NCsoft Consolidates MMO Devs, Creates NC West

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Korea-based MMO publisher NCsoft today announced that it will consolidate subsidiaries NC Europe, NC Austin (Tabula Rasa) and ArenaNet (Guild Wars) under the leadership of a new company titled NC West.

While the old studios will not be closed, a new office in Seattle will be established for NC West, which will then lead the companies as a unified organization. NC Interactive's Chris Chung was named as CEO of NC West, with Jeff Strain taking up the presidential mantle.

"We are confident that by combining our subsidiaries into a unified global organization under Chris Chung's leadership, NC West will become a more powerful force to be reckoned with in the western MMO market," said CEO Taek Jin Kim.

Earlier this year, NCsoft cut 21 employees from NC Austin following the disappointing sales of the studio's MMO Tabula Rasa. GamesIndustry reported yesterday that NC Europe may soon lose 50 employees following the halt of production on the studio's unannounced MMO.

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From The Chatty
  • reply
    September 10, 2008 12:57 PM

    The market is getting pretty saturated with MMOs imo. I've never heard of Tabula Rasa, but looking at their website looks like a quake-like MMORPG. Anyone here play it?

    • reply
      September 10, 2008 1:07 PM

      Off topic, the creator of Tabula Rasa - Richard Garriott is launching in a Soyuz next month to the International Space Station. He's going to be the first second generation American astronaut and the sixth space tourist. Not bad for a game designer. Godspeed.

    • reply
      September 10, 2008 1:09 PM

      I played it 6 or so months ago... before many of the recent updates that have supposedly made the game a good deal better.

      That said... I liked it quite a bit but I'm a very, very casual player. In terms of depth, it was deeper than City of Heroes but not as deep as standard MMO games like WoW or AoC that I've also played.

      So if you're a casual player like me then it isn't a bad game to try out IMO.

    • reply
      September 10, 2008 1:29 PM

      It is really not like quake at all. Pretend its like WoW with ONLY the hunter class(minus animal pets). You select your target from a FPS point of view but you don't aim like a FPS.

      There is one base class everyone starts out as and eventually you get to make choices at which subclass you want to be as you progress. Also you get to clone your character to try other paths so you don't have to grind a ton of levels to try something different. And there is a LOT of grinding.

      Other than that really no different from the standard MMO.

    • reply
      September 10, 2008 1:46 PM

      It would have been a good MMO if it came out 4 years ago. Everything in its been done and done better. Dell PC boxes all over kind of take you out of the Sci-Fi setting. IMO it was bad.

    • reply
      September 10, 2008 2:35 PM

      Played TR. It lacks the 'wow' factor, in my opinion.

      I hope Jeff Strain's title/position change does not affect Guild Wars. It's great as is.

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