Described by one Brad Shoemaker as the most affable man in video games (it’s true), Naughty Dog co-lead designer Richard Lemarchand is now a former co-lead designer at Naughty Dog.

Gamasutra reports Lemarchand is leaving Naughty Dog for the Interactive Media Division of the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California.

"I've always loved the experimental and avant-garde," he told the site. "I wanted to try to make a game in that sphere for the best part of a decade now."

Besides branching into experimental design, Lemarchand will be teaching at the place where creatives like thatgamecompany’s Jenova Chen and Kellee Santiago went to school.

Lemarchand had been with Naughty Dog since Jak X in 2004, and was previously a designer alongside Uncharted head writer Amy Hennig at Crystal Dynamics. Hennig also wrote the Soul Reaver arc of the (incredible) Legacy of Kain series, which Lemarchand was a designer on.

Described by one Brad Shoemaker as the most affable man in video games (it’s true), Naughty Dog co-lead designer Richard Lemarchand is now a former co-lead designer at Naughty Dog.

Gamasutra reports Lemarchand is leaving Naughty Dog for the Interactive Media Division of the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California.

"I've always loved the experimental and avant-garde," he told the site. "I wanted to try to make a game in that sphere for the best part of a decade now."

Besides branching into experimental design, Lemarchand will be teaching at the place where creatives like thatgamecompany’s Jenova Chen and Kellee Santiago went to school.

Lemarchand had been with Naughty Dog since Jak X in 2004, and was previously a designer alongside Uncharted head writer Amy Hennig at Crystal Dynamics. Hennig also wrote the Soul Reaver arc of the (incredible) Legacy of Kain series, which Lemarchand was a designer on.

I'll be honest, I don't know much about this guy. But good luck to him nonetheless.

Every time I saw an interview with him, especially the one Brad did with him on Uncharted 3, he seemed like a very cool and nice dude.

Good luck have batman.

Good luck to this guy. I love the games he's worked on and hopefully he took enough away from those that he can inject some of that in the kids these days.

More importantly, the fact that he is a quantum height is a plus on any resume I assume.

@m2cks said:

I'll be honest, I don't know much about this guy. But good luck to him nonetheless.

The Graveyard, indie art game, inspired him to do the Village in Uncharted 2.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPju14BmOLY#t=35m45s

@scared_of_radio said:

more articles = awesome :D thanks patrick!

Thought my happiness is not appropriate considering the news. i hope naughty dog doesn't lose focus and start losing members left and right. Now that Uncharted wrapped up (with that team anyway), the Last of Us must be successful or I don't see good things in the future.

ND has been around a long time and have had many departures from their team but they have always just kept on making great games. They'll be fine.

I got distracted by a mention of LoK.

It gladdens me to see developers finally taking notice of Seal's advice from his hit single/proto-GDC talk - Crazy. It saddens me it took so long though.

The industry is never gonna' survive, unless we get a little bit...crazy.

@csl316 said:

I got distracted by a mention of LoK.

Me too... I want more..

@msavo:

I had the opportunity to work with Richard, and I will tell you this;

The man always treats you with respect. Even if you tell him he's wrong, even if you're the one who is wrong. He'll treat you with his best, even if it's your first day, or his last.

Good luck where you're going Richard. We'll miss you. ; ;

I wish him the best of luck

Sad that he'll be out of development, at least for a while. Hopefully some dialogue with intelligent and creative students will give him the drive to make something exciting himself once more.

Him and Hennig are quite possibly the most damn creative duo in this industry.

You know, you never hear about a popular movie director quitting major movies to do indies or something else. I wonder what it is about the games industry that drives game designers to either quit big productions and god indy or just leave altogether.

Wish him the best of luck, but sad to see him leave such an awesome game company.

@Axiomatic said:

It gladdens me to see developers finally taking notice of Seal's advice from his hit single/proto-GDC talk - Crazy. It saddens me it took so long though.

What are you referring too? I'm intrigued. The only famous/renowned GDC talk which encouraged developers to plow a very different path that I've so far heard mentioned is Chris Crawford's 'Dragon' speech.

@Konig2540 said:

@csl316 said:

I got distracted by a mention of LoK.

Me too... I want more..

What they said.

People are gonna learn a lot from him.