Naughty Dog founder Jason Rubin appointed THQ president
While core games boss Danny Bilson moves on.
Jason Rubin, one of Uncharted studio Naughty Dog's founders, is the new president of THQ.
He takes on the role with immediate effect and will be responsible for all product development, marketing and publishing operations.
While at Naughty Dog, which he set up out of high school in 1984 with chum Andy Gavin, Rubin co-created Crash Bandicoot and Jak & Daxter among other franchises. He left the studio in 2004 to set up "media mashup tool" Flektor, which was later sold to Fox.
"Jason's proven track record in the industry speaks for itself, and he is one of the brightest minds in the business," commented CEO Brian Farrell.
"We believe he can be a game changer and can contribute immensely to executing on our strategy of delivering quality connected core game experiences."
Rubin inherits a streamlined slate that includes Darksiders 2, Saint's Row: The Third - Enter the Dominatrix, Company of Heroes 2, Metro: Last Light, South Park: The Game and WWE '13.
THQ recently announced that it had dropped Tomonobu Itagaki actioner Devil's Third, while its planned Warhammer MMO is being scaled back to a more traditional affair.
In other THQ HR news, Rubin's entrance coincides with Danny Bilson's exit. The publisher's lively core games boss is leaving to "pursue other interests". Boo, we liked him.