J. Todd Coleman Named VP and Creative Director; Josef Hall Named VP of Development
Plano, Texas–March 03, 2010 – KingsIsle Entertainment, the game development company behind the award-winning online game Wizard101, announced today the promotions of J. Todd Coleman to Vice President and Creative Director and Josef Hall to Vice President of Development. Mr. Coleman’s role in the company has been expanded beyond Creative Director to include a Vice President title, with the added responsibility of production management and creative vision across all of KingsIsle’s games. This includes future development of Wizard101, brand extensions and other MMOs in development. Mr. Hall’s role will encompass responsibilities across all aspects of development for Wizard101 and future KingsIsle properties. He will continue to contribute strong technical leadership as well as to design and production.
Joining KingsIsle Entertainment in 2005, J. Todd Coleman served as a key visionary in the creation of Wizard101 as well as the executive manager of the project from inception through launch. He owned the functional area of Wizard101 production: design, development, art, customer support and operations. His career in the gaming industry includes co-founding Wolfpack Studios, which was behind the MMO Shadowbane. Currently, Coleman is leading KingsIsle Entertainment’s second project as the executive manager.
Josef Hall was the co-creator of Wizard101 and previously the Senior Director of Software Engineering at KingsIsle. Hall is responsible for the technical implementation of all KingsIsle products. He developed the world-class systems that KingsIsle uses to build highly scalable client-server technologies to support millions of Wizard101 players. Before joining KingsIsle in 2005, Hall co-founded Wolfpack Studios with Coleman and was one of the key creative minds behind the MMO. In his new role Hall will take on responsibilities across all development and strategic direction of KingsIsle in addition to his technical leadership.
“Todd and Josef have been integral influencers behind the creation of Wizard101 and the ongoing innovation at KingsIsle Entertainment,” said Elie Akilian, CEO of KingsIsle Entertainment. “Their contributions and leadership in both the technical and creative aspects of our games have helped drive the success of our company and our people.”
Wizard101 currently has more than 5 million registered users. In the game, kids and families enter the magical world of Wizard City as student Wizards setting out to hone their Wizard skills, cast spells and summon powerful creatures to fight evil forces. The characters and worlds of Wizard101 are influenced by literature, history and pop culture, giving the game a depth and quality appreciated by families and players of all ages.
