Korean Company Forms New Western Studio

Korean MMO company Bluehole Studio has formed a new Seattle subsidiary called En Masse Entertainment that will focus on localizing and marketing online games to Western audiences. En Masse was formed in 2009, but formally announced itself today. It claims veterans of Blizzard, Microsoft, Electronic Arts, ArenaNet and NCsoft among its staff. These include former NCsoft CTO Jae-Heon Yang as CEO and longtime Warcraft, Starcraft and Diablo contributor Patrick Wyatt as COO, among others. "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," says Yang. Former Aion producer Brian Knox will be senior producer for En Masse's first title, an MMORPG called Tera. Yang calls the game "one that we feel deeply passionate about and will reflect our approach and commitment to the Western gaming community." Bluehole will launch Tera in Korea this year, and En Masse will prepare it for Western markets further on. It promises "rich graphics and animations", a dynamic battle system and six races that collaborate for the good of the world.