Bioshock Infinite VP of development, Rod Fergusson, leaves Irrational Games
April 9, 2013 | 18:26
Companies: #irrational-games
Rod Ferguson, vice president for development at Irrational Games, has announced he is leaving the company after less than a year at the firm, and mere weeks after completion of the studios latest big title, Bioshock Infinite.
It would appear Ferguson was brought on to ensure Bioshock Infinite made it out the door on time and bug free, and now that task is done he's moving on.
"During my departure from Epic, I learned that Irrational was in need of a 'closer' to help finish BioShock Infinite," he wrote to Polygon. "I've been striving for better storytelling in the games I've worked on and I saw this as a great opportunity to learn from Ken and his team on how to build a truly story-driven game.
“I am very proud of the work that I did and of the team and what they were able to accomplish on Infinite. Now with the game shipped successfully, I’ve done what I set out to do here and now I’m looking forward to the next chapter in my life and career,” he continued.
Having previously spent over seven years at Epic Games, including a stint as producer on the Gears Of War franchise, Ferguson has a strong track record with large development projects so it seems likely he will be in high demand by studios looking for someone to drive that last big push. With many studios gearing up for the launch of next-gen titles to coincide with the arrival of the Xbox 720 and PS4 at the end of the year there could be plenty of options.
A return to Epic seems unlikely, though, given the nature of his departure, which came the month after Chinese internet company Tencent purchased 40 percent of total Epic capital and placed two directors on the Epic board. His departure was followed by a number of other high profile departures too, including Epic Games president Mike Capps, twenty year veteran Cliff Bleszinski and three lead developers at developer People Can Fly.
Bioshock Infinite launched to critical acclaim, with our very own Mat Jones awarding it 95%. Its combination of an engaging story, stunning visuals and fun FPS shooting action made for a compelling single player experience, and yes, it was bug free and on time.
Just which title will Ferguson choose to work on next...
It would appear Ferguson was brought on to ensure Bioshock Infinite made it out the door on time and bug free, and now that task is done he's moving on.
"During my departure from Epic, I learned that Irrational was in need of a 'closer' to help finish BioShock Infinite," he wrote to Polygon. "I've been striving for better storytelling in the games I've worked on and I saw this as a great opportunity to learn from Ken and his team on how to build a truly story-driven game.
“I am very proud of the work that I did and of the team and what they were able to accomplish on Infinite. Now with the game shipped successfully, I’ve done what I set out to do here and now I’m looking forward to the next chapter in my life and career,” he continued.
Having previously spent over seven years at Epic Games, including a stint as producer on the Gears Of War franchise, Ferguson has a strong track record with large development projects so it seems likely he will be in high demand by studios looking for someone to drive that last big push. With many studios gearing up for the launch of next-gen titles to coincide with the arrival of the Xbox 720 and PS4 at the end of the year there could be plenty of options.
A return to Epic seems unlikely, though, given the nature of his departure, which came the month after Chinese internet company Tencent purchased 40 percent of total Epic capital and placed two directors on the Epic board. His departure was followed by a number of other high profile departures too, including Epic Games president Mike Capps, twenty year veteran Cliff Bleszinski and three lead developers at developer People Can Fly.
Bioshock Infinite launched to critical acclaim, with our very own Mat Jones awarding it 95%. Its combination of an engaging story, stunning visuals and fun FPS shooting action made for a compelling single player experience, and yes, it was bug free and on time.
Just which title will Ferguson choose to work on next...
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