Naughty Dog co-founder appointed THQ president

THQ has appointed Naughty Dog co-founder Jason Rubin as its new company president, effective immediately.

Rubin, who has been in the video game industry for over 20 years, will be responsible for THQ’s worldwide product development, marketing, and publishing operations, and will report to THQ chairman and CEO Brian Farell. He is known as the co-creator and director of the Crash Bandicoot and Jak and Daxter series, which have sold over 40 million copies combined worldwide.

“Jason’s proven track record in the industry speaks for itself, and he is one of the brightest minds in the business,” said 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.”

“THQ has incredible internal and external game development teams, and an exciting slate of games in its development pipeline,” said Jason Rubin. “The recent transformation of THQ into a creator of wholly-owned IP has placed it in a perfect position to leverage future trends in the game business. I look forward to working with the management team and board to realize the company’s goals.”

Additionally, THQ has also appointed Jason Kay, who will report to Rubin, as its chief strategy officer. Kay co-founded media mashup tool Flektor with Rubin in 2007, and has served as an executive and advisor to companies such as Activision and Columbia House.

Danny Bilson, the studio’s executive vice president of core games, is leaving the company to pursue other opportunities.

“Danny has made significant contributions to THQ, and we thank him for his efforts,” said Mr. Farrell. In addition, the company announced that Dave Davis, SVP Core Studios, will be leaving. “Along with Danny, Dave has been instrumental in getting our strong pipeline into production,” Mr. Farrell continued.