Kuju announces studio expansion plans

Kuju Entertainment has announced plans to further expand development at its Brighton studio, picking up two new software titles and hiring an additional 20 members of staff.

The studio focuses on the creation of social games, primarily for the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable. Its most recent successes include SingStar: Rocks and EyeToy Play 3, created in collaboration with Sony's London Studio.

The team are currently working on a new music-based title for the PSP called Traxion, which creates gameplay out of the user's personal MP3 collection and offers at least two dozen unique mini-games and semi-interactive music presentations.

The new game, which is due to be published by LucasArts later this year, was recently showcased at the E3 expo in Los Angeles, receiving a positive critical reception and securing an industry award for technical excellence.

Kuju's slew of new hires, which includes a new creative director for Traxion and two new producers for other as yet undisclosed titles, forms part of an ongoing expansion plan for the firm and the company has confirmed that the current recruitment drive is far from over.

Ian Baverstock, CEO of Kuju Entertainment, commented: "The huge success of Kuju Brighton has been the direct result of pulling together a great team of people with enormous passion for the Lifestyle games that the studio specialises in. We are really excited about the prospects for their future titles."