The lure of working in a startup environment—not to mention being able to get games out quickly and on the cheap—is likely what’s fueling EA’s brain drain. There’s also the prospect of cashing in on a hot trend: social gaming startups like Playdom (which is reportedly bringing in around $10 million per quarter from virtual goods sales) are prime acquisition targets for bigger gaming companies (or even eventual IPOs). 

Pleasants is replacing the company’s Co-founder Dan Yue, who will move into the role of chief product officer. The Mountain View, Calif.-based startup recently split its development teams into two studios, one for role-playing games (RPGs) and the other for other casual titles; the new studios’ executive producers will report to Yue. In a statement, Yue said Pleasant’s industry connections would be key to helping Playdom “scale quickly.” Release.