One of the world’s largest internet porn companies, Manwin, has quietly shrunk its main Irish operation, the Superhippo game studio business, which operated out of a nondescript office block in Dublin’s Silicon docks.

Manwin – owner of dozens of adult sites, from the globe’s most popular adult site YouPorn to the more, um . . . specialist Tranny Surprise – had hired 33 people to work at its SuperHippo operations last year.

“We are in the midst of global expansion and very happy to be able to tap into the amazing local talent found in Ireland,” a company spokesperson said last May. Manwin is a private company and, accordingly, matters pertaining to its operations are treated in the same manner. German-born ‘King of Porn’ Fabian Thylmann is the owner of the company, which is very definitely not an IDA client.

However, as part of a rebrand where Manwin turned into Mindgeek, the Irish gaming operation was chopped right back. It didn’t respond to any of my queries last week . . . or the week before.

It is believed that most of the higher paid developers have moved on to other Irish games firms, including various PopCap spin-offs.

Manwin had earlier used Ireland for some complex transactions relating to content ownership of such classics as VIP Crew (Where the Girls Like to Get Nasty); Tranny Surprise; MILF Hunter and Mike in Brazil. Two of the country’s most prestigious law firms, Arthur Cox and A&L Goodbody, were involved in the deal. They haven’t been shouting about it for some reason, though.

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