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Larry Hryb, Xbox’s ‘Major Nelson,’ is leaving Microsoft
Larry Hryb, better known as “Major Nelson” in Xbox circles, tweeted today that he’s leaving Microsoft. Hryb spent many years as one of the most prominent public faces of the brand as Director of Programming for Xbox Live. He didn’t state his reasons for leaving the company but said he plans to step back and work on his career’s next chapter. The move comes as Microsoft tries to close its $68 billion purchase of Activision. “As I take a moment and think about all we have done together, I want to thank the millions of gamers around the world who have included me as part of their lives,” Hryb said.
Record-breaking Twitch streamer Ludwig Ahgren is moving to YouTube
YouTube Gaming has been aggressively luring Twitch creators to its platform, and the latest to defect is "Ludwig" Ahgren.
Alphabet’s David Drummond is leaving months after allegations surfaced
Alphabet's chief legal officer David Drummond is leaving the company. Drummond claims he's retiring "to make way for the next generation of leaders," but allegations that he had affairs with employees could cast some doubt on his motives.
OUYA CEO Julie Uhrman leaves the company she co-founded
Julie Uhrman, CEO of OUYA, has announced that she'll be leaving the Android gaming company that she co-founded. The executive took to Twitter to make the statement, spending the better part of an hour thanking employees, developers and backers. Her tweets also confirm the long-rumored purchase of the company by gaming PC specialist Razer that, until now, had only been hinted at by third parties. The firm was one of the biggest early hits on Kickstarter, but when the micro-console was released to backers in July 2013, received plenty of criticism. Critics and users both attacked the build quality of the controller, game library and UI, and attempts to remedy the issue proved unsuccessful. Razer still hasn't spoken about what it plans to do with the hardware, but its plans will now be run without the input of the console's guiding light.
XNA, Xbox Live founder leaves Microsoft
Xbox Live Founder Boyd Multerer announced his departure from Microsoft this week after 17 years with the company. Multerer revealed the career change via his Twitter account, saying "Goodbye Microsoft. It was a good run. Xbox was Great! Time to do something new." Multerer's bio on the social media site indicates that the "something new" he's up to is on his own terms, as he is "currently doing independent secret stuff." Multerer not only led the design and direction of Microsoft's Xbox Live service starting in 2000, but also served as project manager and led the creation of XNA, the company's toolset that facilitates independent game development for its platforms. The longtime Microsoft designer's last position with the company was as director of development since 2011, designing the operating software of its latest home console, Xbox One. [Image: Microsoft]
Veteran producer Tak Fujii departs Konami
Veteran producer Tak Fujii announced his departure from Konami today following a "great 20 years of creation." Fujii revealed the career move via Twitter, giving thanks to "all who supported, loved my titles." Fujii's time with Konami began in 1997, serving as audio director for 11 years with the publisher. Fujii worked on a number of games with Konami, including the Pro Evolution Soccer series, Q-Entertainment's Ninety-Nine Nights 2, the PS3 port of No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise and Volition's Darksiders, which Konami published in Japan. As for Fujii's future, the producer added that he "will be freelance for a while." Of course, Fujii may be best known for providing an interesting presentation at E3 2010, about which he also tweeted, "don't think that was the best of me." [Image: Konami]
Last of Us art director abandons swans for tombs
The Last of Us Art Director Nate Wells has joined with Tomb Raider developer Crystal Dynamics, according to a tweet from the artist. Wells departed from Giant Sparrow after spending roughly eight months with The Unfinished Swan developer. The art director previously worked at Irrational Games for 13 years before leaving the studio for Naughty Dog in August 2012, then Giant Sparrow this past April. Wells' departure from Giant Sparrow follows the release of The Unfinished Swan on PS4 and Vita in late October, and the developer's next project largely remains a mystery. It announced "Edith Finch" in March 2013 before changing its announcement to "Unannounced Giant Sparrow Project." The next project will not be a sequel to The Unfinished Swan, though the developer said it's "not a million miles away either." [Image: Giant Sparrow]
Layoffs hit WildStar's Carbine Studios
Word is bubbling up from several sources that layoffs are impacting Carbine Studios and WildStar today. NCsoft confirmed the rumors in an official statement: "While decisions like this are always hard, they are necessary as we begin the implementation of a new strategy designed to strengthen our footing as a leader in global entertainment. Again, the decision to reduce staff was not an easy one, and we sincerely wish everyone well in their next endeavors." Community Manager Tony Rey said that the remaining team would soldier on: "Today NC West announced staff reductions across its Western operations. While this impacted several colleagues, the teams here at Carbine are committed to supporting WildStar to ensure you get the experiences you want well into the future. We wish all of our friends well and hopefully our paths will cross again in the future." Polygon reports that an unnamed source claims that 60 employees were let go. One employee affected was Chief Client Engineer Bitwise, who said farewell on Twitter: "My amazing time at Carbine has come to an end. I can't adequately express my appreciation to the company and players. Thank you!" The WildStar developer recently saw several high-profile members of its team depart. Massively sends its regards to those impacted by the decision.
