EA quietly launches casual iPhone micro-studio
8lb Gorilla tiptoeing around the App Store already
Most of EA’s iPhone work has been handled in Northern Europe, by its Netherlands studio. This team is responsible for some outstanding work, such as The Sims 3, although it’s also put out a couple of more disappointing titles, like the recent Mass Effect Galaxy.
Easily the most unusual game in its repertoire is the statistics-based, ad-funded strategy game Lemonade Tycoon - a real divergence from the usual EA fare that equates more to a back bedroom indie development.
Nonetheless, it’s been a spectacular hit, and the gaming giant’s new micro-studio, 8lb Gorilla (which appears to be a sub-studio of EA Netherlands) has been put together to concentrate on exactly this kind of smaller title.
Its first game, Zombies & Me, hit the App Store this weekend with little in the way of fanfare, though expectations for this kind of smaller development backed by the epic resources of EA bodes well for a new wealth of top quality budget games.
