Reto-Moto

Reto-Moto ApS
Company typePrivate
IndustryVideo games
Founded1997; 28 years ago (1997)
Defunct2022 (2022)
FateBankruptcy
Headquarters
Copenhagen
,
Denmark
Key people
Jean-Marc Broyer (CEO)
ProductsHeroes & Generals
OwnerNordisk Film (minority stake)
Number of employees
25 (2012)
Websitereto.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.

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

Year Title Platform(s) Publisher(s)
2016 Heroes & Generals Microsoft Windows Reto-Moto

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. ^ a b "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.