KeyWord: KingsIsle, MMO Date: 04-26-2008
Summary: Texas based developer KingsIsle Entertainment announced that they have been working on two secret MMO projects for the past 3 years time.

Texas based developer KingsIsle Entertainment announced that they have been working on two secret MMO projects for the past 3 years time.

Austin, Texas. April 25, 2008. Online entertainment company KingsIsle Entertainment, Inc. today uncloaked after three years of lock down secrecy. The company has had a team of more than 100 Austin and Dallas based employees, including top creative talent, working on multiple massively multiplayer online (MMO) projects under a cone of silence.

Formed in early 2005 by veterans from both gaming and technology, KingsIsle is led by chairman and chief executive officer Elie Akilian, and President David Nichols. Heading up development are Todd Coleman, a key creative mind behind the MMO Shadowbane and creative director Tom Hall, co-founder of well known game companies id Software and ION Storm. The first project is headed by Todd and is expected to enter beta this spring. Another release headed by Tom will be announced at a later date.

\"We founded KingsIsle with an approach that fosters ingenuity,\" said Elie Akilian. \"Our focus is in the online environment and will continue to be so in the future. We\'ve pulled together some of the most creative minds around and given them room to push boundaries and create superlative entertainment experiences. We\'ll continue to build on that base of originality.\"

Prior to KingsIsle, Akilian co-founded Inet Technologies, Inc. in 1989, and took the company public in 1999. He served as its President and Chief Executive Officer from April 1999 until the sale of the company to Tektronix, Inc., in September 2004.

Nichols brings to KingsIsle a wide variety of experience in operations, publishing, and financial management. Prior to joining KingsIsle, Nichols was with Midway Games Inc., and subsidiaries from 1995 to 2004. Most recently, he served as Midway\'s Senior Vice President Administration and Operations.

Todd Coleman was most recently the President of Wolfpack Studios, Inc., creators of the MMO title Shadowbane, until its sale to Ubisoft Entertainment in early 2004. Before becoming Wolfpack\'s President, he was their Vice President responsible for managing the game design team, building and maintaining their online player community and publisher relations.

Coming from a 15-year stretch of successful game development, Tom Hall\'s contribution to KingsIsle is his immensely creative imagination that allows him to envision entire gaming worlds and character designs that are unique in the game industry. His games have been played by millions and include the Commander Keen series, Wolfenstein 3D, Spear of Destiny, DOOM, Rise of the Triad and Anachronox