THQ has announced Danny Bilson, EVP of Core Games, is leaving to pursue other interests and will be replaced by Jason Rubin, who will be responsible for all of THQ’s worldwide product development, marketing, and publishing.

In addition, the company announced that Dave Davis, SVP Core Studios, will be leaving.

Rubin co-founded Naughty Dog, and at the firm he served as the co-creator and game director of the Crash Bandicoot and Jak and Daxter series of games, which combined have sold over 40 million copies worldwide. He will report directly to Brian Farrell, THQ Chairman and CEO.

“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.

“Danny has made significant contributions to THQ, and we thank him for his efforts. Along with Danny, Dave has been instrumental in getting our strong pipeline into production.”

Rubin’s appointment comes as THQ realigns its focus from a maker of licensed games for broad audiences to a developer of AAA “core” games for multiple platforms.

The company also has appointed Jason Kay as its CSO, who will report to Rubin.

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