Naughty Dog co-founder is THQ's new president

With THQ shares trading at nearly 50 cents a share, it's clear that the battered publisher needs to turn itself around.

Outspoken THQ EVP Danny Bilson is leaving the company "to pursue other interests." While Bilson has been key in refocusing THQ on "core games," another new hire should cement that direction even further: Jason Rubin, co-founder of Uncharted developer Naughty Dog.

Effective immediately, Rubin will take over as president of THQ, and will be responsible for all of THQ's worldwide development, marketing and publishing operations. THQ CEO Brian Farrell said in a prepared statement: "Jason's proven track record in the industry speaks for itself, and he is one of the brightest minds in the business. We believe he can be a game changer and can contribute immensely to executing on our strategy of delivering quality connected core game experiences."

"THQ has incredible internal and external game development teams, and an exciting slate of games in its development pipeline," Jason Rubin said in a press release. "The recent transformation of THQ into a creator of wholly-owned IP has placed it in a perfect position to leverage future trends in the game business."

Rubin is certainly joining THQ at an interesting time. While the company has continuously underperformed, its upcoming library includes some of Shacknews' most-wanted games, including Metro: Last Light and Company of Heroes 2.