NSBI Nova Scotia Business inc.

Matthew Doucette

Math Prodigy, Computer Whiz, Award-Winning Video Game Developer

Matthew Doucette, co-founder of Xona Games, and his twin brother Jason built their first game on their brand new Texas Instruments computer when they were eight years old. Twenty-six years later, Yarmouth-based co-founders of Xona Games are on the vanguard of North America’s independent computer gaming scene.

Duality ZF, an intense, shoot 'em up retro-style dual player game Xona developed for Xbox and PC, made waves when it placed first in Microsoft’s illustrious Dream Build Play competition in Canada, and fifth in the world. Meanwhile Decimation X was the top selling Xbox LIVE Indie game in Japan in 2009. Their success caught the attention of international game publishers, and with the help of NSBI, the brothers have attended international game development conferences in Montreal and California where they’ve made valuable connections.

The result of their networking? A contract which will see Steam, a major PC game distributor, begin releasing Xona’s games later this year. And if Yarmouth feels a world away from the traditional gaming centres of San Francisco and Montreal, Doucette says location is what has given Xona Games its edge.

“In a larger centre, we’d be a drop in a pond. But by staying close to our roots, we’ve managed to stick out enough to get the attention, recognition and support that helped take us to the next level.” Recently selected as winners of InnovaCorp’s prestigious I-3 Technology Start-Up competition, the brothers are using their winning capital—all $100 grand—to support the growth of a business they feel they were destined to launch.