PopCap Games acquires game maker Gastronaut Studios
PopCap Games has acquired Gastronaut Studios for an undisclosed price to expand its presence in Xbox Live and Xbox 360 games.
Seattle-based PopCap is one of the most successful developers of casual games, or lightweight games that can be played in a short amount of time such as Bejeweled, which has sold more than 10 million copies.
Gastronaut is best known for its hit title Small Arms (pictured), which is one of the top-selling titles on Microsoft’s Xbox Live Arcade. The company also made PopCap’s Feeding Frenzy 2 game for Xbox Live Arcade. It is also making the upcoming PopCap game Peggle for Xbox Live Arcade.
Most of PopCap’s business has previously focused on web-based games, but the company makes its games available on almost every game platform. Under the deal, PopCap bought Gastronaut’s assets, employees, and ongoing work on undisclosed projects. The Gastronaut founders retain rights to their original properties such as Small Arms and the upcoming title Gel. PopCap has more than 200 employees now.
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