Former Naughty Dogs pinch Steel Penny

Two ex-Naughty Dogs have officially named their new studio Steel Penny, and announced that the development house has been certified for WiiWare and Xbox Live Arcade development.

Jason Hughes is the founder and president of the Austin, Texas-based studio, and Andrew Gilmour is the art director. The company was founded in early 2007, and will initially focus on digital distribution. Its mission statement states that the dev studio will make mass-market casual games which are fresh and kid-friendly.

Steel Penny is currently working on Bruiser and Scratch in the Case of the Puzzling Paw, a new IP which features a dog and cat duo who discover a strange doorway in the woods. Steel Penny describes it as, "a combination of the accessibility of classic arcade games and the depth and quality of play that modern audiences crave."

According to a statement released to the press, the company's next title is due mid-2008, although it's not clear whether this is Bruiser and Scratch or some other, secret title.