Mad Catz forms game dev studio ThunderHawk

Not content with merely making peripherals for others' games, Mad Catz has formed its own internal game development studio. ThunderHawk Studios, as it's called, is set to develop a series of MMO flight simulators, with the first game expected to launch in 2012.

"The addition of flight simulation games should leverage the market share leadership and global distribution enjoyed by our flight simulation hardware products," said Mad Catz CEO Darren Richardson in the announcement. "The formation of ThunderHawk Studios is an important milestone as we pursue our longer term goal of expanding our participation in developing, publishing and distributing games."

There's a certain visible logic in a seller of flight simulator accessories making its own flight sims. Mad Catz produces a wide range of peripherals across a number of brands. Its offerings include joysticks, gamepads, Rock Band controllers, the official Street Fighter IV fight stick, keyboards, mice, headsets, and mouse mats, not forgetting sticks, controllers and panels for flight sims.