Officials have announced the formation of Vancouver, Canada headquartered Atomic Robot Games, an independent development studio established by industry veterans from Electronic Arts and Black Box Games (Sega Soccer Slam). Proclaiming to offer “the very best in creative art, technical experience, and innovative design for today's gaming market,” the new studio is currently in talks with publishers, according to chief operating officer Christopher Davis, though no specific projects have yet been announced. An official statement notes that Atomic Robot Games will focus on developing games for the handheld and console markets, while “creating innovative games by pushing the boundaries of what the industry thinks of as standard.” Tristan Grimmer, the studio's chief technology officer, further notes that the company has developed “a proprietary engine and in-house tool-set that will allow us to create some remarkable game-play experiences.” According to the studio's website, the company's development staff has an impressive portfolio to its credit, with individuals having worked on a number of high profile titles including multiple releases in Electronic Arts' Need For Speed franchise, the first two Syphon Filter titles, as well as The Suffering and EA's upcoming skateboarding title Skate. “These guys are masters of their craft with more than 24 games under their belts,” noted Davis. “They have created some amazing and hugely successful titles making us a supremely well-built team of top-notch game veterans. We have created a truly unique company at a great time in our industry.”