Trion World Network has appointed Glen Van Datta as the new Vice President of Engineering and General Manager of Trion World Network Austin. Van Datta will bring his vast knowledge and skills in design, engineering and development of videogame software and online technology to Trion’s senior executive ranks. At Trion, Van Datta will be tasked with the responsibility of overseeing the continued growth and development of Trion’s groundbreaking proprietary server based game technology.
“Glen is a tremendous hire for Trion and an excellent addition to our world class technical organization,” said Nicholas Beliaeff, Vice President of Product Development & Head of Trion World Network San Diego. “Glen’s vision, leadership, and deep history maturing and productizing compelling online game technology will help Trion take our server based game technology to the highest levels while helping us and our partners get to market more quickly.”
Van Datta brings with him more than 22 years of experience in software development, 12 of which consisted of online videogame development. He joins Trion from his most recent post as Director of Online Technology at Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA). At SCEA, Van Datta oversaw an international team of more than 80 employees that developed a full-featured online software suite, known as the SCE-RT SDK, to enable online games for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 3. Today, the SCE-RT SDK has been used in over 120 production titles, including Singstar, MLB, Warhawk, SOCOM, Resistance, Home, GT5-Prolog and ATV. Prior to SCEA, Van Datta was co-founder and Vice President of Engineering at RTIME, Inc. where he was responsible for the design, development and testing of the RTIME SDK online, in-game and player matching platform, used in more than 30 published titles.
At Trion, Van Datta will supervise all support activities in relation to the Trion platform, including quality assurance, operations and customer service. Van Datta will also oversee day to day operations at Trion’s Austin studio.
“For more than 12 years I’ve believed that online games, online social networks and online media distribution were the future of entertainment,” said Van Datta. “Trion’s innovative, dynamic platform and content are the next generation in the online entertainment space.”
Led by Dr. Lars Buttler, former Vice President for Global Online at Electronic Arts, and Jon Van Caneghem, former founder and CEO of New World Computing and creator of the best-selling Might and Magic and Heroes of Might and Magic game franchises, Trion has assembled a world-class team of gaming and online veterans with proven success and talent in business, original content development and technology who have developed and shipped more than 100 original titles.
The strategic hiring of Van Datta is another step that underscores Trion’s momentum in building a premium publisher and developer of server-based games. Recently Trion announced the company’s first title under development by videogames industry Hall of Famer Jon Van Caneghem, a publishing agreement with Sony as well as a major co-development deal with Sci-Fi Channel. With a world class team lead by skilled industry experts, publishing agreements across multiple platforms, innovative IP titles being developed in the Trion studios, backing from financial and media giants, proprietary groundbreaking technology and operations in key locations, Trion World Network aims to define the future of interactive entertainment.