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Kabam, developer of the iPhone's top grossing app of 2012, Kingdoms of Camelot: Battle for the North, acquired mobile and social games developer Exploding Barrel Games, according to a press release from Kabam.
Kabam's acquisition of the Vancouver-based developer adds over 30 employees. The studio, which has developed for Electronic Arts' Need for Speed franchise, also developed Margaritaville Online. Based on the Jimmy Buffett song, the game is available on Facebook, iPhone and iPad. Margaritaville Online's tropical-themed gameplay allows players to explore an island paradise where they play mini-games, build their own beach bar and more.
The acquisition is the studio's fifth since 2010, a strategy that Kabam characterizes as "combining the best elements of traditional and social gaming to appeal to a growing audience of gamers looking for highly immersive social games on PC, mobile, and tablet platforms," according ot the company's profile in the press release. Last year, Kabam also opened a development studio in Beijing.
In 2011, Kabam announced development of two strategy games based on Peter Jackson's Hobbit films. The Hobbit: Kingdoms of Middle-earth, which allows players to build and maintain their version of Tolkien's fantasy land, is available for iOS and Android. You can sign up for The Hobbit: Armies of the Third Age's beta at the game's website to help characters like Bilbo and Gandalf battle the armies of darkness.
