Bigpoint in "talent acquisition" from Citizen Kabuto dev, Planet Moon

Online games firm Bigpoint has just announced a "talent acquisition" from Planet Moon Studios: 37 Planet Moon developers and artists are to move to its San Francisco studio.

“Less than a year ago we opened our San Francisco office to better address the unique needs of the North American video game market,” said Heiko Hubertz, Bigpoint CEO.

A Bigpoint rep in the UK today has told VG247 that the Planet Moon brand and related IP is to stay with the developer's founders.

“The addition of talented staff from Planet Moon to our team, specifically their experience across many platforms, will bolster our efforts as we continue to expand our business and portfolio of online titles to gamers here and around the world.”

Planet Moon Studios, founded in 1997 by the team from Shiny Entertainment who developed MDK, is best known for Giants: Citizen Kabuto, Armed & Dangerous, INFECTED, Smarty Pants, After Burner: Black Falcon, Battle of the Bands, Drawn to Life: the Next Chapter, and the recently released Sims 3: Life Moments for Wii.

The ex-Planet Moon staff are to move onto Ruined Online and other, unannounced browser projects, we were told today.