343 Industries names new art and creative directors

Halo developer 343 Industries has added new creative and art directors to its team.

Lead concept artist Nicolas ‘Sparth’ Bouvier has been promoted to the role of art director following the departure of Kenneth Scott, who leaves Microsoft after six years with the company.

Despite leaving, Scott will still work with the studio as visual design consultant.

"Nicolas has been with the studio since the beginning as our lead concept artist and he has worked closely with Kenneth over the past five years to define the visual language for 343’s Halo," said executive producer Josh Holmes.

"In fact, Ken and Sparth have worked together for over eight years now in the industry and it has been said that the two share the same brain (except Nic is much more French). Nicolas is a master painter and visionary artist with 17 years of industry experience. He is world-renowned for his concept work and is someone whose work I have followed closely long before I came to 343."

Former LucasArts creative director Tim Longo meanwhile has also joined the studio in the same role, while former incumbent Josh Holmes has been named as executive producer at the studio.

Holmes replaces Kiki Wolfkill who previously held the role. She will be staying on at the studio in a new position working on "new stories, experiences and technologies".

"In hiring Tim, I have moved from my former role of creative director to that of executive producer, heading up the internal development team," said Holmes.

"In my new role I am responsible for overall project leadership and business ownership, for setting the high level project vision and goals and leading my team to achieve them. It’s been an interesting shift in focus and I’ve been grateful to have such a stellar team supporting me."