Saban Brands appoints video game veteran Jack Sorensen as The Playforge president

Jack Sorensen, a 20-year veteran of the video game industry and former executive vice president of all studios worldwide at THQ, has been appointed president of Saban Brands' mobile social games division, The Playforge, the company announced.

At THQ, Sorensen oversaw numerous franchises including Saints Row, WWE Smackdown and Company of Heroes. Prior to his seven years at THQ, Sorensen served as president of LucasArts from 1991 to 2000, where he managed brands such as Star Wars and Indiana Jones.

"I am honored to have been provided with the opportunity to further grow such a talented studio's leadership position in the digital space," Sorensen said in a statement announcing his hiring. "Saban Brands has undertaken ambitious initiatives to expand its digital footprint in the last year and I am excited to continue that momentum in the months to come."

Based in San Francisco, Sorensen will manage the development of The Playforge's "character-based mobile games for mass audiences" and will oversee the growth of the company's digital IP. The Playforge's past games include Zombie Farm, Zombie Farm 2 and Zombie Life.

"We look forward to Jack's expertise and insights on our plans to deliver a steady stream of new games, new intellectual properties and new strategic collaborations this year," said Vince McDonnell, The Playforge co-founder.

"Jack brings a wealth of experience in gaming and digital entertainment that will be a tremendous asset to Saban Brands as we work toward our goal of further expanding our reach from online and television to mobile," Elie Dekel, president of Saban Brands, said in a statement. "His extensive experience combined with his recent work as an entrepreneur and advisor in the mobile game industry make him uniquely suited to take The Playforge to the next level."