Ex-EA Tiburon staffers form PixelFoundry, reveal BlackSpace

A couple of ex-EA Tiburon staffers have formed a new development studio, and announced their first game due for release later this year. PixelFoundry is technical lead Volga Aksoy and creative lead Jerry Phaneuf, both of whom left EA Sports Tiburon to form this new company. Aksoy has worked in the industry for nearly 10 years, and has held various roles at EA during that time, including lead software engineer at EA Tiburon. Phaneuf has also been in the industry around 10 years, and has held various positions at EA including art director and technical craft director. The studio's first game is a PC real-time strategy called BlackSpace, which will focus on economic and defensive efficiency against a deep space backdrop. The game is due to be released sometime this year. As well as PC titles, the studio also plans to release social and mobile apps that compliment the main desktop releases. Phaneuf explained, "In line with some of the forward thinking independent developers out there, we really want to get the community involved with the game, incrementally releasing features and enhancements, while getting reactions and suggestions." A number of other EA Tiburon employees have left the company in the last year to form smaller studios, including Row Sham Bow, headed up by Madden 12 creative director Ian Cummings.