Simon Jeffery quits LucasArts

LucasArts president Simon Jeffery has resigned from his position at the company after over three years at the helm, stating that he plans to return to England with his family.

The announcement of his departure came as a surprise to many, with Jeffery leaving the company, which he joined in 1998 as director of international business, with little warning and with no official reason given as yet.

LucasArts' vice president of finance and administration, Mike Nelson, will replace Jeffery as acting general manager until a permanent replacement can be found.

Although some commentators have been quick to categorise this departure as being a sign that LucasArts is experiencing difficulties with its development plans, the fact remains that the company is having a hugely successful year, with a portfolio of titles including Knights of the Old Republic, Star Wars: Galaxies, Jedi Academy and Rogue Squadron III.

However, there is a grain of truth in the suggestion regardless; LucasArts is certainly having trouble its portfolio outside of the Star Wars franchise, with an update to the classic Full Throttle being cancelled in August and original title RTX Red Rock failing to impress either commercially or critically.

It's difficult to fault Jeffery's tenure as the company's president, however - a reign which has seen the quality of the company's output increase significantly, following some refreshingly straight talking about the problems it faced. It remains to be seen whether Jeffery plans to take on a new role within the games industry, either in England or elsewhere.