Mad Catz opens ThunderHawk Studios

Recently, Mad Catz has created a range of peripherals for games like Marvel vs. Capcom 3, The Sims, Rock Band 3, Modern Warfare 2, and the upcoming Gears of War 3. Now the company is leaping the fence to actually develop games.

Mad Catz has announced that it has opened ThunderHawk Studios, a new shop located in San Diego, California. The announcement did not note the scale of the new studio but did say what it plans to create.

ThunderHawk is currently working on a massively multiplayer online flight simulator series for the PC, with the first game in the software line due by 2012. Unfortunately, further specifics on the title were not offered.

ThunderHawk developing a flight simulator is not the wildest of prospects, as Mad Catz purchased Saitek--a Europe-based PC flight sim hardware company--for $30 million in 2007. A Mad Catz representative explained the development rationale to GameSpot, saying a flight simulator was the right fit.

"We very much fly the flag for the flight sim community and believe that the foundation of ThunderHawk Studios will allow us to create unique flight simulation experiences marrying class leading hardware with unique game play which we think gamers will respond to enthusiastically."

Further, Mad Catz president and chief executive Darren Richardson said the company views the formation of ThunderHawk as an "important milestone" in the firm's existence and that the company's "longer term goal" is "participation in developing, publishing and distributing games."