Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Former Bungie president, Alex Seropian, leaves Disney Interactive]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/07/former-bungie-president-alex-seropian-leaves-disney-interactiv/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/07/former-bungie-president-alex-seropian-leaves-disney-interactiv/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/07/former-bungie-president-alex-seropian-leaves-disney-interactiv/#comments Alex Seropian -- who helped found developer Bungie in the 1990s -- has left Disney Interactive, where he was head of game development. After helping create the Halo franchise at Bungie, Seropian started his own studio, Wideload Games, which was then acquired by Disney when it hired Seropian in 2009 as a creative-development lead.

Disney has confirmed Seropian's departure and said he will be replaced by former Blizzard vice president Bill Roper, Game Informer reports. In 2003 Roper left Blizzard and founded Flagship Studios, which busted in 2008, and he was picked up by Cryptic Studios. In 2011, Roper left Cryptic to join Disney Interactive as vice president of the Marvel Franchise, which recently announced Marvel: Avengers Alliance coming to Facebook in Q1 this year.

JoystiqFormer Bungie president, Alex Seropian, leaves Disney Interactive originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Alex-Seropianbill-roperBlizzardBungiedisneyDisney-InteractiveHalomicrosoftmobilenintendopcplaystationps3WideloadwiixboxTue, 07 Feb 2012 18:35:00 EST<![CDATA[Ex-Cryptic CCO Bill Roper joins Disney Interactive Media Group]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/22/ex-cryptic-cco-bill-roper-joins-disney-interactive-media-group/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/22/ex-cryptic-cco-bill-roper-joins-disney-interactive-media-group/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/22/ex-cryptic-cco-bill-roper-joins-disney-interactive-media-group/#comments Bill Roper's cultivated an impressive resume during his tenure with the gaming industry, including executive positions with Blizzard North, Flagship Studios and Cryptic Studios. He left the latter developer -- his last place of employment -- last August, and today revealed his new home: The Disney Interactive Media Group, where he'll work as the vice president of the Marvel franchise.

Disney General Manager of Games Alex Seropian said, "With 17 years of experience in the worldwide gaming industry, we are confident that Bill has the creative vision necessary to help guide the next wave of development and product for DIMG's Marvel Games." We too are confident in Roper's abilities. And, considering his legacy, we can't wait to see how much dope loot he can squeeze into the next Spider-Man title.

JoystiqEx-Cryptic CCO Bill Roper joins Disney Interactive Media Group originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 22 Jul 2011 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bill-roperblizzardblizzard-northcryptic-studiosdisneyDisney-Interactivedisney-interactive-media-groupflagship-studiosmarvelFri, 22 Jul 2011 12:10:00 EST<![CDATA[Bill Roper leaves Cryptic Studios]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/17/bill-roper-leaves-cryptic-studios/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/17/bill-roper-leaves-cryptic-studios/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/17/bill-roper-leaves-cryptic-studios/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Cryptic Studios, developer of MMOs Champions Online and, more recently, Star Trek Online, has announced that chief creative officer Bill Roper has left the company. He follows in the footsteps of Craig Zinkievich, executive producer on STO who left Cryptic back in July. Talk about a rough summer for the development studio!

Prior to his two-year stint at Cryptic, Roper worked at Blizzard and then Flagship Studios, the developer responsible for creating Hellgate: London. Roper cites his "entrepreneurial spirit" as the reason for his departure, a spirit he says "has become restless" over the last few months. We wish him all of the luck in his future endeavors.

JoystiqBill Roper leaves Cryptic Studios originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 17 Aug 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bill-roperccochampions-onlinecryptic-studiosstar-trek-onlineTue, 17 Aug 2010 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Flagship lost Bill Roper friends and loved ones]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/18/flagship-lost-bill-roper-friends-and-loved-ones/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/18/flagship-lost-bill-roper-friends-and-loved-ones/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/18/flagship-lost-bill-roper-friends-and-loved-ones/#comments
Every day we ponder if now is the time to stuff our credibility into a rocket, shoot it into the sun and become the world's most irreverent and depressingly unqualified development studio. But we have to admit, interviews like Gamasutra's new one with Bill Roper, in which he details how the downfall of Flagship turned games into a business for him, give us pause.

