From Gamespot (Link):

Creative boss departs; SOE says strategic goals of company and man “don’t match.”

Raph Koster, chief creative officer of Sony Online Entertainment, and one of the leaders behind the development of Star Wars Galaxies, has left the company, SOE reps confirmed today.

Based in Austin, Texas, Koster is widely considered an expert when it comes to the design of massively multiplayer online games. He often participates in event panels and maintains an active blog that focuses on the nuances of the genre.

Koster is leaving his post of six years “to pursue development interests outside of the company,” SOE said.

Something tells me Sony is going to regret losing him. Maybe not this year or the next, but from the things I’ve read, Koster probably has a better sense of where the future opportunities are than a company struggling to balance the competing objectives of its various divisions. I’m going to be very interested to see where he lands.