The exact terms of the acquisition were not disclosed, with Sony describing it as "a strategic move to continue to secure excellence in game development for current and future PlayStation platforms."

"Media Molecule have exciting projects in the pipeline and we're looking forward to sharing these with you in the not too distant future," SCE Worldwide Studios Europe senior VP Michael Denny added over on the PlayStation.Blog "The most important thing is that nothing will change from your perspective; Media Molecule will simply continue to make great games. Welcoming Media Molecule into the PlayStation family will allow us to better support their future titles and ambitions."

Media Molecule was officially formed after the release of Rag Doll Kung Fu. The indie project was created by Lionhead artist Mark Healey in his free time--the resulting success led its creator and some of his Lionhead cohorts to found their own studio.

The studio's "first true game," LittleBigPlanet, was released on PlayStation 3 in 2008. Over two million user-created LBP levels have been shared online since, and the game's "Play, Create, Share" mentality is seeing further expansion through ModNation Racers.