While we know little to nothing about the next Gears of War game, we do know that it is coming to Xbox One and that it’s coming from Black Tusk Studios, rather than the previous developer Epic Games. Now, we have learned something a little more, this time about someone who has joined the team behind the game at Black Tusk Studios.
Stephen Toulouse served for a long time as director of the Xbox Live enforcement team, which means if you misbehaved online to an extreme level, you probably were on the other end of his banhammer at one point or another. Toulouse stepped down in 2012 and moved on to other ventures, but it has now been revealed that he is joining the Gears of War Xbox One team as director of community engagement.
In a blog post by Toulouse himself, he explained his history with the Gears of War series and how it was an offer he couldn’t refuse when Black Tusk Studios came calling.
- “I don’t know a console gamer who doesn’t remember that incredible introduction to the world of Gears of War. I was hooked. I was sold. That was a day one purchase for me. Since then Gears of War is the only title I have played every release through in coop, with my friend Mark. We’ll put off playing the game until we can set aside a week to play it together. I’ve played multiplayer, and done the entire 50 waves of Horde mode for charity with my friend. So when the outstanding team at Black Tusk asked me to help them make the best Gears of War experience to date by representing the community and being their advocate, how could I say no?”
In his new position, Toulouse will have plenty of input on the game, a lot of which will come from the community, as he is the one that will bridge the gap between the community and the development team. He went on further to discuss the game itself.
- “I don’t just want us to make the best next generation Gears of War game ever, I want to make sure that everyone playing the game today feels just as good today and down the road in their investment into our amazing world as we do. There’s a Gears nation out there. I’m a part of it and it’s amazing.”
It is certainly good to see someone with a passion for the series involved with the game, but it is quite the odd transition from one time Xbox Live enforcer to community engagement director.
