Just three days after confirming she had split with her rocker-fiancée Benji Madden, Sophie Monk was spotted having brunch with video game designer Jason Rubin!

Game Designer Jason Rubin Makes The Tabloids [MTV Multiplayer]

Jason Rubin used to make video games. You may have heard of them, one was Crash Bandicoot, another was Jak & Daxter. Or maybe you know him as the founder of developer Naughty Dog. Or perhaps as the guy, who in his last public speech to the industry blamed publishers for weakening the industry by failing to appreciate and promote talent.

Shortly after that DICE Summit speech Rubin bid a polite adieu to video games and took a sort of vacation. But it wasn't long until he was back into the creative side of things. After starting up and then selling Flecktor.com, Rubin decided it was about time to turn an idea he's had for about ten years into a comic book.

Iron and the Maiden makes its official debut at Comic-Con today in San Diego. Rubin took a few minutes on his way to the Aspen booth on the show floor to talk about his life post video games.

Most of it, it seems, has been consumed by Iron and the Maiden. The new book, which will run as a four comic mini-series totaling 128 pages, had lengthy pre-production work that make it a prime target, perhaps not accidentally, to be turned into both a video game and a movie.

"It has all of the hooks in to make a great game," Rubin said. "You learn, as you make video games, that there are certain things that make it easier to turn something into a video game. I didn't do it on purpose, but it has all of those hooks in there."

Rubin said he would be delighted if the mini-series were picked up to become something other than a comic. He said that what he loves doing is creating original worlds, IPs, and his hope is that they can have a life outside the medium in which they were created.

"I view comic books as a stepping stone to other places, games could be one of those places," he said "But I'm not doing this to get back into games, I do it to create new intellectual properties."

"In the video game world I get to make a new IP every four or five years. My theory is to do that in the comic book world where you can do multiple IPs if you want to. If it's a good comic book than you can try to do other things with it. It's a better way to develop a world.

"This gives me a way to stay in the entertainment world and not have to commit millions of dollars and the time you need to commit to one (video game) title."

Rubin said he has been in talks with people about both the possibility of a video game and a movie based on his new comic, but wouldn't say which developers. He did say that a Naughty Dog created Iron and the Maiden game was unlikely.

"I would love to work with the Naughty Dog guys, they are absolutely brilliant, but I think structurally that's not going to happen," he said. "I'd have to go through Sony. It would be a very difficult thing to do."

Rubin has been showing off his latest work to his buddies in the game industry and while they're impressed with the end result they still seem confused about why he decided to make his idea into a comic.

"Some people think that if you were born a game developer, you'll die one."

But for Rubin it's more about the story then the medium. He says he just wants these worlds he creates to spread.

"I made this to be the best comic book it could be, but I would be disappointed if it didn't go beyond that."

The game was to allegedly feature song-themed levels but never got off the ground due to Metallica's attempts at overreaching creative control. Bummer. I'd have loved to romp through a Cliff Burton memorial level or run from some Creeping Death.

Hell, it couldn't have been worse than Crüe Ball. Michael McWhertor

Exclusive: Rubin Talks Naughty Dog's Metallica Game [Game Set Watch]

Ha ha! Plucking his title like a tick from the retarded skull of the smelliest metal head doofus who ever lived, ex-Naughty-Dog Jason Rubin has announced on his — ha ha ha! — MySpace page that his next game will be called Iron and the Maiden.

After 20 years at Naughty Dog I've decided to try something new. "Iron and the Maiden" will be my first solo project.

It isn't "Crash Bandicoot", and it isn't "Jak and Daxter".

This is something new. Raw, Uncensored, Uncut.

It's been in the back of my head for years looking to get out, and I've assembled an incredible team to bring it to fruition.

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA! *sniff* No, we're sorry, really, please excuse us. *snicker* It sounds like a really great game, Jason! *chortle* METAL!

Iron And The Maiden [Jason Rubin's MySpace]