Electronic Arts To Acquire Flight Control Maker Firemint

Electronic Arts is to acquire Melbourne, Australia-based mobile and online developer Firemint in a deal to be closed within four weeks, according to a statement put out by the publisher on Tuesday. The developer of Flight Control and Real Racing will become a part of the Electronic Arts Interactive label, which also includes 2009's Playfish acquisition. "The Firemint team is remarkable for its critical and commercial success," said Barry Cottle, executive VP and general manager of EA Interactive in a statement. "Having them as part of EAi will accelerate our position as worldwide leader in game development for mobile devices and online gaming platforms." The acquisition also gives EA control of Puzzle Quest maker and fellow Melbourne studio Infinite Interactive, which Firemint absorbed earlier this year. EA also revealed it recently acquired Mobile Post Production, a company specializing in cross-platform development and porting of smartphone games. Firemint's Flight Control has been one of the top sellers on the iOS platform since its release in March 2009, selling 3.9 million copies as of January this year. The title has also seen release on DSiWare, PlayStation Network and Steam. The studio has increased the scope of its projects since Flight Control's success, with December's iOS release Real Racing 2 reportedly using a $2 million budget and 18 months of development time.