Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast have hired Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Dragon Age lead designer James Ohlen to head a new studio based in Austin, Texas.
Photo: Wizards of the Coast
The former BioWare creative director, who took a break from the gaming industry last year, will lead the creative development of a brand new IP at Wizards, the company behind Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering.
"I didn't think that I would be coming back to the game industry so soon but working with Wizards is a once in a lifetime opportunity," the 23-year vet of the games industry said in a news release Wednesday. "Our mutual love of RPGs, world-building, and interactive storytelling is a perfect match."
Ohlen, who previously worked on Baldur's Gate, Baldur's Gate 2, and Neverwinter Nights (all based on the D&D universe), said that he had been refusing offers to get back to work but a call from Wizards of the Coast's Chris Cocks sparked his interest.
"D&D has been a huge part of my life since I was eight years old," Ohlen said during an interview with GamesIndustry.biz. "The Baldur's Gate games were very personal to me, and Star Wars is another thing I love. … This is just an opportunity to work on projects as personal to me as the good ol' days of the '90s and early '00s. It was the most fun. I was a little bit of a workaholic, because I loved it. And Wizards is giving me an opportunity to return to those personal projects."'
Cocks told GamesIndustry.biz that the first step will be to "build a franchise that will endure, like Magic and D&D" and then determine the right platforms for the new world
According to Cocks, Ohlen is joining Wizards at a critical time in the evolution of the company, which is a subsidiary of Hasbro.
"James brings experience in creative direction and studio leadership that will prove important as we look to develop compelling new experiences that engage gamers all over the world," Cocks stated in the news release.
I'm excited to see what game Ohlen will develop with Wizards of the Coast. I'm sure it's going to be epic.
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