Jon Van Caneghem | |
|---|---|
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| Born | 1962 or 1963 (age 62–63) |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) |
| Occupation | Game designer |
| Notable work | Might and Magic series Heroes of Might and Magic series |
| Children | Amanda (daughter) |
| Awards | Computer Gaming World Hall of Fame[1] |
Jon Van Caneghem (born 1962/1963)[2] is an Americanvideo game director,designer andproducer. He is best known for launching development studioNew World Computing in 1983, making his design debut in 1986 withMight and Magic Book One: The Secret of the Inner Sanctum. During the company's 20-year lifespan, Van Caneghem was involved in the creation and direction of several franchises, including theMight and Magic role-playing series and the spin-offHeroes of Might and Magic andKing's Bounty strategy series.
Van Caneghem was raised on theSunset Strip inWest Hollywood, California, United States, by his mother, an artist, and his stepfather, aneurologist atUniversity of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He attended grade school atLycée Français de Los Angeles and his collegiatealma mater is UCLA, where he started as a pre-med student and graduated with a degree in computer science.[2]
In 1983, Van Caneghem founded New World Computing, a publisher anddeveloper ofcomputer andconsole games.
Their first title was the medieval fantasyMight and Magic: Secret of the Inner Sanctum—one of the first role-playing games to feature detailed drawings of both indoor and outdoor locations.[3] It debuted in 1986 for theApple II.[4] The series went on to include nine bestselling games, all of which Van Caneghem co-created. In 1990 Van Caneghem releasedKing's Bounty, the forerunner of theHeroes of Might and Magic series of seven games which feature turn-based, fantasy-themed conflicts in which players control armies of mythical creatures.
In the following 20 years as president and CEO of New World Computing, Van Caneghem oversaw the publishing of more than 250 titles worldwide.
Van Caneghem sold New World Computing to developer and publisher3DO in 1996 for US$13 million.[5] He remained with 3DO as president and "lead visionary" until 2003 when 3DO filed for bankruptcy and eliminated its New World Computing division.[6] The rights to theMight and Magic name were purchased for $1.3 million byUbisoft, which revived the franchise with a new series under the same name.[7]
From 2004 to 2005, Van Caneghem worked atNCSoft as executive producer of amassively multiplayer online game.[8] In 2006 Van Caneghem left NCSoft and launchedTrion World Network, headquartered inRedwood City, California, after securing more than $100 million[9] in investment capital fromTime Warner,NBC Universal,GE andBertelsmann.[10] Trion producesserver-side games.
Van Caneghem left Trion in 2009[11] and joinedElectronic Arts where he headed the video game giant'sCommand & Conquer brand.[12] Van Caneghem was responsible for extending the series online.[13] On 29 October 2013, EA cancelled the development of theCommand & Conquer game and closed the development studio.[14]
In 2014, Caneghem founded VC Mobile Entertainment (VCME) with the goal to produce and publishiOS andAndroid games. Caneghem secured $4.5 million in capital investment from companies like Tencent and Pacific Sky Investments. VCME is based in Los Angeles, and currently has around 15 employees.
Their first game,Creature Quest, is a mobile game focused on collection of creatures with which to quest and explore. It is an RPG with turn-based combat similar to Might & Magic and isometric exploration reminiscent of Heroes of Might & Magic. It was launched globally early 2017, after a successful limited test launch in selected countries in Europe and Australia.
As of February 2024, Creature Quest has been shut down indefinitely.
Van Caneghem was inducted into theComputer Gaming World Hall of Fame in 2004 for Strategy and Role-Playing.[1] The firstMight and Magic game is number 44 inComputer Gaming World's Hall of Fame,[15] andHeroes of Might and Magic II is number 31.[16]Heroes of Might and Magic I won Strategy Game of the Year fromComputer Gaming World, Turn-Based Strategy Game of the Year fromStrategy Plus, Editor's Choice fromPC Gamer, and Golden Triad fromComputer Game Review.
Van Caneghem lives inLos Angeles and has a daughter, Amanda.
Van Caneghem is an avid race car driver and has won or placed in races regularly since the 1990s. This hobby grew from his unofficial races downMulholland Drive in the Hollywood hills and in the early '90s grew into a more serious hobby on racetracks across the country,[17][18] including winning the West CoastFormula Ford championship.[19] He attended theSkip Barber Racing School during this time.
Van Caneghem has competed in over 100 races with dozens of wins with theSports Car Club of America where he competed in GT2, CSR, DSR, S7, SGT, and Pro7. WithNasa Pro Racing, he competed in Mazda-GT, ST2, STR2.[20] Van Caneghem also won races with Cal Club, including the SGT2 Season Winner in 2005.[21]
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| Spin-offs | |
| Heroes of Might and Magic | |
| Heroes spin-offs | |
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