Cryptic Studios, one of the leading independent developers of massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), announced today that John Needham has joined the company as its Chief Executive Officer. Needham joins Cryptic from Sony Online Entertainment, where he served as Senior Vice President 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. 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,” said Michael Lewis, president of Cryptic Studios.

“The Cryptic team has a great following among MMO players and their creative plans for the space are really pressing the genre forward,” said John Needham, newly appointed CEO of Cryptic Studios. “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. */Champions Online /*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.

John Needham has been with Sony since 1994. During the first half of his career at Sony, John held many positions in the television division of Sony Pictures Entertainment including Director of Corporate Development and Vice President of Finance, Telemundo Networks. Since joining Sony Online Entertainment in 2001, Mr. Needham served as CFO and SVP of Business Development for 5 years until recently taking a new role as SVP of Business Development and Operations. As SVP of Business Development and Operations, John managed business development and strategic initiatives for SOE, as well as international operations, customer service and quality assurance testing. John is a graduate of San Diego State University and began his career at Arthur Andersen & Co.

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