Xbox Addict

Eidos Montreal founder quits, blames Square Enix's lack of leadership

Stephane D’Astous, founder and general manager of Eidos Montreal, has resigned from Square Enix. The developer is best known for their work on Deus Ex: Human Revolution and the upcoming Thief reboot. D’Astous blames Square Enix for a "lack of leadership, lack of courage" following the company’s "extraordinary loss."

Games like Tomb Raider were originally blamed for the company’s financial shortcomings. However, D’Astous says that ultimately, "Square Enix needs to learn how to sell their games."

"We have great games that could have sold more," D’Astous told Polygon after exiting the company. "They need to attack that very, very seriously. Last year was supposed to be a home-run season, but we didn’t hit a single home run; maybe a double or a triple, but they weren’t home runs."

Another issue that plagues Square Enix is the division between Square Enix and Eidos. Although Square Enix acquired Eidos in 2009, the two companies remain too separated. "Communication is very lacking," D’Astous said, noting his lack of confidence in the "top-down" approach at the company.

Although D’Astous has harsh words for his former parent company, he’s still confident that Thief--Eidos Montreal’s troubled game--will end up being a quality title. "The new team and producer has turned the corner and they’re doing a good job. That is one of my biggest regrets, not to be at the head of the studio that would deliver Thief."