TransGaming, a company involved in the development of software portability products that facilitate the deployment of games across multiple platforms, announced today that it’s launched GameTree Online, a digital distribution portal for Mac video games.

 

GameTree Online provides customers worldwide with the ability to purchase and download game titles from leading publishers, obtain game news, participate in promotional opportunities, and write game reviews, according to TransGaming.

 

GameTree Online is designed to enable Mac gaming community with services, focusing on Mac games selection and global consumer access, company officials say. It will add new titles from leading publishers and developers on a regular basis, they say.

 

“Our GameTree Online launch marks the new age of Mac gaming around the world, and will make it easier then ever for Mac consumers to enjoy the games they love,” said Vikas Gupta, chief executive officer and president of TransGaming Technologies. “We are expanding our current relationships with leading publishers and developers beyond Mac enablement, with our Cider Portability Engine, to offer our partners a global distribution strategy that meets the rapidly expanding consumer demand. This allows greater revenue generation opportunities for all parties.”

 

Consumer access to video games through Internet download services has become a popular strategy for both Windows-PC and console games in recent years, company officials say. GameTree Online is a way to reach a growing Mac user community, company officials say. Currently, Mac user community has the highest broadband utilization of any desktop computer demographic.

 

TransGaming officials say they’ll sell GameTree Online titles in a manner that is consistent with the traditional retail business model, offering TransGaming a percentage of each unit sold.

 

TransGaming officials say the company’s Mac Portability Engine, Cider, provides publishers and developers a turnkey solution to enable games for the Mac. Cider allows Windows games to be run on Intel (News - Alert) Macs without any modifications to the original game source code.

 

TransGaming enabled more than a dozen top-tier game titles for Mac in 2007 and is continuing its focus in the Mac games market, company officials say. The opportunity to supplement the traditional retail distribution model through GameTree Online will increase its accessibility further and encourage more publishers and developers to publish titles for Mac.

 

“Cider has quickly become the industry standard for Mac gaming and with GameTree Online we plan to release new titles regularly and establish our position as the leaders in Mac games digital distribution,” Gupta said.