Flying Lab Software announced the first expansion for POTBS, Power & Prestige  which will be will be available free of charge to new and existing Pirates of the Burning Sea players.

09/18/2009, Seattle WA: When much of the news these days is about layoffs or closures, it is nice to read about game companies that are actually expanding. Such is the case with Flying Lab Software, creators of the acclaimed MMORPG title Pirates of the Burning Sea™. Flying Lab Software’s hiring drive is due in part to its work on Power & Prestige™, the first major expansion to Pirates of the Burning Sea™ that was announced at PAX 2009 and was awarded “Best New Feature” by ZAM in the site’s PAX 2009 awards. As well as working on the expansion, which is due for release in Q2 2010, the additional personnel will be continuing the tradition of releasing monthly bug-fix and feature patches.

Set against the backdrop of the New World of the 18th century, Pirates of the Burning Sea™ is an MMORPG featuring high-seas action and adventure in a bold world of pirates and plunder, where players can choose one of three nations — England, France or Spain — or choose the role of a Pirate and battle it out for glory and power. Power & Prestige™ expands upon the game’s already robust real-time Conquest system, allowing players to not only capture ports on behalf of their parent nations, but also to become a Port Governor with great economic and strategic influence. Player Governors can set tax rates and increase defensive capabilities in their towns, making those ports more valuable as traffic hubs or easier to defend against attack. Players will need to use all of the intrigue and cunning at their disposal to seize or keep hold of power.

Power & Prestige™ will be available free of charge to new and existing Pirates of the Burning Sea™ players.

“With all of the great gameplay we are adding with this expansion, we are looking for talented programmers and game designers to join our terrific team of smart, dedicated people, ” said Russell Williams, CEO of Flying Lab Software. “We have a lot of exciting work ahead on Pirates of the Burning Sea™, and we want to have the best people on the project.”

Job listings for Pirates of the Burning Sea™ and Flying Lab Software’s other projects can be found at flyinglab.com/index.php?page=jobs.

More details about the Power & Prestige expansion, including a full list of features, will be released in early 2010.

About Pirates of the Burning Sea™
Pirates of the Burning Sea™ was developed by Flying Lab Software and published under SOE’s Platform Publishing Label. More information, download instructions and a 14-day trial for new players are available through the Pirates of the Burning Sea™ website www.burningsea.com.

About Flying Lab Software
Flying Lab Software, a Seattle, Washington based game development company established in 1997, is the maker of the critically acclaimed Rails Across America. Flying Lab Software is currently working on expanding Pirates of the Burning Sea™ and several new games for its Casual division, including Upper Deck University™, a sports-based title for kids in partnership with Upper Deck. For more information about Flying Lab Software, please visit www.flyinglab.com