Reto-Moto

Last updated

Reto-Moto ApS
Type Private
Industry Video games
Founded1997;27 years ago (1997)
Defunct2022 (2022)
FateBankruptcy
Headquarters
Copenhagen
,
Denmark
Key people
Jean-Marc Broyer (CEO)
Products Heroes & Generals
Owner Nordisk Film (minority stake)
Number of employees
25 (2012)
Website reto.dk

Reto-Moto ApS was a Danish video game developer based in Copenhagen. Founded in 1997, its staff formed IO Interactive as a joint venture in September 1998. Following a decade of inactivity, some founders reformed Reto-Moto in April 2008, and the company developed Heroes & Generals , which was released in September 2016.

Contents

History

Prior to founding Reto-Moto, all founding members had been part of various demo groups. After a time in the US, they decided to move back to Copenhagen in 1997, where they founded Reto-Moto later that year. [1] In September 1998, Reto-Moto, at the time consisting of Jesper Vorsholt Jørgensen, Rasmus Guldberg-Kjær, Martin Munk Pollas, Karsten Lemann Hvidberg, Jacob Andersen, Janos Flösser and David Guldbrandsen, and Danish film studio Nordisk Film launched IO Interactive, another developer, as a joint venture. [2] Nordisk Film held a 40.3% stake in the venture. [2] Due to IO Interactive's rapid success through Hitman: Codename 47 in 2000, Reto-Moto's operations were put on ice. [3] Eventually, all stakes in IO Interactive were sold to Eidos Interactive in March 2004. [4]

On 11 April 2008, four of IO Interactive's founders—Vorsholt Jørgensen, Pollas, Andersen, and Guldbrandsen—announced that they had, together with former Eidos Interactive executive producer Neil Donnell, reformed Reto-Moto as an active developer. [5] Guldbrandsen and Donnell became the chief technology officer and chief executive officer, respectively. [6] Six further IO Interactive employees left the company to join Reto-Moto in December that year. [7] By April 2012, Reto-Moto had 25 employees, most of them transplants from IO Interactive. [8]

Reto-Moto's first game, Heroes & Generals , was announced on 7 October 2011. [9] A temporary publishing agreement for the game was reached with Square Enix in November 2012. [10] Heroes & Generals was officially released on 23 September 2016 and has since reached 10 million registered users as of January 2017. [11] On 16 August 2017, Reto-Moto hired Jean-Marc Broyer as new chief executive officer. [12] Nordisk Film announced on 6 December 2017 that they had acquired a minority stake in Reto-Moto in exchange for a US$5 million investment. [13]

On 4 February 2022, TLM Partners announced that it had acquired Heroes & Generals and related businesses from Reto-Moto. [14] A bankruptcy notice for the company was published on 7 March 2022. [15]

Games developed

YearTitlePlatform(s)Publisher(s)
2016 Heroes & Generals Microsoft Windows Reto-Moto

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References

  1. ↑ Griffin, Mike (3 January 2012). "From Hitman to Reto-Moto: Jesper Kyd follows his own sound". Gamasutra . Archived from the original on 27 May 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  2. 1 2 "Hitman solgt til England" [Hitman sold to England]. Berlingske (in Danish). 4 March 2004. Archived from the original on 16 March 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  3. ↑ Sinclair, Brendan (11 April 2008). "Hitman devs go solo with Reto-Moto". GameSpot . Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  4. ↑ Fahey, Ron (4 March 2004). "Eidos acquires Hitman developer as profits rise". GamesIndustry.biz . Archived from the original on 22 September 2019. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  5. ↑ Faylor, Chris (14 April 2008). "Hitman Veterans Leave IO, Form Reto-Moto". Shacknews . Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  6. ↑ Kumar, Mathew (11 April 2008). "IO Interactive Founders Reform Reto Moto". Gamasutra . Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  7. ↑ Freeman, Will (12 December 2008). "More IO Interactive employees join Reto-Moto". MCV/Develop . Archived from the original on 16 March 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  8. ↑ Alexander, Leigh (18 April 2012). "In-Depth: At Reto-Moto, AAA veterans speak out on fascinating culture shift". Gamasutra . Archived from the original on 27 May 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  9. ↑ Walker, John (10 October 2011). "Heroes & Generals: Re-Announced, Trailered". Rock Paper Shotgun . Archived from the original on 19 April 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  10. ↑ Nunneley, Stephany (7 November 2012). "Heroes & Generals to be published by Square Enix, new shots and video released". VG247 . Archived from the original on 16 March 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  11. ↑ Scott-Jones, Richard (17 January 2017). "MMOFPS Heroes & Generals hits 10 million players, promises more planes and vehicles". PCGamesN . Archived from the original on 27 May 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  12. ↑ Brightman, James (16 August 2017). "Reto-Moto brings on Jean-Marc Broyer as CEO". GamesIndustry.biz . Archived from the original on 27 May 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  13. ↑ Batchelor, James (6 December 2017). "Nordisk Film takes $5m ownership stake in Heroes & Generals studio". GamesIndustry.biz . Archived from the original on 27 May 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  14. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (4 February 2022). "TLM Partners acquires Heroes & Generals business operations". GamesIndustry.biz . Archived from the original on 18 February 2022. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  15. ↑ "Feb-Company 2022 ApS". Statstidende. 10 March 2022. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
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