Insomniac Ted Price Announcement 1

Ted Price, the founder of Sony first-party developer Insomniac Games, has today announced he will be retiring from the studio. Having formed the developer in 1994 (then under the name Xtreme Software), he has helped create the Spyro the Dragon, Ratchet & Clank, and Resistance franchises. It's announced in a PlayStation Blog post that he'll be replaced by three new studio co-heads in March.

They are Ryan Schneider, Jen Huang, and Chad Dezern. In the jointly written blog post, the three said: "Sharing the news that Ted is retiring from Insomniac Games is still just as emotional to type as it has been to think about. The three of us – Chad, Jen and Ryan – have worked closely with Ted for many years. He’s not just our leader, he’s our longtime friend. And a great one at that. Ted will be missed for so many reasons."

Schneider joined Insomniac Games during the PS2 era in the studio marketing and communications department, and worked his way up to senior positions as head of brand and leadership strategy. Huang, meanwhile, joined the developer eight years ago in the finance department. "Together with the best team in the world, we’ve shipped 12 games since my first day, and I’m super excited about the unforgettable experiences we’ll bring to players in the future," he said.

As for Dezern, he joined the team in 1998 and has served various positions, from environment artist to studio director. "So what secrets did I learn? Mainly that magic happens when talented people build on each other’s ideas even as they challenge each other to advance their craft. In my new role, I’m excited to work with Ryan and Jen to continue Insomniac’s tradition of creative collaboration."

Jointly, the three added: "Our shared intention is to preserve what has made Insomniac special for 30-plus years while exploring how we can strategically evolve to succeed for decades to come. We’ll continue prioritizing our studio culture, built around transparency and collaboration. We strive for a workplace where employees can do the best work of their careers."

In a separate article, Ted Price explained that he made the decision to retire from the games industry last year, and made the announcement to employees last week. He goes on to say that Insomniac needs leaders at the top "who are intimately familiar with how we do things", and that Schneider, Huang, and Dezern are those people.

"For many years, Chad, Jen and Ryan have been instrumental in making Insomniac what we are today. I’ve seen each lead major initiatives here which have positively changed Insomniacs’ lives. Plus, they’ve consistently demonstrated the kind of collaboration and transparency that’s part of our DNA. And just as important, their skillsets are truly complementary." You can read Ted Price's full statement through the link.

[source sonyinteractive.com]