Midway hires SOCOM leader

David Sears, a game designer and developer who helped lead Zipper Interactive's military action SOCOM series to success, has been chosen as a creative director for Midway Games's Surreal Software studio in Seattle. At Surreal, developer of The Suffering, Sears will lead the development of a Midway game for next-generation consoles. "David's experience at developing games that appeal to a very large audience make him a key hire for Surreal and Midway as we gear up for next-generation development," said Alan Patmore, head of Surreal. Midway bought Surreal Software in April of 2004.