NAUGHTY DOG Co-Founder Jason Rubin Becomes THQ’s President. Thankless Job?

You can’t seemingly go a week without hearing about THQ being in the muck. Sure it isn’t as dire as d-bag extraordinaire Curt Schilling’s 38 Studios, but running the joint seems a thankless job. New president and Naughty Dog co-founder Jason Rubin is going to hope that isn’t the case.

Joystiq:

THQ announced this afternoon that former executive vice president of “Core Games”Danny Bilson  stepped down from his position in the company, and Naughty Dog co-founder Jason Rubin is taking the position of president. Rubin will report directly to chairman and CEO Brian Farrell.

Additionally, senior vice president of Core Studios Dave Davis is exiting the company. Bilson, Davis, and the “Core Games” group at THQ lead the charge in recent years on THQ’s rebranding (including the logo you see above) from a licensed-game publisher to one developing and publishing what Bilson and co. considered “core” franchises (Warhammer 40K, Saints Row, and Red Faction among others). The move is especially odd considering THQ’s continuing initiative to develop “AAA ‘Core’ games for multiple platforms.”

As for Rubin’s appointment, that’s distinctly less odd — he helped create one of the game industry’s most successful development studios. “Jason’s proven track record in the industry speaks for itself, and he is one of the brightest minds in the business,” Farrell said of Rubin’s appointment. As for Bilson, Farrell noted his “significant contributions” and thanked him.

Good luck, Father of Crash. I think you’re going to need it.