Cryptic Studios names John Needham CEO

Cryptic Studios, an independent developer of MMORPGs, has announced that John Needham has joined the company as its Chief Executive Officer.

Needham comes to Cryptic from Sony Online Entertainment, where he served as senior VP of business development and operations.

"John Needham’s proven leadership in the MMO space makes him a dynamic fit for heading up Cryptic's new corporate direction," said Cryptic Studios president Michael Lewis.

"As an SVP of Sony Online Entertainment he has contributed greatly to the growth of the industry and we're excited to combine his operational experience with our vision for the future of online games."

"The Cryptic team has a great following among MMO players and their creative plans for the space are really pressing the genre forward," Needham said. "I look forward to working with the Cryptic team to lead the company into its next phase of growth."

Cryptic Studios announced in February that the first title in its new product line-up is Champions Online, based on the popular pen-and-paper Champions RPG. It is scheduled for launch in Spring 2009.