Kayak appoints former EA VP as CEO

Mobile multiplayer specialist Kayak Interactive has announced the appointment of a new chief executive, with industry veteran and former EA vice president Keith McCurdy stepping up to the role.

McCurdy previously worked at giant publisher Electronic Arts for over ten years, serving in a number of roles culminating in a stint as vice president for online and product development, and played a key role in building the company's online game business.

That business went on to spawn Ultima Online, the genre-defining massively multiplayer title which effectively created the business model now followed by all persistent world online games.

"Keithââ'¬—¢s track record of growing community-based businesses in the game industry makes him a strong leader for Kayak," according to Kayak chairman Duncan Davidson. "He is uniquely positioned to advance the company as the mobile game market shifts from static, single-player gaming to network connected, dynamic, multiplayer games."

Kayak has been creating quite a stir in the mobile gaming industry of late with its multiplayer technology, with a demonstration of the system at the Game Developer's Conference earlier this year drawing significant accolades for the company.

At the show, Kayak hosted a competition using a mobile, multiplayer version of IOMO's popular Pub Pool game, with the eight player tournament being played over the AT&T and Verizon wireless networks.