May 22, 2008: KingsIsle Entertainment Announces Wizard101
Ravenwood School of Magical Arts Opens for Enrollment this Summer
Virtual World Designed Especially for Teens and Tweens
PLANO, TEXAS—May 22, 2008—Online entertainment company KingsIsle Entertainment, Inc. today announced plans for Wizard101, an elaborate 3D virtual world in which magic and sorcery come to life as players embark on a quest that involves a massive cast of good, evil and frequently silly characters. Designed to fill the void between online play sites for the very young and Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) games with mature adult interaction, Wizard101 (www.wizard101.com) puts players in the fantasy role of a Wizard apprentice at the Ravenwood School of Magical Arts.
"While the fantasy adventure storyline and collectible card elements of Wizard101 have broad appeal, as a parent I take the responsibility of creating a positive online environment for younger players very seriously,” said KingsIsle CEO Elie Akilian. “Wizard101 is a destination for tweens and teens that’s creative and witty, but still safe. We’ve set the bar high for this game."
J. Todd Coleman, an MMO veteran and the creative mind behind Wizard101, is heading up development of the game, which has been in the works for three years. In the game, players will adventure through magical 3D environments as they learn, collect and cast spells summoning fantastic cinematic creatures. Players can also collect bizarre pets and magical artifacts, solve puzzles, make friends, play mini games, and more.
Features include:
Extensive magical 3D world where players team up with friends and carry out quests to save Wizard City from the forces of Evil.
Collectible card-style duels that come to cinematic life as players cast spells alongside fellow and rival students.
More than 101 collectible spells summon zany creatures such as Humongofrog, Evil Snowman and Stormzilla.
Seven different schools of magic, each with its own unique style and storyline.
Many witty scenarios and characters based on history, mythology and pop culture.
The ability to adopt magical pets, like a tiny dragon or flying pig.
Puzzles and mini-games that challenge the player to earn crystals and enchanted items.
New outfits and accessories to earn for your customizable Wizard character.
Wizard101 will launch in the third quarter of 2008 and is not yet rated. For additional details go to www.wizard101.com.
April 25, 2008: Gaming and Technology Vets Team Up To Form KingsIsle Entertainment Inc.
AUSTIN, TEXAS
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 fifteen 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.
About KingsIsle Entertainment
Founded in 2005, with operations in the Dallas area and Austin, KingsIsle is creating massively multiplayer online entertainment offerings that are innovative, compelling, uncommon and of high quality. They have brought together a team of highly creative, energetic, accomplished and skilled professionals to develop these projects. The team consists of individuals with unique and in-depth experience in the development of video games, online environments, communications and commercial software.
