Phil Frazier, Exec Producer of "Madden NFL" for EA Sports, has left the company after 14 years. Frazier, who had been one of the more prominent faces of the iconic video game franchise, is departing to pursue other career options, but it is not yet known where he will go next. A company statement said he "was looking for a new opportunity." The development team for "Madden NFL" will now be led by Roy Harvey, who had been Exec Producer for EA Sports' "NCAA Football" franchise and a key figure for the company for its efforts in online and connected gameplay. "Madden NFL 12" is in its final stages of development and will be released Aug. 30.
Frazier joins a wave of several other recent executive departures from EA Sports' Tiburon Studios, including Creative Dir Ian Cummings, who left earlier this spring to join online gaming startup Row Sham Bow. EA Sports Senior VP/Worldwide Development Andrew Wilson said the recent executive exits have come amid a significant internal restructuring within EA Sports, but added that he is not concerned about what has appeared to some gaming industry observers as a mass exodus. Wilson: "We have a great deal of confidence in the team we're putting in place to approach this more dynamic and multi-platform marketplace."
