Cliff Bleszinski, design director known for his creative work on the Gears of War and Unreal Tournament series, has departed Epic Games. In an EpicGames.com blog post, Bleszinski seems to hint he may be leaving the industry outright.

"I’ve been doing this since I was a teenager, and outside of my sabbatical last year, I have been going non-stop. I literally grew up in this business," Bleszinski said. "And now that I’m grown up, it’s time for a much needed break. I will miss the projects, the playtests, the debates, and most importantly, the people."

Epic Games stated, "During the past two decades, Cliff has helped shape many successful games that have captured the imaginations of millions of players around the world. We are grateful for his influence on Epic’s legacy, from the wild adventures Jazz Jackrabbit to the visceral combat of Gears of War."

Bleszinski joins the growing list of Epic departures. Earlier this year, Epic Games' subsidiary People Can Fly saw creative top-bosses depart the company as well. Following that, Epic's director of production Rod Fergusson left Epic to work on BioShock Infinite.


http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/10/...ves-epic-games

Seems like lots of people are leaving the industry recently. I wonder what they know that we don't?

That corporate structure is terrible and soul sucking, and there are ways to get the exact game you want made funded elsewhere.

The only thing I can figure is that they could be getting fed up with the way things are being managed and dictated by the publishers. Maybe they feel their creative vision isn't getting through anymore, like a movie director tired of studio interference.

Totally. The industry has changed. I can see veterans just getting sick of the bullshit. 1st tier games these days cost enormous sums of money to produce and there is definitely a lot of politics whenever that much money and time is involved on a product that generates no revenue for years and years while it is developed.

Look at the biggest selling games 10-15 years ago. Roller Coaster Tycoon was developed by one guy. Even big budget games like Final Fantasy and Medal of Honor are nothing compared to what's out there today. Leading a project with hundreds of developers, publishers breathing down your neck, and a constantly uncertain future must be pretty stressful.