TMO Reports - Destineer Secures Private Equity to Increase Game Output

by , 2:10 PM EDT, April 27th, 2006

Destineer on Thursday said that it has obtained US$12 million in funding from The Exxel Group, an investment that the company will use to beef up its videogame output over the next two to three years. Company founder Peter Tamte told The Mac Observer: "We're committed to bringing original games to the Mac as well as other platforms, and this money is going to be routed into those games."

While Destineer's MacSoft subsidiary has released many ports of Windows titles, such as Zoo Tycoon 2 and Halo, the company also released the Macintosh version of Close Combat: First to Fight nearly simultaneous with the Windows edition. That game was an original effort developed internally by Destineer, and Mr. Tamte said that the company plans more like it.

"Our company's value has been the original content we create," he explained. "This funding gives us the flexibility to make the games we want to make. Most game development is funded by publishers, which is why the bulk of the content has been sports games, sequels, movie tie-ins, and so forth. We want to create more innovative, unique games."

While he couldn't get into too many specifics, Mr. Tamte did note that Destineer plans to release "about a dozen" games over the next 12 months, with "a few" of them conversions from Windows to Mac. None of them will be original efforts, however, with the possible exception of Close Combat: Red Phoenix, a real-time strategy title slated for likely release sometime in 2007.

When he was originally asked about Boot Camp, Mr. Tamte called it "one of the best things Apple has ever done for Mac gamers." He reiterated that sentiment on Thursday, noting: "Boot Camp to me means more people will own Macs."