The new team will be built from some 50 extra staff that Swordfish plans to employ in the near future. And after EA’s recent announcement of the closure of its Warrington studio, the news couldn't be timed better for Vivendi.

Swordfish Manchester will be managed by Mike Delves, who will report to MD Trevor Williams and support the work done at Swordfish's Birmingham HQ.

"There is a wealth of talent around the M62 corridor in the North West of England," said Williams.  "Our next generation projects require us to build on and expand our existing talent base, so we are looking for people with the right strengths, skills and talent."

The move is another step in the growing number of UK publisher-owned studios following the acquisitions of Sports Interactive, Juice, Lionhead and Climax Racing (by Sega, THQ, Microsoft and BVG, respectively).

"Next-Gen hardware requires more hands on deck,” added Williams. “Our objective is to welcome 50 plus more members to the Swordfish team in a variety of roles.