Flying Lab Launches Casual Division

Pirates of the Burning Sea developer Flying Lab Software announced the launch of a new division, Flying Lab Casual, which will develop casual gaming MMO environments "from the ground up." The casual arm's first project is a family-friendly universe built in partnership with sports trading cards collectibles company Upper Deck. Further details behind the new title will be announced in the next couple of weeks. Founded in 1997 and based in Seattle, Flying Lab Software was comprised of three development teams and 83 employees before the new division was revealed. The studio says that Flying Lab Casual, like its parent company, will "always create original games that feature expansive universes to explore" "Flying Lab Casual gives our company and its partners the ability to take our vast online experience and apply it to other arenas, in this case a more family-friendly MMO environment," says Flying Lab CEO Russell Williams. "The Casual division has its own core team that has grown out of the talented development team and success of Pirates of the Burning Sea," he adds. "This new division not only expands our company and its audience reach, but also gives our developers a chance to work on new genres and different types of games." Flying Lab Software is best known for its PC MMORPG, Pirates of the Burning Sea, published by Sony Online Entertainment in January 2008. The title combines naval and swashbuckling combat, and is set in the Caribbean of the 1720s. The developer is celebrating Pirates' one-year anniversary with a revamped sword-fighting system, and new skirmish and player-governed ports under development.