At one point, he says, "It was a really dark time. It cost me a lot more than just the money we'd put into the company and things like that. It cost me a lot on a personal level with friends and loved ones that I wasn't able to keep in the process." ... So, wait, it's not just drawing pictures of gigantic guns and space babes while you tighten up the graphics on level three? Looks like we'll be keeping our day jobs.

JoystiqFlagship lost Bill Roper friends and loved ones originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 18 May 2009 20:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bill-roperflagshiphellgatehellgate-londonMon, 18 May 2009 20:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Diablo II's producer weighs in on sequel's art style ]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/18/diablo-iis-producer-weighs-in-on-sequels-art-style/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/18/diablo-iis-producer-weighs-in-on-sequels-art-style/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/18/diablo-iis-producer-weighs-in-on-sequels-art-style/#comments
Former VP of the now-defunct Blizzard North and producer of Diablo II, Bill Roper, agrees with fans who feel Diablo III ... well, doesn't quite look "Diablo" enough. Roper discussed the game's brighter, more cartoon-like art style with VideoGamer.com as part of a broader interview.

"I can't say that I dislike it. I didn't look at it and go, oh my God that's horrible," Roper said of his initial reaction to Diablo III. "But I looked at it and went, it's not really... to me as a player it just didn't really ring with Diablo."

With Blizzard "really pleased" with the look and feel of the game as-is, the only option for those seeking a darker Diablo III experience will be labeled "reduce gamma" under "visual settings."

[Via Shacknews]

JoystiqDiablo II's producer weighs in on sequel's art style originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 18 Mar 2009 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bill-roperblizzardcontroversydiablo-3diablo-iiirainbowsunicornsWed, 18 Mar 2009 04:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Blizzard veteran Bill Roper joins Cryptic Studios]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/03/blizzard-veteran-bill-roper-joins-cryptic-studios/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/03/blizzard-veteran-bill-roper-joins-cryptic-studios/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/03/blizzard-veteran-bill-roper-joins-cryptic-studios/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Former Blizzard director Bill Roper, whose most recent stint was co-founder and CEO of the now-defunct Flagship Studios (Hellgate: London), has joined Cryptic Studios. According to the press release, Roper will serve as Design Director for the upcoming superhero-infused MMO, Champions Online.

In an interview with GameDaily, Roper said his first order of business is to dig "deeply" into Champions Online. "There's a lot of fantastic stuff here, and we'll focus on figuring out what's working, what needs some polish and rethinking other things." CO is currently in production for PC and Xbox 360 with a tentative Spring 2009 launch, although given the timing of Roper's hire and from what he said in the interview, we wonder if that'll be pushed back.

An application for the CO beta is currently available. Cryptic Studios is also currently working on Star Trek Online, due out sometime late next year.

[Via Big Download]

JoystiqBlizzard veteran Bill Roper joins Cryptic Studios originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 03 Nov 2008 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bill-roperblizzardbreakingnewschampions-onlinecrypticcryptic-studioshellgate-londonPCMon, 03 Nov 2008 08:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Anatomy of a disaster: Flagship Studios founder speaks]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/19/anatomy-of-a-disaster-flagship-studios-founder-speaks/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/19/anatomy-of-a-disaster-flagship-studios-founder-speaks/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/19/anatomy-of-a-disaster-flagship-studios-founder-speaks/#commentsFiled under:


Flagship Studios' founder Bill Roper recently spoke with 1Up about how the Hellgate London developer ended up becoming another cautionary tale for young developers out there. Roper explains that the revenue model on Hellgate was broken and much of the money coming in went into keeping the game online, instead of expanding content like it should have.

Roper also admits the quality of the title wasn't great. He blames the PC market for being "lousy last year" and concedes Flagship didn't have unlimited money to hold on to Hellgate any longer. He also confesses that the company overreached trying to make "an MMO and an RPG and a shooter," attempting to please everyone and (obviously) satisfying very few at the end. Roper explains the Flagship Studios disaster in 1Up's interview in detail -- definitely worth a read for any aspiring studio head.

JoystiqAnatomy of a disaster: Flagship Studios founder speaks originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 19 Aug 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bill-roperflagship-studioshellgate-londonmythosTue, 19 Aug 2008 10:00:00 EST