A SELF-confessed 'geek' who spent his teenage years playing computer games in his bedroom has sold his company - for around £100m.
Jon Burton invented his own video games but he struggled to sell them to software companies. But since setting up his own business in 1989 he has sold more than 42 million copies.
The Cheshire-based firm Traveller's Tales became one of the world's biggest independent game developers creating titles based on Star Wars, Toy Story, The Muppets, Finding Nemo and Sonic the Hedgehog for industry giants such as Sony, Sega and Pixar.
It was renamed TT Games after merging with publisher Giant Interactive Entertainment in 2005. The company on Toft Road, Knutsford, is best known for its success with Lego Star War.
Jon, 38, admitted `geeking' away most of his free time writing games. He has now agreed to sell the business to Warner Brothers for about £100m over five years. He owns 80 per cent of the company with the rest of the shares held by his management team. Jon said: "After 18 years in the video games industry, the opportunity to become a meaningful part of the world's leading entertainment company is the fulfilment of a dream."
He developed an interest in computers in the early 1980s. Initially, his games were rejected but he then got a job with a games developer before setting up on his own.
His company has a total staff of 200 across the country and has offices in Ireland and Serbia following two acquisitions.
TT Games said the deal `promised an exciting future' for the firm and its staff. Titles in the Lego pipeline include Batman and Indiana Jones.
Warner Brothers, part of the world's largest media company Time Warner, bought the business to expand into the computer games industry. It is its first purchase of a British computer games company.
Barry Meyer, chairman and chief executive of Warner Brothers, said: "TT Games is very successful and respected in the game development and publishing world. They are a great fit for us and the right next step for Warner Brothers."
Just last month it unveiled a partnership to launch an entertainment `hub' in Abu Dhabi, with plans to create £237m fund for video games development.
Warner Brothers Home Entertainment president Kevin Tsujihara said: "The expertise that TT Games brings is a great match with our brands as well as an opportunity to effectively leverage our existing global infrastructure."
Source: Manchester Evening News
