Superhero veterans hire new CFO

by: Randy - posted: 2/24/2008 1:17:00 AM

Tabletop superhero RPG geeks let out a huzzah last week as Cryptic Studios officially announced that they're working on Champions Online.  As I've hinted at, CO is a superhero-themed MMORPG being fed by the pen-n-pad role-playing game Champions.  In case you're curious about Cryptic's credentials, they're the team that put superhero gaming on the MMO map with -- yeah -- City of Heroes (and of course its sister-city, City of Villains).  When it comes to courting the online space, we think Cryptic has a type.  In nearly the same breath as CO's announcement, Cryptic announced the recruitment of Ed Roffman as Cryptic's Chief Financial Officer.  Roffman is packing nearly 30 years' experience in financial and operational positions at gaming operations like Activision and Palladium Interactive.

INDUSTRY VETERAN ED ROFFMAN JOINS CRYPTIC STUDIOS AS CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

 

Former Activision CFO to Help Guide Company and Support Success of Champions Online

LOS GATOS, CA – February 21, 2008 - Cryptic Studios™, one of the leading independent developers of massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), announced today that videogame veteran Ed Roffman has joined the company as its chief financial officer.

Mr. Roffman held several key financial positions at Activision from 1979-1987 and 1989-1991, including controller, vice president of finance and chief financial officer, and was a key contributor to Activision's successful 1983 IPO. After leaving Activision, Mr. Roffman served as CFO and COO of Palladium Interactive, a PC gaming company, and was instrumental in the company's sale to The Learning Company. He also has held CFO positions for several business software companies, including Forte Software (sold to Sun Microsystems) and Illustra Information Technologies (sold to Informics).

With almost 30 years of experience in financial and operational positions for PC software, Internet, and consumer product companies on his résumé, Mr. Roffman brings strategic oversight, financial expertise and operational know-how to Cryptic Studios.

“We are extremely thrilled to bring Ed on board here at Cryptic Studios,” said Michael Lewis, President of Cryptic Studios. “His wide array of industry experience and general financial capabilities will be a huge help for our company as we get ready to roll into the Champions Online launch and beyond.”

Cryptic Studios announced Wednesday that it is developing Champions Online, their first ever self-developed and self-published MMORPG. Champions Online, based on the popular pen-and-paper Champions RPG, will allow players to create their own hero and explore vast, richly detailed 3D environments while keeping the forces of evil at bay. Champions Online is slated for release in Spring 2009.

For more information about Champions Online or Cryptic Studios, please visit www.crypticstudios.com