Activision co-founder sets up new handheld business

One of the founders of Activision, David Crane, has announced the formation of a new handheld game publishing business, which will focus efforts on "small footprint" games across smartphone, tablet and handheld console devices.

Crane - a key designer on classic Activision games such as Pitfall, Little Computer People and the 1984 Ghostbusters game - has formed the company AppStar Games alongside Garry Kitchen, another veteran member of the industry.

The pair have worked together since 1982, most recently leading casual gaming company Skyworks Interactive into the digital publishing business with a series of iPhone titles.

"Garry and I have worked together on a number of successful ventures over the years, generating hundreds of millions of dollars for investors and stakeholders. We're very excited about the dramatic shift that is occurring in the game industry with the advent of direct-to-consumer distribution of our titles," said Crane, who will take the role of CTO for the company.

"AppStar Games is committed to taking a leadership role in that transition by delivering the highest quality product in the marketplace," he added.

Also joining the AppStar team will be Bill Wentworth, Skyworks' former chief creative officer and a production and design veteran of 25 years.

AppStar expects to publish its first games in the second quarter of 2010.