En Masse Entertainment

Final Thoughts Before Launch

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 12:00:00 +0000

As I walked into the office, I nearly tripped when I saw the countdown of days before we launch TERA had hit single digits. Two and a half years have passed since I helped start En Masse Entertainment and began the journey of bringing TERA to North America, and here we are—just days away from launch.

En Masse is not a publisher with millions of dollars or thousands of employees. We are less than one hundred strong, equipped with the desire to succeed and the talent to achieve. We all relished the challenge, believed in TERA as a product, and set out on a path to make our dream a reality. We were challenged with doing what hasn't been done before—successfully bring a triple-A Korean MMO to the Western market.

En Masse started with just five people and grew to meet this challenge. I was, and still am, humbled by the talented individuals I have the opportunity to work with and learn from each day. We have built a team at En Masse that has the passion and talent to overcome this challenge. Other publishers have tried to bring products from Korea to the West with moderate success, but no one has achieved the level of success some of those games deserved.

Path to Success

We believed the key component to success was the complete buy-in from the development team to support the Western market as they would support their own market. If a game is merely ported over after it's published in the original territory, you can expect mediocre results. But if the publisher and developer work together to institute a plan for a level of service and support equal to the original territory, the game can achieve true success. Before we even started En Masse, Bluehole Studio assured us their commitment to the West was genuine. That assurance, our own commitment to success, and the potential TERA held as a game gave us the foundation we needed to succeed.

Developing for the West

TERA took its biggest strides this past year for the North American market. In previous years, we worked with Bluehole on higher-level items like design and direction. Big concepts and systems came out of this initial collaboration—achievements, controllers, solo-friendly fights, progression pacing, and so on. But we knew that unless we got all of the small details right, we couldn't succeed.

Once the original direction of TERA was completed, we officially established our live development team to begin the development necessary to meet the needs of the Western market. This was a huge step, because it broke the pattern of typical Korean MMOs. They tended to be slaves to whatever was released in Korea—a North American release had minimal impact on development. With TERA, we have set En Masse up to have the power to react and treat the Western market with the time and attention our loyal customers deserve.

Of course, it is often said among geeks that with great power comes great responsibility. Excuses were off the table, and it meant that we had to deliver. We set out in our late 2011 alpha test to gather the feedback we needed to make necessary changes to TERA before launch. From this feedback, the live development team was able to deliver on the specific needs of the Western market. A rebalanced end game, a better introductory play experience, economic tweaks, and PVP servers were just some of the changes brought about as a direct result of our alpha test phase. We also dedicated resources to many quality-of-life changes throughout our closed betas.

Now We Can Play

The day open beta began was a huge milestone for En Masse. We celebrated in typical gamer fashion—pizza and beer. We all argued on who chose the best server, who had the most elite guild, which class was the best, the best path to level...you name it. Our conversations were not much different than what you find in fan-forum threads. For those few hours, we were more players than developers, and it was a damn good feeling.

As a developer, when work is over, sometimes the last thing you want to do is play the game you spent all day working on. With TERA, it was the opposite—the entire company was excited to finally create a lasting character and join the community in exploring the world they helped build.
During our open beta, were able to join in with hundreds of thousands of players participating and getting a chance to see what makes TERA so special. I personally spent most of my weekend answering questions, doing countless Sinestral Manor dungeon runs, and, of course, engaging in some good ol' guild-versus-guild action. The combination of RPG elements and action gameplay made for an engaging and fun experience. I felt in control of my results more so than in any other MMO I have played before. You're driven not only to level and gear up in TERA, but also to hone your skills and improve as a player. You need to know your range, understand your combos, detect movement patterns, be aware of who is where, and know the strengths and weaknesses of each class.

Something that struck me this past week was how quickly the term BAM (big-ass monster) caught on with the community. All throughout the weekend I saw fellow players looking for a group to go hunt BAMs. We originally used this term for fun internally and did not really expect it to catch on. I believe the reason it did wasn't because we used a swear word to describe a game feature, but because the word BAM is rooted in the core of what TERA is all about. BAMs combine all the elements we worked so hard to balance and tune. They require the necessary preparation of an RPG game and the skill and ability of an action game.

When you party up in TERA, you eyeball the other members in your group for the right level and gear, but you don't truly know how your party will fare until the battle is underway. Is your warrior timing dodges right? Are the berserkers getting knockdowns? Are the slayers executing combos on the knocked-down BAM? Is your healer standing still, or circling the perimeter of the fight, constantly aware of everyone's location? No gear score is going to give you all that info. Gear and levels get you in the door with TERA, but player skill keeps you alive.

