Ex-Crackdown, Fable Dudes Turn Ruffian

Not long ago, we were discussing a rumor about a potential Crackdown sequel in the works. If that game is indeed being made, its production will lack one of the higher-ranking members of the original game's team. Billy Thomson, formerly of Realtime Worlds, is one of numerous seasoned industry vets who have founded Dundee, Scotland-based Ruffian Games. Thomson was one of the guys Microsoft sent on press junkets to promote the first Crackdown before it came out, so you know he was pretty high up over there. He's now acting as creative director at Ruffian.

(Unless, of course, Ruffian is somehow working on the Crackdown sequel while Realtime finishes up APB, in which case Thomson will totally also work on it. But the rest of the original team won't.)

The entire studio's collective resume is pretty impressive, actually, peppered as it is with other names like Fable, PGR, Mortal Kombat, and Grand Theft Auto. (Perhaps you've heard of them.)

As for what the company is doing now, their official site has this quote.

All we can say about our current project is it's signed with one of the world's biggest and most successful publishers and on a great project we're really excited about.

Sounds promising. Make a great game, y'all. Hit up the Ruffian site for more info on the other people currently aboard, as well as quite a few job openings.