Veteran designer Raph Koster says goodbye to Disney Playdom

Two major studio departures in one day? Now that's a Tuesday. Ultima Online co-creator and veteran game designer Raph Koster has announced his departure from social game studio Playdom (and ultimately Disney) on his personal blog. The former VP of the studio leaves after two and a half years with nothing lined up. Must be nice, Raph. Must be nice.

Jokes aside, it appears that Koster left Playdom on amicable terms. The game design guru simply wants to apply what he learned while with the Gardens of Time developer to new projects. This news comes just as Zynga New York (OMGPOP) lead Dan Porter announced his departure from the FarmVille maker, but under less than favorable circumstances.

So, what's next for Koster, you ask? Well, for starters: No, he's not doing a Kickstarter like every other veteran game designer that has gone indie in the past year. Aside from some talks "with a few folks," Koster writes, all the guy wants to do is make some games. So, where will Koster go next? Wherever god takes him, that's where. (I've always wanted to say that.)

Read more on Raph Koster's blog now >

Are you bummed to see Koster leave Playdom? What do you hope to see from him next? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.