New games boss for NewsCorp

NewsCorp’s slow but inevitable move into direct games production continues to gather pace – it’s digital division has hired a boss for its new games unit.

US online service and social network expert Sean Ryan has become exec vice president and general manager at NewsCorp Digital Games.

He’s got a raft of experience at online consulting venires including TAG Strategic and Zeus Research, but also was CEO of virtual avatar firm Meez, acting CEO of LiveJournal, and board member of microtranscaction platform Live Gamer.

Paidcontent reports that Ryan’s appointment comes in the wake of NewsCorp’s purchasing of small indie social games developer Irata Labs – he will form the new games division around that studio, and also hire more to join his team.

He will report to IGN president Roy Bahat, but the games production and games editorial teams will be kept separate, church and state-style – much in the same way IGN.com is kept at arm’s length from Direct2Drive, GameSpy and GameSpy Technologies.