Scribblenauts dev making XBLA game

5th Cell, developer of left-field DS hit Scribblenauts, is working on a Xbox Live Arcade title that co-founder Jeremiah Slaczka reckons will be "pretty big".

But the game is only at the very early stages, Slaczka told Gamasutra.

"We're doing an Xbox Live Arcade title next, and it's going to be pretty big," he said. "It's going to be really cool. We're very excited about it... it's totally not ready to be announced. It's far away."

5th Cell has so far been a portable gaming specialist, releasing four games for DS and before that working on mobile phones, but Slaczka reckons the time is finally right for the studio to move into the living room.

"This year, we're actually done with handheld for original titles. We're not going to spend our stuff on new original titles. We'll put that onto consoles," he said.

Slaczka also revealed that Scribblenauts was in development for just one year and three months; it frustrates him that he has to compete with products from major publishers like Square Enix and Nintendo who have much bigger budgets and longer in development.

"They get three years, and I get one year. That's the big difference," he said. "I feel like a boxer with one hand died between my back. I can make incredible stuff in three years, you know?"

But as jealous as he is of those resources and much as he would "love to be large", Slaczka said that 5th Cell would only grow slowly and hold true to its indie ideals.

"Growth for growth's sake is stupid," he said. "We still want to do original stuff. We'll always do original stuff. Self-funding, self-publishing. I don't know, we'll see where it goes."