Troubled publisher THQ announced on Tuesday that Danny Bilson, the EVP of core games, has stepped down from his position, and Naughty Dog co-founder Jason Rubin (pictured) has been appointed as the company's new president.
In essence, Rubin has been tasked with turning THQ around as it faces its most severe financial troubles yet. He will be responsible for all of THQ's worldwide product development, marketing, and publishing operations, and will report to the company's existing chairman and CEO, Brian Farrell.
In addition to losing Bilson, THQ revealed that Dave Davis, the SVP of core studios, has also left the company. As part of the "core games" division of THQ, both Bilson and Davis helped lead the company's transition away from licensed titles and more toward major franchises like Saints Row, Darksiders, and more.
THQ says that with Rubin will help the company continue its shift toward AAA games, as the company's internal studios prepare upcoming titles such as Company of Heroes 2, Metro: Last Light, and Darksiders II.
He has quite a bit of work ahead of him, however, as the company has faced some grim financial circumstances over the past several months, particularly because it has struggled to recover from its ill-fated uDraw tablet.
Rubin originally co-founded Naughty Dog in 1986, and helped create major franchises like Crash Bandicoot, Jak & Daxter, and more. He left the company in 2004, and co-founded the online media company Flektor, which was acquired by Fox Media Interactive in 2007.
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I wish him the best but this sounds more like a move to keep shareholders happy and avoid being delisted. Bilson had to go and an attractive name needed to take his place. This move likely has nothing to do with actually turning the company around, but more to do with trying to retain share presence and value.
Bilson should've been fired soon after HomeFront. His ego is too big for any kind of resolve. Brian Farwell did nothing to correct this instead,..he gave Bilson all this power and all it did was stroke his ego.
Credibility meter "0" yet the media was plugging this guy like the second coming.
The sad reality from this mess is that Vigil will shutter like the rest of THQ remaining studios; more people out of jobs and more investors pulling funding from these kinds of console projects thanks to these kinds of politics and business practices.
No one ever stands up for the developer's voice or any kind of voice of reasoning.
Egos win all the time, business executives always know best and in the end,...POW BAM BOOM. Out of it all.
Out of touch with your team, out of touch with the latest trends, out of it all together.
Pretty sure that's not quite the word you're looking for ;)
The problem remains, though, that Brian Farrell is still the CEO. If THQ really wants to make a clean break, they should remove the leadership that's overseen their plummet from profitability. Cure the sickness, don't just keep changing the bandage.
http://www.gametrailers.com/video/episode-1-bonus-round/14676
But only if they can get White Zombie for the soundtrack again, and Jason Ruben has to be the digitized actor for at least one of the characters...