Moon Beast Productions, the independent games developer founded by industry veterans Peter Hu and Phil Shenk, has announced the appointment of Erich Schaefer to their executive team as Chief Creative Officer. Erich will be leading the creative direction on Moon Beast’s unrevealed Action RPG project, and hopes to revolutionise the genre alongside his long-time collaborators from Blizzard North.
Erich Schaefer previously founded four development studios: Blizzard North, Flagship Studios, Runic Games, and Double Damage Games. He co-created Diablo I and II, the Torchlight and Rebel Galaxy franchises, serving as Creative Director and Lead Designer. He is also responsible for Hellgate: London, but he survived, phoenix-like, and now has unlimited powers.
Erich Schaefer, Chief Creative Officer at Moon Beast Productions
“I’m extremely energized to be teaming up with Peter and Phil again. At this stage in my career, I’m pretty choosey,” said Erich Schaefer, Chief Creative Officer at Moon Beast Productions, “I want to work on projects that are fun and genuinely try to do something different. It’s impressive what the Moon Beast team has built in such a short time. It fired up my imagination with possibilities, and that’s a huge part of why I wanted to come aboard.”
Peter Hu, President and Co-Founder at Moon Beast Productions
“We started Moon Beast to take a fresh look at ARPGs. So much of what we see today is a fairly linear evolution from the original Diablo,” said Peter Hu, President and Co-Founder at Moon Beast Productions. “Going back and reinventing the isometric ARPG genre with Erich is like a dream come true for me. In this short time since we've reunited, we’ve generated some of the most incredible ideas and it’s sparked a creative drive that I haven't truly felt since the Diablo II days."
Phil Shenk, CEO and Co-Founder at Moon Beast Productions
“Each of us brings a unique perspective and invaluable experience to the table. Erich’s superpower is cutting through the noise to find the heart of the fun. His instincts and skills have been honed through decades of bringing innovation and delight to tens of millions of players worldwide. We’re very honored and excited to be working with Erich again.” said Phil Shenk, CEO and Co-Founder at Moon Beast Productions. "This is the first time we’ve officially said we’re working on an ARPG. I doubt it’s a surprise, given our history, but now we can confirm it. Our mission is to find new ways to make this kind of game more fun for players and more efficient to operate as a service.”
Ahead of the studio’s attendance at GDC 2023, the team is preparing an early prototype to show to select prospective partners.
Xbox Live Gold members will receive four new free games – two on Xbox One and two on Xbox 360 – as part of the Xbox Games With Gold program. You can play both Xbox 360 titles on your Xbox One with Backward Compatibility.
On Xbox One, Xbox Live Gold members can download Gears of War 4 (normally $29.99 ERP) for free during the month of August. Forza Motorsport 6 ($29.99 ERP) will be available as a free download from August 16th to September 15th.
On Xbox 360, starting August 1st, Torchlight ($14.99 ERP) will be free for Xbox Live Gold members through August 15th. Then on August 16th, Xbox Live Gold Members can download Castlevania: Lords of Shadow ($19.99 ERP) for free through August 31st.
Titles are available as free downloads for qualifying Xbox Live Gold members in all markets where Xbox Live is available. Some regions may offer different titles depending on market availability.
The latest release schedule for Xbox LIVE Arcade games, Deals of the Week, Games on Demand and game add-ons from the Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360 has been released.
Deal of the Week savings include Torchlight, Stacking, Dante's Inferno: Dark Forest Pack, Medal of Honor Hot Zone Pack and Rock Band Red Hot Chili Peppers Blood Sugar Sex Magik Album. For further information on each of the titles mentioned please visit the 360-HQ.COM games database for to view our extension collection of screenshots, trailers, achievements, cheats & guides, and the latest news and rumors..
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Developed by the creators of popular games Diablo and FATE, Torchlight is an action-roleplaying game now available for download from the Xbox LIVE Arcade. Weighing in at roughly 196 MB, Torchlight is priced at 1200 MSP and a free demo is also available.
"Torchlight" is an action-roleplaying game from the creators of Diablo and FATE where you'll adventure through randomized dungeons, gathering powerful artifacts, slaying hordes of monsters, and learning new and devastating skills. Can you uncover the secrets buried beneath Torchlight?
Content:Torchlight Price: 1200 Microsoft Points Availability:Check availability in your region Dash Text: Players will choose from among three character classes, and venture from the safety of the town of Torchlight into randomly generated dungeon levels, with a huge variety of creepy monsters, endless variations of loot to find, and quests to complete. Randomized levels and an 'endless dungeon' unlocked after completing the main game ensure a long-lived gameplay experience.
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Deal of the Week savings include Torchlight, Stacking, Dante's Inferno: Dark Forest Pack, Medal of Honor Hot Zone Pack and Rock Band Red Hot Chili Peppers Blood Sugar Sex Magik Album. For further information on each of the titles mentioned please visit the 360-HQ.COM games database for to view our extension collection of screenshots, trailers, achievements, cheats & guides, and the latest news and rumors..
