Support NeoGAF

[Prospero]

Link to press release

NCsoft(tm) Corporation, the world's leading developer and publisher of online computer games, announces the appointment of Jon Van Caneghem as Executive Producer at NCsoft North America. Van Caneghem is best known as the founder of New World Computing and the creator of some of gaming's most prominent franchises, including the Might and Magic(R) role playing game series and the Heroes(R) strategy game series.

Van Caneghem started New World Computing in 1983 and grew it to become one of the largest development houses in the computer games industry. The company was later acquired by 3DO. Van Caneghem created the Might and Magic and Heroes series and turned them into two of the industry's most successful titles, with more than 20 million units in combined sales. Each title holds hall of fame status and has been ported to virtually every gaming platform available. They have also been translated into more than fifteen languages. At NCsoft he'll begin work on a new, unannounced online game project.

"NCsoft has quickly established itself as a creative and technical leader in the online games industry," said Van Caneghem. "They clearly understand where the online games business is going and see the huge potential that is has to offer. I'm excited to be joining a company with such expertise and I look forward to working with Richard Garriott and NCsoft's talented team of designers to create the next generation of massively multiplayer online games."

NCsoft executive, Richard Garriott, said, "I've always admired Jon's innovative approach to game design. His impressive background in the entertainment industry complements and further broadens the capabilities of our strong studio development team. I look forward to working with him to create the most innovative titles the industry has to offer."

I don't know about Jon Van Caneghem working on an online game, though. His games were best at gameplay, not world-building and character design. Heroes I-III (and, to a lesser extent, Might and Magic I-V) are some of the best games I've ever played, but none of those games had a single memorable character, and the game worlds were all basically poor man's Tolkien--sort of generic "fantasy worlds," with creatures from different myths here and there. Seems like a single-player game with a rigorous, complex, and balanced gameplay mechanic is where JVC would be best.

On the other hand, if we're talking about a game that has the mechanics of the Heroes series, but it's online--that'd be something.

 

[Mashing]

Yeah, I hope it is a spritual sucessor to the HOMM series... it is just too damn good of a series to let die.

Does anyone remember who got the rights in the 3DO auction?

 

[Prospero]

Ubisoft owns the HOMM franchise, if I recall correctly. They're working on HOMM V.

 

[Mashing]

Well, that's not too bad I guess... as long as they don't try to do something stupid and "mature" it up like their doing with PoP2 which looks worse (art direction wise) than the first game.

 

[Blackace]

Maybe a real RPG! Something new!!! a new RPG franchise!!! oh wait... I need to wake up now

 

[golem]

whaattt!! well, its nice to hear that he's employed somewhere...

 

[Teknopathetic]

If he's going to be working with Garriot, then he's probably going to be working on Tabula Rasa.

 

[adrockthekid]

Joy returns to my life with the knowledge that a) JVC is employed again after the horrific downfall of 3DO, and b) NC Soft continues to be the least head-in-the-assedness developer/publisher around. Not only do they rock the house with CoH, but now they've got JVC to come in and kick it up a notch? Rock!

 

[jakershaker]

UBISOFT owns HOMM...probably working on a sequel

 

[Lathentar]

I meet Richard Garriott not too long ago. He came and looked at a research project I'm working on with some Phd students. Seemed very interested and will be coming back for further investigation. Great guy.