Kesmai
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | 1981 |
| Founder | Kelton Flinn, John R. Taylor III |
| Fate | Acquired by Electronic Arts in 1999; development studios closed by 2001 |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Air Warrior, Island of Kesmai, MegaWars III, Air Warrior 2, Legends of Kesmai, MultiPlayer BattleTech: Solaris, Aliens Online |
Kesmai was an innovative developer and publisher in the video game industry, established in 1981 by Kelton Flinn and John R. Taylor III. The company gained recognition primarily for its combat flight simulator Air Warrior, which debuted on the GEnie online platform in 1987 as one of the earliest graphical MMOGs. Additionally, Kesmai created the ASCII-based MUD Island of Kesmai and the strategic empire-building title MegaWars III, initially available on CompuServe and subsequently on GEnie.
In 1994, Kesmai was acquired by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., after which it continued to produce massively multiplayer games including Air Warrior 2 and Legends of Kesmai. Their games were made accessible through AOL as well as the multi-publisher platform GameStorm.
Following AOL’s acquisition of CompuServe in 1997, Kesmai encountered discriminatory treatment relative to AOL’s in-house WorldPlay division, prompting a lawsuit accusing AOL of monopolistic conduct. This legal matter was resolved through a confidential settlement outside of court.
Kesmai was sold to Electronic Arts in 1999, and its development studios were shuttered by 2001. Post-closure, some former employees transitioned to Lodestone Games in Charlottesville, Virginia, while others joined EA.com and later became part of Maxis East.
The name Kesmai originated from a list generated by a random name generator created by Flinn for use within games.
Games
| Year | Title | Platform(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Developed titles | |||
| 1982 | MegaWars | Terminal | |
| 1984 | MegaWars III | Terminal | |
| 1988 | Air Warrior | Terminal | |
| 1990 | Amiga | ||
| 1991 | Atari ST | ||
| 1992 | CDTV | ||
| 1992 | DOS | ||
| 1996 | MultiPlayer BattleTech: Solaris | Microsoft Windows | |
| 1997 | Air Warrior II | Microsoft Windows | |
| Air Warrior III | Microsoft Windows | ||
| CatchWord | Microsoft Windows | Assisted Ant Software | |
| Legends of Kesmai | Microsoft Windows | ||
| 1998 | Aliens Online | Microsoft Windows | Assisted Mythic Entertainment |
| Published titles | |||
| 1998 | Starship Troopers: Battlespace | Microsoft Windows | |
| 1999 | Fierce Harmony | Microsoft Windows | |