Posted June 16, 2012
It is 1983. A small apartement in Hollywood. Two young men, Mark Caldwell and Jon van Caneghem, found New World Computing. Jon van Caneghem loves Dungeons & Dragons, Ultima and Wizardry. He decides to make a game inspired by those games he loves.
Three years later, Might & Magic Book I: Secrets of the Inner Sanctum is released. Jon van Caneghem sells it per post, 5000 copies. Then an aspiring company called Activision signs a deal for the publishing rights.
Might & Magic II will be released two years later, and after some other projects Jon van Caneghem creates King's Bounty, which is released in 1990 and will later lay the foundation to a successful Sideline of Might & Magic games. A short time later, Jon finds himself in a programming team for a PC game. Might and Magic III again will become a success.
A revolutionary idea is in his head. How would it be if you had two games you can play separately, but also combine to form a bigger game? In the following two years, 1992 and 1993, Might and Magic IV and V are published, deemed by some to be the best parts of the series, or at least the ones with the most interesting feature: Combining the both games into a single folder adds a few extra quests and allows people to jump between both worlds almost at will. Might and Magic: World of Xeen is born. A concept, as revolutionary as it may be, that will not see any other execution in any Might & Magic game.
Jon has developed a RPG series, now he wants to do something else. King's Bounty was not that bad, and so he decides to make another game in that series but in the universe of Might & Magic. In 1995, Heroes of Might & Magic is published. It will start a sideline that becomes successful, but at a cost.
The next year, 1996, sees Heroes of Might & Magic II and an addon, whose stories are continued in 1998 in Might & Magic VI. For the first time, a Might & Magic is in 3D, but the graphics are horrible. Also in 1996, New World Computing is sold to 3DO, who offer an MMORPG in the Might & Magic universe to Jon van Caneghem, but also want to see a new game every year.
The MMORPG will never be developed, and the Might & Magic series will die...
1999 sees Might & Magic VII: For Blood and Honor, thought to be the best of the 3D Might & Magics by many. However, it is overshadowed by Heroes of Might & Magic III, the third part of the highly addictive turn-based strategy series. Might & Magic XIII: Day of the Destroyer in 2000 revamps the 3D series, so one can again have a party that can be switched out at any point but only customize the first character. Allowing the overpowered dragons in the game is not as bad as it sounds, but the graphics don't live up to any standards, even for their time. More rage goes in the same year to Heroes Chronicles, a "ripoff" addon series of Heroes of Might & Magic III. At a price/time ration that reminds of Call of Duty, the Chronicles stay a one-time experiment. Call of Duty, bad as it is in my opinion, at least has the better storywriting.
In 2002, Might & Magic IX: Wrist of Fate is published. What was good, became great, went good to medioce now becomes absolutely horrible. The bugfest will be redeemed by community patches later, but the outdated graphics even of the new engine, will not please anyone. Gameplay dumbification - including the removal of the highly addictive game-in-game Arcomage that was there in VII and VIII - does the rest to a series that once belonged to the top RPG titles. Even the nice Heroes of Might & Magic IV can't save anything: 3DO will go bankrupt in 2003. The end?
Might & Magic has a certain charme, that's for sure! It is a name that is attractive. The main series, however, is dead.
A wild Ubisoft appears.
Ubisoft buys the rights on Might & Magic.
As much as I hate Ubisoft, here a word of respect must be offered: In the following years, Ubisoft creates a fully new universe for Might & Magic, and publishes further games in the Heroes side-series, as well as other interesting games. Clash of Heroes, another Might & Magic sidegame, offers great gameplay for the more casual of the gamers, while the hardcore Heroes series is also continued.
While Ubisoft revives the dead horse, what happens to Jon van Caneghem?
He remembers very well. His dream of an online RPG was shattered, but now that he is free from his contracts, he can actually go to a company that makes them. He works for NCSoft, together with Lord British himself, for a few months. The fan meets the man whom he admired and whose Ultima inspired him. In September 2006, Jon van Caneghem founds another studio, together with Lars Buttler, and makes MMORPGs, or rather leaves before the first, Heroes of Telara, is finished, still influencing RIFT while he is there.
Later he moves to Electronic Arts to make strategy games, now his company is called BioWare Victory after a renaming.
The dream that 3DO left unfulfilled, it became true for Jon van Caneghem. After 15 years, his MMORPG is there. RIFT is published, long after he left Trion Games. Jon has worked for Richard Garriott for a while as well. Ubisoft revived his Might & Magic series, or rather sidelines of it. Or at least the name.
