by Chris Ware on Feb 24, 2010
With GDC '10 on the horizon, game developers, publishers and players
alike are eagerly anticipating all the exciting developments and news
that the conference is sure to bring. In anticipation of that
heightened level of gaming awareness a new game publisher is getting a
jump on the competition with the announcement of its formation and the
first title it will be bringing to the North American market. En Masse
Entertainment is the newly formed company, made up of industry vets
with big time pedigree--including a former CTO of NCsoft, a creator of
Blizzard's Warcraft
and Starcraft
titles, as well as several other major players in the gaming scene.
Their mission is to "focus on selecting high quality online games and
adapting, refining, and positioning them so they are perfectly suited
for audiences in Western markets" The first title they will bring to
market is TERA,
from South Korea. The game is described as "an innovative MMORPG with
rich graphics and animations where players fully control their
characters through the games dynamic battle system. Player actions in
style="font-style: italic;">TERA can change the
balance of power in a world where six races try to work together for
the common good." The game is currently in development and will launch
first for Korean audiences and then will later make its North American
debut.
Here is the official press release:
style="font-weight: bold;">En Masse Entertainment Debuts as
New MMO Game Company
Seattle-based Publisher
Comprised of Powerhouse Talent from Blizzard Entertainment, Microsoft,
Electronic Arts, ArenaNet, and NCsoft
style="font-weight: bold;">
SEATTLE February 24,
2010 En Masse Entertainment, a new breed of game
publisher specializing in bringing globally renowned online properties
to Western audiences, today announced its company formation. En Masse,
a wholly owned subsidiary of leading Korean MMO company Bluehole
Studio, Inc., is focused on selecting high quality online games and
adapting, refining, and positioning them so they are perfectly suited
for audiences in Western markets. Formed in 2009, En Masse is comprised
of talented veterans whose collective portfolio reflects the most
recognized and celebrated IPs from leading companies including Blizzard
Entertainment, Microsoft Corp., Electronic Arts Inc., ArenaNet and
NCsoft. The first official En Masse title scheduled for release in
North America and Europe will be the highly anticipated MMORPG PC
title, TERA.
Weve brought together best of breed experts in the fields of
technology, online gaming, branding and localization who have a shared
vision for global MMO games that deliver on the highest levels of
quality and cultural relevance, said Dr Jae-Heon Yang, CEO of En Masse
Entertainment. Our inaugural project, TERA, is one that we feel deeply
passionate about and will reflect our approach and commitment to the
Western gaming community.
The senior management team at En Masse is comprised of the following
members:
CEO Dr. Jae-Heon Yang
Dr. Yang is a computer science academic, gaming executive and visionary
leader within the Korean online gaming industry. After transitioning
from academia, he decided to develop games by helping great creators
fulfill their visions without getting in the way of the creative
process. In 2000, he co-founded IMAZIC Co. Ltd., an innovator in online
gaming that developed one of Asias first 3D MMOs, Sephiroth, which
reached hundreds of thousands of players in Korea, Taiwan and China. In
2005, Dr. Yang became CTO for NCsoft, a role he held until 2007 when he
returned to academic circles as a visiting scholar at the University of
California, Irvine.
COO Patrick Wyatt
Patrick Wyatt has 19 years of experience with hit franchises, starting
as a creator of Blizzard Entertainments legendary Warcraft® and
Starcraft® franchises, writing Diablos®
multiplayer code, scaling up battle.net, founding ArenaNet, developing
Guild Wars® and serving as CTO of NCsoft.
Publishing VP Chris Lee
Chris Lee successfully managed the marketing campaigns for blockbuster
franchises including Halo®, Need for Speed, Age of Empires® and Aion®
at leading companies including Electronic Arts, Microsoft and NCsoft
before joining En Masse Entertainment.
Senior Producer Brian Knox
Brian Knox, who is overseeing Western development for TERA, is an
NCsoft MMO veteran who worked his way up from the trenches before
assuming Producer responsibilities for Aion.