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Thread: Pandemic Studios...RIP

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    Great Puma (Level 12) heybtbm's Avatar
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    Default Pandemic Studios...RIP



    Sure they've had a few misfires recently...but damn. Another solid studio gets the axe...

    http://kotaku.com/5401542/rumor-eas-...ic-maxis--more
    Last edited by heybtbm; 11-10-2009 at 06:07 PM.
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    Apple (Level 5) Shadow Kisuragi's Avatar
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    Also said to be affected heavily are Spore and former-Sims studio EA Maxis, social network gaming acquisition Rupture Studios, and Mercenaries and The Saboteur creators Pandemic Studios LA. Those development studios are said to be hit with substantial layoffs, according to a source, with remaining employees relocated to EA headquarters in Los Angeles and Redwood Shores.
    Their titles were not selling well, unfortunately.
    Remember that this is a rumor currently and not confirmed.
    Last edited by Shadow Kisuragi; 11-10-2009 at 06:13 PM.



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    Kirby (Level 13) j_factor's Avatar
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    Too bad, Saboteur looks good... You'd think EA would wait until after their major project comes out and see how it sells, before deciding to lay them off.

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    Apple (Level 5) Shadow Kisuragi's Avatar
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    I'm sure it will be handled the same way that Halo Wars (Ensemble) and Skate 2 were handled - the team would be released once the project is finished. It's too far along now to be cancelled, I would think...
    Last edited by Shadow Kisuragi; 11-10-2009 at 07:14 PM.



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    the team working on Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight was warned of its fate today, with almost the entire team expected to be let go after the real-time strategy game ships some time in 2010.
    EA: "Once the game's completed, GTFO. Thanks ^_^."
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    Mercs 2 was poorly recived because it was poorly tested and ultimately less fun than the first game. It COULD have been a very good game, it's close to good, but there are many glaring technical issues and it just somehow does not have the same soul of the original.

    Too bad, because when they were allowed to actually a finish a game they were pretty good.

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    As someone who had the misfortune of trying their Lord of the Rings game after snagging it from a Target clearance rack: good riddance.

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    Banana (Level 7) WCP's Avatar
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    With Microsoft having so few internal studios, couldn't they snatch up this talent on the cheap?

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    If that is true fans of those games way want to get their gaming in because that will most likely mean EA will shut down the online servers for those titles as well.
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    Maxis is getting the boot too?!
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    I don't get why Maxis would get cut, it's not like their Sims and Spore franchises aren't made out of money.

    WTF, EA?
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    The studio might cost too much to maintain. The properties might make money but it's possible the studio itself costs too much.

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    I talked to my buddy who works at Pandemic. He said the "bigwigs" held a meeting and stated that about half the production team will get laid off, the other half will merge with some other EA LA studio and the Pandemic offices will close.

    Understandably he's a bit panicky atm...

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    Everyone's freaking out about this, but the real situation is this:
    They closing the studio locations down.

    This does not necessarily mean that the games will not be released (for some). This was done with Fight Night Round 4 (moved from EA Chicago to EA Canada) and Skate 2 (moved from Black Box to EARS, I believe).

    EALA is a nice studio, as is EARS (now Visceral) - if he still has a job, he'll be well placed.



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    Part of the C&C 4 team is going too, apparently. (EALA)

    Can't really say I'm shocked / feel this is world ending. Maxis really was one of the innovative brand and companies...once upon a time. Spore was an interesting idea but it was no Sims, and frankly I think their most interesting and engaging products were out many, many years ago (before The Sims).

    Pandemic - well, they seem to have had more crap than I had realized. Full Spectrum Warrior, for one (I only could stand to play it for a few minutes - there's no reason it should have ran that badly on my 2006 build). They did put out Battlezone II, which my younger brother liked more than I did. It was okay, but not earth-shattering.

    On the whole, I'd rather EA kept their better teams together and can fully understand why they'd disband some teams, as painful as that will be for those who worked there.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Kitsune Sniper View Post
    I don't get why Maxis would get cut, it's not like their Sims and Spore franchises aren't made out of money.

    WTF, EA?
    Because they don't do the Sims anymore. Havn't in a while. Spore didn't do THAT amazingly, especially as something as over delayed and hyped as it was. I don't think they've really got their hands in the Spore offshoots that have happened either. From some postings I read on Kotaku, people were saying that they'd moved on to some mini-game type stuff for the PC, a far cry from SimXXX and Spore.
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    EA is pretty much the Borg. You lose all identity and uniqureness once you join.

    First Orgin, now Maxis.

    I hope Will Wright will say "Screw you EA" and go to Microsoft/Sony for another unique game or SimCity 5.

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    That sucks, I really enjoyed the Destroy All Humans! games that they developed, though if I remember correctly, the last couple of games were developed by somebody else. R.I.P.
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    They did do "Destroy All Humans!" didn't they?

    Crypto is still my favorite Jack Nicholson sounding alien.

    The weapons (and UFO) were somewhat weak in the games, but damn were they hilarious.

    Cosmonauts doing "The Robot".

    But the absolute funniest thing I ever heard in either game was from part 1. I was running away from some of the nuclear powered robots and when I landed behind a wall (where they couldn't get me) one of them said to me "I have candy, do you like candy?"

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    Quote Originally Posted by PapaStu View Post
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    teeheehee. /me blushes.

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