New MMOs are a fantastic experience because they are so vast in content and detail. To me, learning is one of the most rewarding experiences in exploring a new MMO. For TERA, I helped provide as many answers as I could, but I still had questions of my own. I felt very self-aware that here I was, senior producer on TERA, asking my guild for clarification on a skill. That is the beauty of MMOs and TERA, though—two and a half years of playing every day, and I still don't know everything.

We're Ready for You

With just days left before TERA's launch, the biggest question for fans will be whether or not the game is ready. I can definitively say that TERA is ready to launch in the Western market. It isn't perfect—no MMO is—but it's ready for the community to shape it. MMOs take years and years to develop, but very few really establish their identity until the community takes hold of the game. The game you will see on May 1 was shaped with community feedback, through focus group tests and betas, but the true future of TERA will be determined once the game goes live. Our goal was to get fans playing TERA for real as soon as possible, which was key to our decision not to wipe characters after open beta. This was our first live experience with how TERA will be played in the Western market.

With lasting communities and lasting characters now formed, the path for TERA is set. We have time for tweaks and updates before launch, but the train has left the station, and it is time for us to listen and observe so we can continuously deliver top-notch, compelling new content. The biggest question isn't whether the game is ready. It is instead are we, the developers, ready to meet the needs of the community? To that, I say don't judge us on our size and our budgets, but instead judge us on our skill and ability to react to your needs as a player.

Bluehole Studio NOT Guilty in Trial

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Bluehole Studio, Creator of TERA, NOT Guilty in Criminal Trial

Over the last couple of years, we've been working to release TERA. We're close to getting the job done right, as TERA closed beta test players can attest. But since February, we've been subjected to entirely too much innuendo related to a lawsuit filed against our startup by NCsoft in the United States—a suit that seems designed to disrupt the launch of TERA in North America. The latest round of that innuendo even goes so far as to try to drag in a separate case that was brought in Korea not against Bluehole, but against certain former employees of NCSoft.

In the event you've read the court filings here in the US, you'll find that they're remarkably easy to read for legal documents; they certainly appear to have been written with an eye toward public opinion. NCsoft is a billion-plus dollar corporation, so they can afford to have a team of high-priced lawyers spin out reasonable-sounding documents. These baseless accusations have led to unfounded rumors, which is disappointing and unfair. But that doesn’t mean the rumors are true.

It is no surprise that the latest spin on the story has it that "TERA is guilty." That is wrong. For the record, after extensive Korean proceedings, Bluehole Studio was NOT found to have made any use of any NCsoft trade secrets in the form of source code or game design. In fact, TERA didn’t even exist when the Korean case against the former NCsoft employees arose, and neither did En Masse Entertainment. In Korean civil proceedings, Bluehole was also found NOT to have been responsible for the exodus of NCsoft developers.

What is a fact: If you're a legal scholar, you'll note that NCsoft hasn't filed a motion (known as an injunction) here in the US to prevent the launch of TERA. That's kind of surprising, because their legal documents originally said they would supposedly suffer grievous harm if TERA is launched.
Another fact: If you read NCsoft’s complaint, they actually admit that their motive in bringing the suit is to prevent Bluehole and En Masse from competing with them: "Since the release of TERA in Korea, NCsoft's Lineage sales and market share have declined, as have sales and market share of other NCsoft products."

To our fans and followers, we want to let you all know that we are not going to let a corporate bully or baseless rumor mill derail us from focusing our efforts on delivering TERA to you on May 1, 2012.

TERA's Release Date: May 1, 2012

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

En Masse Entertainment Announces TERA to Release in North America on May 1

Upcoming Action MMO PC Game Features Intense Action Combat that Redefines the Genre

SEATTLE – January 17, 2012 – En Masse Entertainment, a publisher built by gamers, focused on delivering fun and innovative online games, announced today that its award-winning and highly anticipated action MMO title, TERA, will launch on May 1, 2012. The upcoming release of TERA will be available in Standard and Collector’s Editions at retail and online stores. It will mark a new era in gaming. TERA sets a new standard by delivering true action combat to players who want more than the stale and repetitive gameplay that exists in today’s MMOs.

