Fries confirmed that Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft (msft) will be working with a new independent Macintosh game publisher founded by the same man who started legendary Mac game publisher MacSoft -- Peter Tamte. To find out more, MacGaming.com sat down with Tamte to get the scoop on what all of this means for Mac gamers.
Tamte's credentials make him an ideal resource for Microsoft. Most recently, Tamte was the executive vice president of publishing at Bungie Software Products Corp., the developer behind the forthcoming 3D action games Halo and Oni and a recent Microsoft acquisition. Before Bungie, Tamte held an executive position at Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple (aapl), helping the company to coordinate its consumer efforts following the introduction of the iMac.
Tamte says that his new company has formed a partnership with Microsoft to ensure a flow of Microsoft games to the Macintosh platform.
"Microsoft is trying to establish themselves as a cross-platform gaming company," Tamte said. "And one goal of this new company is to see all of Microsoft's top games come to the Macintosh. Microsoft is very interested in seeing its games succeed on the Mac."
Tamte doesn't expect his new company -- which doesn't have a name yet -- to stop only with Microsoft licenses, either.
Tamte said that the new company will bring Microsoft games to the Macintosh simultaneously with their PC counterparts, with one exception: Strategy game enthusiasts will be happy to learn that one product on Tamte's new company's roster is Age of Empires 2, a title that Microsoft has already published on the PC, and one that many Mac gamers have been hoping for since the Mac version of Age of Empires was published by MacSoft.
Tamte said the decision to bring Age of Empires 2 to the Macintosh was partly selfish -- he indicated that it's one of his favorite games. Other titles confirmed to be coming from the new company include Flight Simulator 2002 and Links LS 2002. Tamte suggested that both will be released simultaneously on the Mac and PC.
Outside of Age of Empires 2, don't expect Tamte's new venture to focus too much on older titles in Microsoft's game catalog. Tamte said he'll concentrate on bringing out simultaneous releases to the Mac -- a decision consistent with Apple's mandate to build the Mac as a viable gaming platform.
Although Tamte's new firm will have exclusive rights to publish Macintosh versions of new Microsoft titles, one game remains an open question: Halo. Tamte said that Microsoft hasn't made a final decision about whether it will publish the Macintosh version of Halo directly or farm the work out to his new organization.
Despite the new company's close ties to Microsoft, Tamte stresses that it's a completely independent entity. "I own it," Tamte said.
Tamte said the games he's committed to publish for the Macintosh reflect his company's principle philosophy: to publish games that have a broad market appeal. Tamte also said that while the Mac will be a cornerstone of his new company's success, it won't be limited to the Mac alone.
"We're building an Internet-focused, culturally relevant, broad-appeal, multiplatform digital entertainment company," said Tamte. Tamte indicated that his company will also develop games for the PC and next-generation video game consoles as well.
"We'll build original content, and we'll port games as well," Tamte said.
Tamte said he intends to use outside contractors to develop some games but also plans to hire developers to do in-house work, as well.
When asked about the timetable to get his new venture off the ground, Tamte succinctly replied, "As soon as possible."
He has his work cut out for him -- at the moment, Tamte is the first and only employee. Tamte plans to set up his new organization in Minneapolis, Minn., his hometown. Currently in the Chicago area, Tamte and his family will be relocating back to Minneapolis early this fall.
Tamte said the entrepreneurial bug has once again caught him full force. He feels the Mac market has great potential.
"I'm really looking forward to the challenge of building up Mac game sales again," Tamte said. Some Mac game publishers have complained about flat or slow sales of showcase games, but Tamte said he isn't worried about his new firm's chances for success. He sees his company's relative size as a strategic advantage.
"Some of the complaints you've heard are the results of barriers that are created when you're part of a large organization," Tamte said. "We have to take a real close look at how hardware and software is being distributed on the Macintosh."
Tamte suggested that he has some ideas for how to build strong sales of A-list games on the Macintosh that haven't been tried before: "I'm comfortable with my knowledge of Mac users, and I have some creative ideas for how to reach them."
Peter Cohen covers gaming for MacCentral's MacGaming section.
