PopCap Games Buys Gastronaut Studios
This story was written by Tameka Kee.
Casual gaming powerhouse PopCap Games has acquired Gastronaut Studios, adding an Xbox- and Xbox 360-savvy team of developers to its inhouse roster. The amount was not disclosed, but Gastronaut co-founders Jacob Van Winden and Don Wurster will retain exclusive rights to their original IP, including the Small Arms series and the soon-to-launch puzzle title, Gel; PopCap gets all the studio's technology, assets and employees.
Gastronaut's specialty is downloadable games for the Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA); as Gamasutra notes, its Fuzzee Fever puzzle game was the first title developed exclusively for XBLA back when it was still a nascent online gaming platform. Gastronaut developed PopCap's Feeding Frenzy 2 for XBLA, as well as the upcoming XBLA adaptation of its best-seller Peggle. Release.
By Tameka Kee