Ragnarok Online publisher buys Lollipop Chainsaw developer Grasshopper Manufacture

Grasshopper Manufacture, the developer behind Lollipop Chainsaw and Killer is Dead, was recently bought by Ragnarok Online and Dragon Saga publisher GungHo Group. The announcement came today on GungHo Group's website, stating that it is merging the planning and development power of Grasshopper Manufacture with the power of managing online games cultivated by both companies to produce high quality content.

The announcement by GungHo group was in Japanese, but you can read it HERE. Who knows how this will work out for both companies. One deals primarily in online games with iOS and Android in mind, the other makes over-the-top action games with sex and violence for consoles. Online might be pushed more, but at this point, that's just me guessing.

We'll report more on this as Suda 51 and others weigh in on the specifics and how it affects Grasshopper Manufacture's current projects. There was an interview with 4gamer and Goichi Suda and Morishita Hee, but Google translation is very shoddy with it, so you can read that yourself or wait until more comes out.

You can follow Senior Editor Lance Liebl on Twitter @Lance_GZ. He likes talking sports, video games, movies, and the stupidity of celebrities. Email at LLiebl@GameZone.com

[GungHo and 4gamer]