EA Combines App Houses, Makes Australia's Largest Game Developer
July 24, 2012
When Electronic Arts acquired Firemint last year, the critical reaction was nigh unanimously negative. Odds were announced and bets were placed on exactly how long it would take before the video game giant completely destroyed the small Australian brand's well-deserved iOS reputation.
Unfortunately, it seems like the time has finally come.
Well, aesthetically, anyway.
Today, Touch Arcade received word that EA was merging its two flagship iOS developers into one company. And what do you get when you combine Firemint with IronMonkey Studios? If you said Firemonkeys, you are sadly, hilariously correct.
From EA:
By aligning the strategy of IronMonkey and Firemint, EA is able to create an even more focused team of passionate individuals who are dedicated to developing high-quality mobile game experiences. ... Fans should expect to see progressive development efforts with upcoming launch and project announcements in 2012.Stupid moniker notwithstanding, the move actually promises to be pretty smart. After all, Firemint's Real Racing and Flight Control series are both bona fide hits, as are IronMonkey's Mass Effect Infiltrator and award-winning Dead Space titles. Combining these companies' talents makes a lot of sense, and since they're both located in the same city Down Under, it's also kind of convenient for everyone involved. Plus, Firemonkeys is now the largest game developer in the entire country, so there's that. Still, I hate, hate, hate the name. And the logo's not much better, either. Source: Touch Arcade
