Key Nintendo programmer leaves for Microsoft

Colin Reed, a veteran programmer at Nintendo, has left the company for one of its rivals’ internal studios according to Shacknews.

Reed had spent the past 11 years at Nintendo, where he’d served as technical lead on the DS multiplayer FPS Metroid Prime: Hunters and as main system programmer on the Miyamoto-helmed Pikmin.

He’s left the company to join Turn 10, Microsoft’s internal studio responsible for the successful Forza Motorsport series of games. What role he’ll be taking at Turn 10 has yet to be announced.

The news comes hot on the heels of the ‘departure’ of three chief creatives at Retro, Nintendo’s only US studio – although given that they were allegedly escorted from the building the two incidents are unlikely to be related.