Microsoft is expanding its game publishing reach into the social and casual game space. Today the game developer Arkadium has announced it has signed a new multi-year and multi-title agreement with Microsoft. Arkadium, which is based in New York City, will develop games for multiple platforms which will be published under the Microsoft Studios label.
No other specific details, including the financial terms, were disclosed in the press release today. However, we can safely speculate that Arkadium will be making games for Windows-based PCs along with Microsoft"s Xbox 360 and Windows Phone platforms.
In a Venture Beat article on the move, Arkadium"s CEO Kenny Rosenblat said that the company will now have up to 50 percent of its employees making games for Microsoft"s platforms. He added that the company will still develop games for other platforms like iOS, Android, and Facebook but they won"t be published by Microsoft.
Arkadium first launched in 2001 and has remained a private, family owned business with Rosenblat"s wife Jessica Rovello serving as its president. It currently has 120 employees and has released hundreds of casual games. Some of those games have been released on various major web sites, including Microsoft"s own MSN.com.