Might & Magic X - Chris Vanover Interview

Well it's time for another meet the ancients interview for Might & Magic X this time with Chris Vanover.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your career?

I came into the games industry from a tech background. In fact, I was originally hired at New World Computing as the Network Admin! Fortunately I ran a smooth ship, and had time to devote to helping build maps for the original Heroes of Might & Magic. It wasn’t long before they decided to hire a new Network Admin so that I could move full-time into Design.

In the 10 years since New World Computing’s closure, I’ve gradually transitioned from Designer to Producer, having worked on Xbox (Forza Motorsport 1-3), then a web-based MMO (Marvel Super Hero Squad Online), and finally transitioned to work in mobile games (multiple titles, including something super-secret currently in development!).

When you think about your work on Might & Magic, what’s the first association that comes to your mind?

History. Might & Magic was created during the birth of the videogames industry. It introduced game mechanics which are now part of every game of its type, and helped adapt pen & paper gaming to the computer.

What does Might & Magic mean to you today?

As I said, Might & Magic was a key part of the history of video games, and to this day I am both proud and humbled to have been a part of it, and thrilled to see it continue.

What inspired your work on Might & Magic?

I was heavily into pen & paper and board games at that time, and I was part of a gaming group that would run tournament games at both GenCon and the local gaming conventions in Los Angeles. For me, working on Might & Magic allowed me to do everything I already loved doing, but for a worldwide audience.