ARA Expands Moon, Mars & Beyond Dev Virtual Heroes

Federal contracting company Applied Research Associates (ARA) announced plans to expand its office in Raleigh, North Carolina, to make room for the 45 staff members of serious games studio Virtual Heroes. ARA acquired the America's Army series developer in April. Virtual Heroes CEO Jerry Heneghan revealed that the company plans to hire 20 additional employees in the next year. "This (expansion) is a result of a successful acquisition," Heneghan told the Triangle Business Journal. Virtual Heroes is currently developing the online multiplayer space exploration game Astronaut: Moon, Mars & Beyond in cooperation with NASA.