Classic game designers launch mobile development initiative

Wired reports that two iconic game designers of the classic gaming era have formed a new game publisher, AppStar Games. David Crane, co-founder of Activision and Garry Kitchen, co-founder of Absolute Entertainment plan to concentrate on small games for mobile devices such as the iPhone. AppStar has already released a reference application for the iPhone, 2600 Magic which provides an interactive tour of the unique game design challenges of the Atari 2600. The series continues with a second volume, Dragster Magic which focuses on the developers’ specific experiences in designing Activision’s Dragster for the Atari 2600 platform. Additional installments are planned in this series which will focus on tricks that Crane employed in the design of other Atari 2600 titles such as Pitfall! AppStar Games expects to release its first game titles later this year.