Yesterday we brought you news that ex-Bungie employee Nathan Bitner had started his own gaming company, to be known as Island Four. In his announcement he mentioned what type of games his company was focusing on, who he had hired and when to expect the upcoming games. Unfortunately, he did not mention which platforms he would be developing for. To find out, we contacted Mr. Bitner and asked a few questions. Here is his reply:

I am pleased to bring you these early announcements:

- First of all, the name has passed copyright. In a few days (before the
end of the week), I will announce the official name of Island Four Software
Corporation (There is still some paperwork to be completed).

- Second, I have received several inquiries about whether we will make games
for the Mac. Here is my answer:

It is much too early to make final decisions about platforms. We have yet
to see how successful the new platforms will be, especially Microsoft's
X-Box. Strategic alliances are part of any fledgling company. The answer
is that, right now, there is no answer. However, I can let you know my
current intention:

The vast majority of the work will be done on PCs. There will be some
exceptions. The PC version will be made first. The game will then be
ported to the MacOS. The reason for this is that it is much easier to
create the game first on a PC and port it to the Mac, rather than the other
way around.

We will have an outside entity that will assist us if the question of
console versions presents itself.

Our current hope and plan is to release PC and Mac versions simultaneously. A strategy regarding console systems has not yet been developed. Please
keep in mind that we are at an incredibly early stage. No decisions have
been made and if they have, they couldn't possibly be final. These
statements our simply our "intentions" at this time.

Island Four Software Corp. is dedicated to bringing you an exciting
EXPERIENCE that captures the imagination not only of our unique employees,
but also of yours. That imagination will create and enhance our gameplay.
Island Four will create experiences that "you can't put down," just like
your favorite book. Have fun!

Finally he ended his email with another even more remarkable announcement:

More news just in:

Because there is always an intense market for multiplayer gaming ... and our
visions hold true to this demand ...

IslandFour.net has been registered as well under our company's name.

Make of it what you will.

Apparently, a fan community is already developing around this fledgling company. Yesterday marked the debut of the first fan page dedicated to this new company; the fan page is known as Islandfour.org.

Finally, to round out the Island Four news, Marathon's Story received word from Mr. Bitner about what his partner Randy Cruts has written in the past:

He is already a decorated veteran and an international award-winning writer. His two books (he is about to publish a third) are Dive Into Terror and Controlled Insanity.

Islandfour.org

Marathon's Story

Former Bungie Employee to Form New Company

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