Brink developer hires former FIFA director to bolster production team

Splash Damage, the London-based independent developer behind last year's Brink, has hired the FIFA series' former senior development director Griff Jenkins as its new studio production director. The company says it has been hiring new talent to strengthen its team in key areas, supporting the continued growth that's transformed Splash Damage from a group of mod developers into a multiplatform game company shipping AAA titles in the last decade. Jenkins has been with the company some 13 months now, according to his LinkedIn profile, though the company did not publicize this information until Wednesday. Until last year, Splash Damage was mostly known for working on licensed properties like Enemy Territory: Quake Wars, and putting out maps for online shooters. The company shipped Brink for PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation May 2011, and has several game announcements planned for the near future. "We'll be revealing new titles - both on platforms we've previously visited (including the PC and the world's leading consoles), as well as exploring spaces completely new to us," said CEO and game director Paul Wedgwood. "We've got some special things planned to take full advantage of the changes our industry is experiencing." Splash Damage said it believes Jenkins will help "elevate production to a discipline on par with art, design, and programming" at its operations, as it prepares to announce and launch those new projects during what it calls "the most significant year in [the developer's] history." Jenkins previously worked at a number of studios during his 17-year career in the game industry, including Kuju Entertainment and Eidos, but he most recently put in six years at Electronic Arts handling franchises like popular soccer series FIFA, Need For Speed., and Championship Manager.