Cook has 25 years of experience designing games, including 15 years working with TSR Inc., a leading innovator of role-playing games. He has numerous novels and role-playing games to his credit, and is best known for designing Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition Dungeon Master’s Handbook and the pen-and-paper game Planescape. Cook is a 2003 inductee of the Adventure Gaming Hall of Fame.

Hensley, best known for creating the RPG game Deadlands, will join the City of Villains team after an exemplary career writing computer games, board games, game guides and novels. He founded Pinnacle Entertainment Group, a company specializing in role-playing games. Hensley has also provided his writing talents to companies such as TSR, West End Games, SSI, FASA and had his novels published by Harper Collins and White Wolf Studios.

“The addition of Dave and Shane to the City of Villains team is quite a coup,” said Michael Lewis, CEO of Cryptic Studios. “We want City of Villains to draw players into their roles, and so we brought in Dave, a pioneer in the role-playing game market. Shane will add substantial storylines and narratives for City of Villains. Together, they will help City of Villains maintain the high standard that fans of City of Heroes have come to expect.”

City of Villains is projected for release in 2005.

About NCsoft – North America

NCsoft - North America (NC-NA) is headquartered in Austin, Texas and is part of Korea-based NCsoft Corporation. NC-NA, with development and administrative offices in Texas and California, launched two ground-breaking titles in the first half of 2004, Lineage II and City of Heroes. The company also works with NCsoft subsidiaries and third party developers throughout North America to develop and publish innovative online entertainment software products. More information about NCsoft – North America can be found at http://www.PlayNC.com.

About Cryptic Studios
Cryptic Studios, Inc., located in San Jose, California, was established in July of 2000 and is an independent developer of massively multiplayer online games for the PC and next generation consoles. Its first game, City of Heroes, launched in April 2004. The game takes place in a virtual world where thousands of people play simultaneously, take on the role of super-powered heroes, fight villains and help create a dynamic story in a visually-stunning, 3-D graphical world.

NCsoft, the interlocking NC logo and all associated NCsoft logos and designs are trademarks or registered trademarks of NCsoft Corporation. City of Heroes is a trademark of Cryptic Studios, Inc. and NCsoft Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.