Digital Illusions Acquires Trauma Studios

Swedish-headquartered developer DICE (Digital Illusions CE) has announced the purchase of New York-based game developer Trauma Studios, best known for its development of the Desert Combat modification for DICE's Battlefield 1942 PC multiplayer FPS. The acquisition price is $500,000, of which $300,000 will be paid upfront, and $200,000 as a supplemental payment in 2006. DICE has also acquired the rights to the Desert Combat name as part of this deal, and Trauma, currently nine employees strong, will grow to around twenty, as it aids DICE in development of Battlefield 2 and works on "a concept for a new PC game based on the Battlefield 2 engine."