News Post

Thanks For Everything! Headed To The Madden NFL Team as Creative Director

05:20 PM - December 22, 2011 by Kolbe

Hello everyone!

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for the time, thoughts, love, hate, and sense of community you've brought to me and the MLB The Show dev team! It's because of you that we have been able to go from one of the lowest rated sports games on the market to the only game to achieve a 90+ metacritic rating 3 years running! This is absolutely the best sports gaming community anywhere - we may all have differences but don't forget what brings you all together.

With that, I feel I need to let you know that I have resigned my position with SCEA. It has been a truly exciting and fun filled experience working on the MLB The Show team! I was with SCEA for 15.5 years and have been on MLB for ~9 of those years; It's time to move on. Effective Friday, Dec. 23rd I will be "unemployed" - I'll celebrate a wonderful Christmas with my family (We're hosting 15+ people for breakfast, lunch and diner... yes, we know... we're insane) and then on the 30th I'll be moving with my wife and unborn baby girl (Due March 6th) to Orlando, Florida.

Beginning Jan. 9th I begin work as a Creative Director for EA on the Madden Team. I'm sure many of you will follow along as I get to know that "sub community" while I learn and interact with the Madden fans on the site. This is a huge change in my career, and a huge change for my family. My wife and I are truly looking forward to it! Except maybe the whole mosquito thing going on in Florida... GEEZ!

Thank you again for everything you've done for me and the MLB The Show dev team. Here's to 9 more excellent years!

I hope you all have an excellent Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, New Year and anything else you may celebrate!

-Kolbe

Game: MLB 12 The ShowReader Score: 9/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS Vita / PS3Votes for game: 55 - View All

MLB 12 The Show Videos

Member Comments

# 61 JayD @ 12/23/11 12:05 PM

Awesome, Madden needs work!!!

# 62 speels @ 12/23/11 12:11 PM

Congrats on the job change and enjoy your daughter. She will be your everything and will make you happier than a 90+ rating at metacritic.

# 63 Pared @ 12/23/11 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knight165


	Aaron is figuring a way to install a cloaking device in his office as we speak. M.K. Knight165

Hah! I bet... We will still track you down Aaron!

# 64 spitoon @ 12/23/11 01:20 PM

Congratulations on the career move and the baby!

Thank you for your dedication to this game. It has been a great evolution and has become the game that all else are compared to.

After having ignored Madden for several years, I may now have a reason to look at it again.

# 65 BDKiiing @ 12/23/11 11:32 PM

Best of luck Kolbe

# 66 Aesop5upreme @ 12/24/11 01:13 AM

Thank the demi-gods....Can we expect a quality football game that captures the essence of the sport as MLB THE SHOW has done which is the ultimate sports simulation.Wow!!! Madden with presentation,simulated stats,Ref personalities,Customized Stadium sounds,Position specific motion caption....countless other options settings and other bells and whistles....Can u dig it!

# 67 ManiacMatt1782 @ 12/24/11 02:51 PM

Don't take any **** from the higher ups. You have ideas to improve the game, implement them. Don't hold back because some corporate idiot who only cares about the bottom line is trying to milk something for another year.

# 68 ElroyJetson @ 12/24/11 04:21 PM

Finally Madden will be good lol

Thanks for everything Kolbe good luck on your future.

# 69 major major @ 12/24/11 10:17 PM

What if Santa puts a counter offer in your stocking?

Best of luck!

# 70 Tommyklaid @ 12/25/11 01:03 AM

Congrats Kolbe -

You will be SOOO missed in our 'SCEA' community, but good luck in your future endeavors and much luck with the 'EA' community ...God knows they have to be extremely BLESSED to have you come over to their team and help them out.

Best of luck and I'm sure we haven't seen/heard the last of you ... (we'll just have to jump over to the Madden thread to check on ya every now & again)

- a brew for you Kolbe.

# 71 Bobhead @ 12/25/11 09:24 AM

I'd like to hope that he'll be returning to baseball soon enough

# 72 RussMac316 @ 12/25/11 01:10 PM

Kolbe, you must go to every sport dev team and infect them with your awesomeness. Only then will I truly enjoy my sports games. The Show is the only game I haven't discovered some sort of exploit that ruins online or VS play. Can't wait to see what you do with Madden.

# 73 ty5oke @ 12/26/11 08:39 PM

Best of luck, thanks for the work you put in to make the Show the best game on the market.

# 74 Mos1ted @ 12/27/11 11:56 AM

Congrats on the move and the new job. I hope that you're arrival in January leaves enough time in this dev cycle to make some of the positive improvements in Madden that you oversaw for the Show.

# 75 bobtrain @ 12/28/11 03:11 AM

I'm excited about the changes. I know creative direction won't change gameplay issues, but I hope they find balance between the look and feel of the newer madden's.

# 76 CWood2 @ 12/28/11 07:56 PM

Congrats Kolbe. You're great at what you do, and your ability to involve the community - especially a great community like OS - should be what video games are all about.

All the best, and good luck with those tough souls on the Madden threads!!!

# 77 EnigmaNemesis @ 12/29/11 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knight165


	NEVER! Big boned.(I'm right there with you buddy....) Aaron is figuring a way to install a cloaking device in his office as we speak. You say that now....Get used to a lot of....No...Nope...sarcastic laughter in response to "what about...XXX?" M.K. Knight165

Buhahaha. So darn true. Especially the last statement.

I remember all the sinister (see though my soul) stares he would give me when asking him if some things can be "altered".

Gonna miss seeing you there Kolbe. Just as I said on Facebook. But as a sports gamer, bringing over the same dedication and determination to Madden is definitely a great thing.

I think EA knows this. They best treat you right, or they may have to deal with us Northeast hit squad (

all good fun).

# 78 10yard-Fight @ 12/30/11 03:22 PM

That's good stuff. Congrats

# 79 KingV2k3 @ 01/02/12 11:27 PM

Congrats Sir:

If your new crew can do for Madden what your team at SCEA did for The Show, I will FINALLY be one happy console football fan...

Good luck!

# 80 Culture Rot @ 01/03/12 06:29 PM

as much as i like the show, im not as worried or dispapointed by this as i might of been a few yers back. the show has gotten really stale year after year so this probably isnt the worst news in the world.

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Thanks For Everything! Headed To The Madden NFL Team as Creative Director