Ubisoft Toronto founder Jade Raymond departs to pursue 'new opportunities'
Longtime Ubisoft producer and collaborator Jade Raymond has left the company, citing a need to "pursue my other ambitions and new opportunities." Raymond joined Ubisoft as a producer of the Assassin's Creed series in 2004, and went on to found subsidiary Ubisoft Toronto. Raymond's recent credits include Watch Dogs and Splinter Cell: Blacklist. Fellow Ubisoft Toronto founding member Alexandre Parizeau will fill Raymond's vacated position as managing director. "I've spent 10 extraordinary years at Ubisoft, and I am proud to have been part of many of the best teams in the industry making truly remarkable games," Raymond said. "This is one of the hardest decisions of my career, but the Toronto studio is strong and on a solid path. I'm confident that now is a good time for me to transition leadership of the studio to Alex and to pursue my other ambitions and new opportunities. Stay tuned for more on what's next for me, but for now, I'd like to thank Ubisoft for its partnership through the years, and I wish them the very best in all their next endeavors." [Image: Jade Raymond / Wikipedia]
WildStar's Stephan Frost calls it quits
In a new WildStar Nexus Report livestream, Design Producer Stephan Frost stunned listeners by announcing that he would be leaving Carbine Studios. "It really pains me to say this, but this will be my last show and my last week at Carbine," he said on the show. "I'm off to a new adventure; I got an offer that I couldn't turn down and so I'm going to take it. This is super-hard for me. This is one of my proudest achievements. A lot of my heart and soul is in this game." Frost assured fans that it had nothing to do with the game and the community, and he promised that he would still be playing WildStar even after his departure.
Spec Ops: The Line narrative lead, Evolve writer leaves 2K
Walt Williams, a writer at 2K Games and lead narrative designer on Spec Ops: The Line, has left the studio. Williams revealed his departure via Twitter, saying he was "sad to announce" that September 5 would be his last day. Williams clarified that he'll still be working in the games industry, but "in the background." As for his final projects with 2K, both Evolve and Civilization: Beyond Earth will have Williams' name stamped on them, under the title Senior Writer/Designer. [Image: 2K Games]
Destiny writer joins Telltale Games, seeks the iron throne
Destiny writer Joshua Rubin left Bungie for Telltale Games, announcing his departure via Twitter after two years with the developer. Rubin will be working on Telltale's take on the Game of Thrones franchise, and noted that the creators of the HBO television series, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, have "set an incredibly high standard for writing" and that Rubin is "inspired by their work every season." "In the end, Bungie makes games about shooting aliens in the head," Rubin told Gamasutra. "And while there's a true art to 'writing between the bullets' - as Mr. Staten once said - I couldn't turn down an offer from Telltale, to create games that are entirely about story." Telltale announced its spin on Game of Thrones in December during the VGX awards, just weeks after reports about the game surfaced. Destiny will launch September 9 for PS4, Xbox One, PS3 and Xbox 360. [Image: Telltale Games]
Blizzard.net engineer heads to Stardock for 'Project Tachyon'
Stardock, a developer/publisher studio you may not know - but should! - has hired Blizzard veteran engineer Adrian Luff to be its new director of platform architecture. Luff, who helped oversee the development of Battle.net, will be responsible for managing something Stardock is calling "Project Tachyon." Tachyon will, according to a Stardock press release, "manage the online infrastructure to provide the meta-game experience for Stardock games." It sounds like Tachyon will function similarly to Battle.net, making Luff a logical choice to lead its development. Stardock also notes that Tachyon will exist in the cloud so that Stardock can scale its performance in real time. Galactic Civilizations 3, the next game from Stardock, will make use of Tachyon "in some capacity," the company stated, but the first public rollout of the project won't be until early 2015. [Image: Stardock]
Mass Effect creator Casey Hudson leaves BioWare's orbit
Casey Hudson, longtime BioWare employee and executive producer of the Mass Effect series, has departed the company, Studio General Manager Aaryn Flynn revealed on the BioWare Blog. It doesn't sound like Hudson is leaving to join another company or, as is becoming increasingly common these days, forming his own studio, as a letter to his colleagues merely mentions the need to "hit the reset button." "While I feel that the time has come, this is without a doubt the most difficult decision of my career," Hudson wrote. "BioWare is as magical a place today as it was when I started. The projects we are working on are some of the most exciting and prestigious in the world. The talent in our teams is second to none. And the people here are some of my closest friends. I've spent more time with many of you than my own family, and I have enjoyed every day of it." As Hudson moves on to fulfill his own goals, BioWare is moving forward with Dragon Age: Inquisition, a new Mass Effect game, and consistently teasing us with short videos about super-powered teens. We look forward to learning more about all of the above. [Image: BioWare]
Report: Square Enix CTO leaves company
