Blizzard, NCsoft Veterans Head New MMO Publisher

Blizzard and NCsoft alumni including former vice-president of R&D at Blizzard and ArenaNet co-founder Patrick Wyatt are heading a new online game publisher named En Masse Entertainment, announced today by owner and developer Bluehole Studio.

En Masse will be "focused on selecting high quality online games and adapting, refining, and positioning them so they are perfectly suited for audiences in Western markets," according to a press release, the first of which will be Bluehole's own TERA.

The gang, and TERA.

Former NCsoft chief technology officer Jae-Heon Yang serves as CEO, while Wyatt is COO, AION producer Brian Knox has been named senior producer and the publishing VP is Chris Lee, who has managed various marketing campaigns at EA and Microsoft.

"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," said Dr. Yang.

TERA is currently in closed beta and due to launch in Korea and Japan within the first half of this year, with En Masse bringing it to North America and Europe down the line.