The Gainesville Sun reports a merger between Florida-based Artificial Games and UK-based Ignition Entertainment (thanks FiringSquad). Word is:

England-based Ignition Entertainment is in the process of hiring 65-70 people and renovating an 8,000-square-foot office at the Commerce Center in downtown Gainesville after bringing a local independent video game development company into its fold.

Continue to 2nd paragraph Local government and economic development officials hailed the move as an important step toward creating a high-tech cluster downtown and stemming the "brain drain" of University of Florida graduates leaving the area. Gainesville and Alachua County commissions approved tax incentives to lure the company.

Artificial Studios, a 2-year-old Gainesville company, developed a prototype of a game for Ignition and was in talks for full production when the companies decided to merge, according to Jeremy Stieglitz, founder of Artificial Studios and studio and game director of Ignition's Gainesville office.