The recipient of multiple industry honors and accolades, including “Best PC Game” and “Best MMO” at last year’s E3 expo, TERA is a new breed of online game that combines all the depth of a traditional MMO with the visceral gratification of an action game. In TERA, players must actively aim, dodge and block, as the game’s real-time combat system takes into account player position and skill, not stats alone.

Players begin by creating a character from seven races and eight classes as they join in an alliance to save the world from bloodthirsty armies of monsters who threaten to destroy the very gods who hold their world together. TERA also introduces a revolutionary political system in which players wield power in their province based on their in-game political prowess or player versus player combat skill.

Chris Lee Featured in Industry Gamers

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 01:06:00 +0000

As a special feature for Thanksgiving late last month, game industry blog Industry Gamers recently spoke with En Masse Entertainment's Publishing VP, Chris Lee. Chris shared what he was most thankful for in the current game industry alongside other notable names in the field. Here's a bit of what Chris has to say:

"As I looked out the cab window, I saw the towering apartment buildings that are part of the visual language of the Korean urban landscape, and it dawned on me that there were thousands upon thousands of people inside those buildings. I wondered about those people and their families. What did they do for a living? Some certainly worked in the automotive industry, others in restaurants or other service-related jobs, and a few had to be taxi drivers. I tried to put myself in their shoes and imagine what life would be like."

Read the full article on IndustryGamers.com.

Masse Communication: Episode 1

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 19:17:00 +0000

In this inaugural podcast, En Masse Entertainment’s Publishing VP Chris Lee and and Senior Producer Brian Knox get together to discuss the ins and outs of starting a video game company, the latest happenings at En Masse, and their favorite moments in gaming. They'll also answer a fan question from the mailbag.

Click here to listen!

En Masse Interviewed in DFC Dossier

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 01:19:00 +0000

En Masse Entertainment was featured in the latest issue of DFC Intelligence's market research and strategic analysis report, the DFC Dossier. The DFC Dossier is distributed to thousands of upper management professionals for insight into the latest technology (and game) industry trends. Vice President of Publishing Chris Lee and Senior Producer Brian Knox were interviewed by the firm about TERA and the changes it brings to the MMO market.

Here’s a sample from the article:

DFC is taking a closer look at new MMOs that feature an innovative tack in game design. En Masse Entertainment is one such outfit. This Seattle-based publishing operation is a subsidiary of Bluehole Studio in South Korea. En Masse’s first project is adapting Bluehole’s inaugural product, [TERA], for the North American market.

DFC Intelligence: Please give us your perspective of the market for subscription MMOs in North America. Things have changed radically since Ultima Online in 1997, World of Warcraft in 2004, and today. What does it take to be successful in 2011 with a subscription MMO?

Chris Lee: An MMO has to compete on the four P’s: product (quality), place (digital), price, and promotion. We believe what will make us different is our commitment to high-quality service. Our goal is to exceed customer expectations with regards to the level of service we provide. That covers support, community, polish, stability, content, balance, and security. North American players have a high value bias towards companies and products that provide good service, especially when it comes to a product in which they subscribe.

Click here to check out the full interview with En Masse Entertainment. Learn more about DFC Intelligence on their website at DFCINT.com or sign up for the DFC Dossier here.

Partying with a Purpose

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 23:57:00 +0000

Convention. Even the word evokes excitement: tens of thousands of zealous gamers gravitating to a single city for a weekend of celebrating their collective passion. The pageantry, the people, the panels…and, of course, the parties. While convention days are packed with booth demonstrations, presentations by luminaries, and more cosplayers than you can shake a giant foam sword at, convention nights take on a life of their own.

To an attendee, nightlife during a show means a memorable or partially memorable all-hours affair (depending on the player’s constitution check) while rubbing shoulders with fellow gamers and industry professionals. To a developer or publisher, this is the bonus round where companies are afforded one-on-one time with key influencers who have the potential to spread the good word about your game and brand to their circles: family, friends, guilds, and beyond. However, there’s a lot of planning and thought that goes into these expensive, resource-intensive events. The best companies don’t simply throw parties but, instead, host carefully tailored experiences crafted to turn industry enthusiasts into brand evangelists.

Such was the case last month during Penny Arcade Expo 2011, when we held our first-ever En Masse Entertainment Open House. The strategic planning started early, with much discussion on the possible timing and location of the event. Rather than go up against annual parties and established names, we decided to invite a small group of TERA fans to our downtown Seattle office for an exclusive visit during the mid-afternoon on Saturday, the second day of the convention. This is around the time when many attendees elect to leave the show to rest up for the evening’s activities. As a result, we saw a full attendance when the curtain went up on our shindig.

