Left 4 Dead, Portal Vet Kim Swift Joins Airtight as Developer Seeks Broader Market (Updated)

Having previously led development of Portal and worked on both Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2 while at Valve, Kim Swift has left the studio and...

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Having previously led development of Portal and worked on both Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2 while at Valve, Kim Swift has left the studio and joined Dark Void developer Airtight Games as a project lead, the latter independent studio revealed today.

Swift's role at Airtight will be to "build and lead a team in the development of games aimed at a more diverse audience," with the hire representing a "a strategic move" as Airtight moves into "new and broader gaming markets." Swift and her Nuclear Monkey cohorts garnered industry attention with the release of their 2005 DigiPen student project Narbacular Drop, after which Valve hired them to work on what became Portal.

"I've learned so much and had some amazing experiences at Valve," Swift noted in today's announcement. "But when I heard I had the opportunity to work on innovative titles with my friends over at Airtight, I couldn't pass it up."

Update: An Airtight Games representative tells Shacknews that Swift had no role on the January-due Dark Void, explaining "she is focused on future projects at this time."

Chris Faylor was previously a games journalist creating content at Shacknews.

From The Chatty
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    December 7, 2009 1:50 PM

    Man they must have offered her a shit load of bank.

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      December 7, 2009 2:30 PM

      That's my guess, Airtight is a huge downgrade from Valve. I used to work for them, their concept of project management is to crunch for 7+ straight months.

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        December 7, 2009 3:57 PM

        And this is different from from industry....how?

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          December 7, 2009 4:28 PM

          [deleted]

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            December 7, 2009 4:48 PM

            LOL! It's funny because Gabe is obese!

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              December 7, 2009 5:11 PM

              Hey don't be talking bad about The Gabe. With all the money Valve has, and seeing how Valve's office is, he probably lives like a roman emperor. More food to keep him fat and orgies all day long with the type of girls in Bellevue, where Valve is located.

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                December 8, 2009 12:48 AM

                Ah, yes. The "Bellevue Bitches". Right.

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              December 7, 2009 5:32 PM

              Yes that's exactly why it's funny.

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          December 7, 2009 6:35 PM

          I remember reading that Left 4 Dead 2 had very little crunch time.

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          December 7, 2009 7:49 PM

          the infinite crunch is stupid and unnecessary. companies that do it churn out turds consistently.

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