New MMO firm spun out of Iron Realms

US-based Iron Realms entertainment has spun off the division making making its upcoming MMO Earth Eternal.

Called Sparkplay Media, the new firm will focus on finishing the online game for a 2008 release – the move comes as Ironrealms looks to differentiate the upcoming 3D game from its slate of text-based online titles.

Sparkplay is also working on two titles set for release in 2009.

Matt Mihaly, CEO of both Sparkplay and Iron Realms, explained: “We’re creating a separate company because the aims of Sparkplay are a bit different from Iron Realms. With IRE we’ve tried to create the most expansive, deep text-based MMORPG experiences around, and IRE will continue to do that with new text MMOs and with the near-daily game updates that our fans have become accustomed to.

“Sparkplay, on the other hand, is creating games (3D and otherwise) for an audience that is looking for experiences that don’t necessarily require the same level of commitment to get into.”