EA buys studio from the co-creator of 'Halo'

EA is still covering very familiar ground with most of its games. However, it's willing to branch out a bit: the publisher has acquired Industrial Toys, the studio from former Bungie CEO and Halo co-creator Alex Seropian. His team will join EA's Worldwide Studios team and help it produce "new game concepts." Don't expect him to simply recreate his best-known game, especially when his team includes just 14 people.

Industrial Toys has spent much of its time working on the Midnight Star series of shooter/RPG hybrids for smartphones, but also produced an interactive graphic novel (Midnight Rises) with the help of both comic book veteran Mike Choi and sci-fi author John Scalzi. The team is familiar with creating "unique game ideas on different devices," as EA described it, which suggests that the industry giant wants someone who can add a dash of originality to its mobile lineup.

You may have to wait a while. Midnight Star: Renegade launched in 2016, and there hasn't been word on a new game. While there could be a title already in the works, it could easily take until 2019 or later to see what Seropian and crew produce with EA's backing.