EA acquires iPhone dev Firemint

Electronic Arts has announced plans to acquire Australian mobile games developer Firemint for an undisclosed sum, with the deal expected to close within the next four weeks.

Firemint is one of the most well respected mobile developers, having originally made its name developing racing games and other titles on a work-for-hire basis.

However, its business really took off once Apple’s App Store launched, with the success of own-IP games Flight Control, Real Racing and Real Racing 2.

"The Firemint team is remarkable for its critical and commercial success,” says EA Interactive EVP and general manager Barry Cottle. Having them as part of EAi will accelerate our position as worldwide leader in game development for mobile devices and online gaming platforms."

The deal is somewhat surprising, since Firemint had been bulking up as an independent developer, buying Puzzle Quest developer Infinite Interactive early this year.

Firemint will now become a mobile-focused studio for EA.

Story originally published on ME