Will we see something like Command & Conquer: Rise of Magic by Jon van Caneghem? Everything might be possible, seeing he makes a new Command & Conquer. Maybe after Ubisoft revived his famous series, he can revive another famous series...
Three years later, Might & Magic Book I: Secrets of the Inner Sanctum is released. Jon van Caneghem sells it per post, 5000 copies. Then an aspiring company called Activision signs a deal for the publishing rights.
Might & Magic II will be released two years later, and after some other projects Jon van Caneghem creates King's Bounty, which is released in 1990 and will later lay the foundation to a successful Sideline of Might & Magic games. A short time later, Jon finds himself in a programming team for a PC game. Might and Magic III again will become a success.
A revolutionary idea is in his head. How would it be if you had two games you can play separately, but also combine to form a bigger game? In the following two years, 1992 and 1993, Might and Magic IV and V are published, deemed by some to be the best parts of the series, or at least the ones with the most interesting feature: Combining the both games into a single folder adds a few extra quests and allows people to jump between both worlds almost at will. Might and Magic: World of Xeen is born. A concept, as revolutionary as it may be, that will not see any other execution in any Might & Magic game.
Jon has developed a RPG series, now he wants to do something else. King's Bounty was not that bad, and so he decides to make another game in that series but in the universe of Might & Magic. In 1995, Heroes of Might & Magic is published. It will start a sideline that becomes successful, but at a cost.
The next year, 1996, sees Heroes of Might & Magic II and an addon, whose stories are continued in 1998 in Might & Magic VI. For the first time, a Might & Magic is in 3D, but the graphics are horrible. Also in 1996, New World Computing is sold to 3DO, who offer an MMORPG in the Might & Magic universe to Jon van Caneghem, but also want to see a new game every year.
The MMORPG will never be developed, and the Might & Magic series will die...
1999 sees Might & Magic VII: For Blood and Honor, thought to be the best of the 3D Might & Magics by many. However, it is overshadowed by Heroes of Might & Magic III, the third part of the highly addictive turn-based strategy series. Might & Magic XIII: Day of the Destroyer in 2000 revamps the 3D series, so one can again have a party that can be switched out at any point but only customize the first character. Allowing the overpowered dragons in the game is not as bad as it sounds, but the graphics don't live up to any standards, even for their time. More rage goes in the same year to Heroes Chronicles, a "ripoff" addon series of Heroes of Might & Magic III. At a price/time ration that reminds of Call of Duty, the Chronicles stay a one-time experiment. Call of Duty, bad as it is in my opinion, at least has the better storywriting.
In 2002, Might & Magic IX: Wrist of Fate is published. What was good, became great, went good to medioce now becomes absolutely horrible. The bugfest will be redeemed by community patches later, but the outdated graphics even of the new engine, will not please anyone. Gameplay dumbification - including the removal of the highly addictive game-in-game Arcomage that was there in VII and VIII - does the rest to a series that once belonged to the top RPG titles. Even the nice Heroes of Might & Magic IV can't save anything: 3DO will go bankrupt in 2003. The end?
Might & Magic has a certain charme, that's for sure! It is a name that is attractive. The main series, however, is dead.
A wild Ubisoft appears.
Ubisoft buys the rights on Might & Magic.
As much as I hate Ubisoft, here a word of respect must be offered: In the following years, Ubisoft creates a fully new universe for Might & Magic, and publishes further games in the Heroes side-series, as well as other interesting games. Clash of Heroes, another Might & Magic sidegame, offers great gameplay for the more casual of the gamers, while the hardcore Heroes series is also continued.
While Ubisoft revives the dead horse, what happens to Jon van Caneghem?
He remembers very well. His dream of an online RPG was shattered, but now that he is free from his contracts, he can actually go to a company that makes them. He works for NCSoft, together with Lord British himself, for a few months. The fan meets the man whom he admired and whose Ultima inspired him. In September 2006, Jon van Caneghem founds another studio, together with Lars Buttler, and makes MMORPGs, or rather leaves before the first, Heroes of Telara, is finished, still influencing RIFT while he is there.
Later he moves to Electronic Arts to make strategy games, now his company is called BioWare Victory after a renaming.
The dream that 3DO left unfulfilled, it became true for Jon van Caneghem. After 15 years, his MMORPG is there. RIFT is published, long after he left Trion Games. Jon has worked for Richard Garriott for a while as well. Ubisoft revived his Might & Magic series, or rather sidelines of it. Or at least the name.
Will we see something like Command & Conquer: Rise of Magic by Jon van Caneghem? Everything might be possible, seeing he makes a new Command & Conquer. Maybe after Ubisoft revived his famous series, he can revive another famous series...