The purpose of the Open House was two-fold: introduce our team and office to thirty grassroots community members and give these eager gamers hands-on time with TERA in the form of organized dungeon parties and freeform character creation and gameplay. The event was pared down to a lean but meaty three-hour schedule with activities planned throughout for a brief but meaningful experience. After a meet-and-greet with the company staff and a tour through our office, Chief Operating Officer Patrick Wyatt delivered a presentation that introduced a new security measure in the game called chronoscrolls. This exclusive reveal was later shared with the TERA community at large on the official website.

Then came time for the dungeon demonstrations! Attendees were grouped into parties and joined Producer Chris Hager or Technical Producer Sam Kim in tackling the Necromancy Cell, a challenging five-player dungeon instance. Populated by two argon boss monsters, the arch-nemeses of TERA, our guests had quite a fight on their hands. Additionally, the producers leading them created a meta-challenge: beat the other party to defeating the dungeon! In the end, almost all of the parties triumphed in the demo, and all players walked away with a keen understanding of TERA’s action combat and how to convey the experience to other gamers.

We rounded out the Open House by rewarding our newly minted heroes with special TERA loot and merchandise, then raised a pint with them at a local brewery to celebrate their victory and discuss their experiences and feedback. The event ended before the night’s high-profile parties began, and gave each attendee a unique story to share that evening and long after the convention.

Gamescom 2011 Recap

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 19:42:00 +0000

Gamescom is a big show. It's hard to put into words the sheer scope of the show, so let me put it into numbers: 275,000. That's how many people attended this year alone. With hundreds of exhibitors, thousands of press, and hundreds of thousands of fans, there is a lot to see and do, as you can imagine!

This year, a small group of us from En Masse went to Gamescom. While we were there we spoke to members of the media about TERA, but in between media appointments and other meetings, we snuck out to scope out the show floor. Just about everyone at En Masse is a gamer, and there's no way for a gamer to resist the pull of these huge booths, blaring lights from 20 foot HD screens displaying your favorite game, and that all important hands-on time with the next big hit. The first day, only media and industry people were allowed into the show, so it was slightly less crowded. We cruised around all eight of the hallways to see what was there, and picked our targets.

The show days were a blur of giving TERA presentations, talking with other game developers about their titles, and checking out other games we wanted to see whenever we could find time to hit the show floor. While we didn't get as much hands-on time as we would have liked with other games, we did get to see a lot of the amazing booths companies had made. All of us wanted to replace our desks at work with the World of Tanks demo desks (conveniently shaped like real tank turrets). I was also geeked out to see the incredible cars that the Forza and Need for Speed franchises always bring to shows like this. The list of games we wanted to see was long and distinguished: Gears of War 3, Prey, Rage 2, Battlefield 3 and Modern Warfare 3 (for internal debate on which was the best), Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and many more. We also had to check out the latest MMO offerings from everyone else (hey, it's research right?). Unfortunately, we weren't the only people who wanted to see those games, and the lines were insanely long. While the thought of brushing off all of our media and business appointments did cross our minds more than once, we never gave into temptation. And once we were back in the business center and talking about TERA, we were just as excited as we had been on the show floor.

We also ran into a few people we met at last year's show, and old friends and colleagues from previous jobs. Despite the large number of game companies and publishers out there in the world, the community is relatively small and tight-knit. Shows are always a good time to catch up with people, see how things are with them, and learn about new games or products they're working on.

Gamescom 2011 was a great place for En Masse to talk about TERA, meet new partners, get reacquainted with old friends, and check out the latest and greatest the industry has to offer. It definitely did not disappoint, and we're looking forward to next year already.

EnMasse.com Relaunched

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Welcome to EnMasse.com, En Masse Entertainment’s home on the internet! Our website has been reconstructed from the ground up to better show who we are as a company and what we represent to developers and gamers alike. Learn more by visiting our Company page.

The En Masse blog will serve as our voice and web presence, where we’ll talk about a range of topics such as hot industry news, the latest memes, or how we’re growing. On the back end, we’re developing robust services from scratch—including our new account management system and online store, both of which will be housed here on EnMasse.com. These services will support TERA through and beyond launch and be our platform for future titles as well.

We are continuing to grow and evolve in our pursuit of becoming your favorite game company. Interested in becoming part of the team? Check out our Jobs page for available positions. Join us for this exciting chapter in the story of En Masse Entertainment!