Linux game developer Loki files for bankruptcy

Loki Software Inc., one of the better known companies porting PC games to the Linux operating system, filed for bankruptcy protection earlier this month, marking another setback for the open source community.

The Tustin, California-based company filed a petition for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California on August 3, court documents show. The company estimated its assets as being below $50,000 and its debt as being between $1 million and $10 million, according to the documents.

Loki officials did not return calls seeking comment.

Founded in 1998, the privately-held company worked to bring popular video games available for Windows PCs over to the Linux operating system, including Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri Planetary Pack, Tribes 2 and SimCity 3000 Unlimited.

Linux has made some headway in the gaming world, with Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. supporting the operating system as a development platform for its PlayStation 2 console, while other companies have worked to develop open-source gaming platforms of their own.

However, Linux has struggled to find popularity on desktop PCs, with much of its growth occurring on workstations and servers. Dell Computer Corp. recently stopped offering Linux on its PCs and laptops, citing low customer demand as the reason for the move.

Loki, based in Tustin, California, can be found at http://www.lokigames.com/.

» posted by abennett

IDG News Service

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