Ex NCsoft, Blizzard alumni set up En Masse Entertainment
A group of ex-employees from NCsoft and Blizzard has set up a new MMO publisher known as En Masse Entertainment.
Co-owned by MMO firm Bluehole from South Korea, the company, based in Washington, has employed several alumni from NCsoft and Acti-Blizz, as well as Microsoft and EA.
The outfit's headed up by CEO Jae-Heon Yang, who worked on Sephiroth, one of the first 3D MMOs in Asia, while COO Patrick Wyatt was involved with Starcraft and Warcraft for Blizzard. The company also announced its first title will be an MMO named Tera.
"We've 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 Yang.
"Our inaugural project, TERA, is one that we feel deeply passionate about and will reflect our approach and commitment to the Western gaming community."
PR below.
* 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/^(TM).
"We've 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 Asia's 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 Entertainment's legendary /Warcraft/® and /Starcraft/® franchises, writing /Diablo/'s® multiplayer code, scaling up battle.net^(TM), 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/^(TM), /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/.
/TERA/ is an innovative MMORPG with rich graphics and animations where players fully control their characters through the game's dynamic battle system. Player actions in /TERA/ can change the balance of power in a world where six races try to work together for the common good. The game, which is currently in development for PC, will launch in Korea this year and in Western markets thereafter.
*En Masse will host meetings at GDC 2010 in San Francisco from March 9-13 at booth #1134 in Expo* - please contact Lauren Dillon (lauren.dillon@premierpr.com to arrange an appointment).
For more information, please visit * EnMasse.com *.* *
*(l-r: Patrick Wyatt, Chris Lee, Dr. Yang and Brian Knox)*
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*About En Masse Entertainment *
En Masse Entertainment is a specialist publisher focused on high-quality MMOs. Based in Seattle, Washington, the company's mission is to bring stellar online games to Western markets with integrity and expertise, starting with /TERA/, En Masse's inaugural MMO project from developer and parent company Bluehole Studio, Inc. The close-knit team at En Masse includes experts in online technology, game production, branding, and localization, allowing them to bring online games to Western audiences at the highest levels of quality and cultural relevance. For more information, visit * EnMasse.com *.
*About Bluehole Studio *
Headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, Bluehole Studio, Inc. aspires to become the preeminent global MMORPG developer through its unwavering belief in its people and its core values. Bluehole formed in 2007 with an intense focus on attracting pioneers and innovators with a shared vision to create the next flagship MMORPG for the global market. The studio's inaugural title, /TERA/, is scheduled to launch in Korea in 2010 and features a dynamic battle system, next-generation graphics, and a gamer-centric community experience. For more information, visit bluehole.net/eng.