Yoshihisa Hashimoto has left Square Enix, citing personal reasons for the departure, according to a Game Watch report that was confirmed by Polygon. Hashimoto worked as the company's Chief Technology Officer, most recently serving as technical director for Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn, the manager of Square Enix's Advanced Technology Division and the head of development for the Luminous engine, which powered the Agni's Philosophy tech demo we saw at E3 2012. Hashimoto's departure continues a restructuring trend involving notable members of Square Enix. It reaches back to 2010, when Final Fantasy 13 composer and FF7/FF10 contributor Masashi Hamauzu bowed out to create his own studio. Long-time producer and designer Hiromichi Tanaka's departure followed in 2012, with Tanaka citing desire to work as a "single creator" on future projects. It continued in 2013, with Yoichi Wada stepping down from his role as CEO (and upgrading to Chairman of the Board). Square Enix America ex-CEO Mike Fischer left his role months later to join Amazon's Japan team, with former Eidos Montreal head Stephane D'Astous calling out a "lack of leadership, lack of courage and lack of communication" during his July departure. Vagrant Story and Final Fantasy 12 character designer Akihiko Yoshida also ducked out in December of that year. Former vice-president of marketing Karl Stewart left in April of this year, opting to join Petrol Advertising agency, which collaborated with Square Enix for Tomb Raider and is currently working with Activision for Destiny. [Image: Square Enix]
Crysis 3, Ryse producer Mike Read departs Crytek
Crytek's exodus of company talent continues, as Ryse: Son of Rome and Crysis 3 producer Mike Read has left the studio, The Escapist reports. The Escapist notes that Read's recently updated LinkedIn profile no longer lists Crytek as his current employer. Read's Twitter bio additionally states that he is a "former producer" at Crytek. Read's departure follows up on the recent resignation of 11-year Crytek veteran Tiago Sousa, who now serves as Lead Rendering Programmer at id Software. Subsidiary Crytek UK also saw a number of departures last month, losing more than 30 employees and Homefront: The Revolution director Hasit Zala amid rumors of late staff payments. [Image: Crytek]
Report: Homefront: The Revolution's game director resigns
Homefront: The Revolution's future looks increasingly uncertain, judging by Kotaku's report that Hasit Zala has resigned from his role as Revolution's game director at Crytek UK. Kotaku's sources added that development manager Ben Harris left the studio this month, which is reflected by his LinkedIn profile listing the role as a past work experience. The report states that other unnamed employees have either left or are openly looking for work with other companies at this time. Zala's supposed departure follows a previous report that more than 30 employees have left Crytek UK since Revolution's development began in 2011, with departures supposedly being due to late payments. German magazine GameStar reported in June that Crytek was nearing bankruptcy, which was met with a denial from Crytek: "The information in those reports and in the GameStar article itself are rumors which Crytek deny." [Image: Crytek UK]
Rob Pardo leaves Blizzard
In a rather surprising move, Blizzard's Executive Producer Rob Pardo announced today that he is leaving the company. At this time he has announced no immediate career plans or subsequent goals, although he mentions a desire to spend the summer with his family and consider his next move. Pardo's forum announcement thanks the design teams for all of their hard work and notes that he has immensely enjoyed his time with the company; he expresses great satisfaction at the growth of the company and all of the changes that have come about during his tenure there. Pardo mentions that he began working with the studio during development of the original StarCraft, having since worked on titles including Diablo III, World of Warcraft, and Heroes of the Storm. He has promised fans that he will attempt to be communicative about his next move via Twitter. [Thanks to Dystopiq for the tip!]
Carbine CM David Bass leaves WildStar
Community Lead David "Scooter" Bass announced today that he has decided to leave Carbine Studios and his work with WildStar. In a farewell letter, Bass notes that the decision was made on his end: "The truth is my personal life's taken a turn and I've made the impossibly difficult decision to leave Carbine. The guys will continue building up the community team, and will share some of their plans with you in the near future, and I have no doubt that you guys will see some amazing stuff as we get ready for launch and beyond." Bass said the community team is hitting its stride and has a great foundation going forward. He also said that he can't wait to experience the game's launch as a regular player.
Square Enix marketing VP Karl Stewart leaves company
Former Square Enix vice-president of marketing Karl Stewart announced his departure from the company after eight years of service, and he'll begin a new job at the Burbank-based Petrol Advertising agency in April. Stewart worked in recent years at Crystal Dynamics and was one of the key figures driving the Tomb Raider reboot, which despite rumblings at a boardroom level went on to be a hit both with critics and at retailers. Stewart revealed his departure publicly in a blog post this week, in which he thanked his former employer by giving it a glowing recommendation "Square Enix is an amazing company," Stewart wrote, "whether you work for one of its studios or publishing arms, or if you're thinking of joining, this company has given me the opportunity to grow and do what I love to do best, work in creative and ridiculously talented company at the heart of the video game industry. The potential for opportunity and growth at Square Enix is limitless." Stewart will now bring his expertise to Petrol, an advertising agency that over the last decade has amassed a client list brimming with big-name games companies. "For the last 8 years I have worked with [co-founders] Alan [Hunter] and Ben [Granados] at Petrol on many different projects, from Batman to Tomb Raider to Thief, and on every occasion they've blown me away with their vision and creativity," Stewart explained. "So when the conversation started about joining the company which they've both worked extremely hard to develop and grow, there was no doubt in my mind this was the right next step for me, as they both think the same way I do. I'm all about experiences, and this is the new experience I'm looking for right now." [Image: Square Enix]
