Warner Bros. Adds Junge To Expand, Diversify Midway IP

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group said Thursday it promoted Jeff Junge to SVP, as the company looks to leverage recently-acquired Midway Games properties such as Mortal Kombat across film, TV, and other venues. Warner Bros. acquired Midway Games for $33 million this year, bringing under Warner's roof Mortal Kombat, Spyhunter, and Blitz: The League, among other properties. Junge will help lead Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, which includes Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Warner Home Video, Warner Bros. Digital Distribution, Warner Premiere, Advanced Digital Services, Anti-Piracy, and Technology Operations. The exec previously was VP of business management for Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group. Junge also played a key role in the acquisition of Midway, Warner said in a statement. The company added, "Warner Bros. now has access to a greatly expanded catalog of valuable intellectual properties [from Midway] that can be developed and re-released on new games and digital platforms, adapted for film or TV, leveraged for consumer products, or licensed to third parties." Junge also was integral in Warner's recent investment in the cloud-computing gaming venture OnLive, which promises high-end games streamed via users' broadband connection. Additionally, Junge helped lead the acquisition of Lego Star Wars developer TT Games. Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has been making a concerted effort over the past several years to expand its game development and publishing efforts, and now fully owns Monolith Productions, TT Games, and Snowblind Studios. The company is also set to publish the Lord of the Rings game Aragorn's Quest.