EA lays off 1.500

[Jetsetlemming]

http://kotaku.com/5401542/rumor-eas-cuts-include-cc-team-pandemic-maxis--more

Maxis is bar none my favorite internal EA studio and if they shutter it I would be sorely tempted to sign that particular EA boycott internet petition.

Of course, it's not actually going to happen. Does EA have a single product even half as profitable as The Sims? A quarter as profitable? That shit sells like WoW numbers.

[Thrik]

It's always sad to see names like Maxis and Pandemic affected, but bear in mind The Sims is no longer handled by Maxis, Will Wright is gone, and the only game Maxis has put out since The Sims didn't actually go down that well (although I think its immense hype due to being "from the creator of The Sims" still led to good sales). It's probably not fair to begin to demonise EA for making cuts or closing a studio when you don't really know what kind of internal politics and issues it's facing, and if a massive studio like Maxis isn't pulling its weight then downsizing is inevitable.

[FrieChamp]

Some news tidbits on the C&C and MOH franchises:

http://kotaku.com/5406861/ea-talks-comm ... +invention

If that sounds familiar, EA Games label president Frank Gibeau said something similar in an investor call, saying that EA plans to focus on more of its "core IP" and proven "blockbusters."

Surprise, Surprise. I guess that was it with the experiments...

[Jetsetlemming]

It's probably not fair to begin to demonise EA for making cuts or closing a studio when you don't really know what kind of internal politics and issues it's facing, and if a massive studio like Maxis isn't pulling its weight then downsizing is inevitable.

I really couldn't care less what's "Fair" to a corporation.

[Thrik]

Er, what? Okay, but what I just said about Maxis not necessarily being worth keeping at its full-strength size still stands. When you're suffering massive financial losses — largely caused by supporting original IP and gamers not fucking buying the games, I might add — you're obviously going to downsize parts of the company not performing, no matter how loved they are.

EA gave Maxis all the goodwill in the world with Spore, and it ended up being a bit shit. Creators of The Sims or not (bearing in mind that part of Maxis is now a separate studio), they're subject to the same rules that govern all businesses in the world — if they don't supply products that people demand, they lose their opportunity to do so.

I mostly blame gamers nowadays. Every time publishers have lent massive support to original IP, they end up underselling and/or being total flops. There's a cemetery of amazing games that didn't sell well, and the 'publisher didn't market it properly' excuse only goes so far.

[-HP-]

gonna post this here, OT but better than another thread.

http://www.marketrap.com/article/view_a ... ears-later

“with only eight months on the job as Chief Executive Officer, John Riccitello announced a buyout of Pandemic and Bioware studios from his former firm Elevation Partners, of which he was one of the founders. The purchase price looked astronomical for a developer: 840 million. To put that in perspective, Take Two (TTWO) Interactive, Inc. purchased Bioshock developer Irrational Games for 11 million and Civilization publisher Firaxis for 27 million in 2006.”

[Steppenwolf]

I really couldn't care less what's "Fair" to a corporation.

Yea, especialy when the name of that company is EA who have a long history and reputation for fucking over its employees and closing renowned studios. I don't believe that there is no other option then closing studios like Maxis and Pandemic. The pattern that i always saw with EA is that they destroy studios to get rid of competition. Even if it is their own studios which they paid a shitload of money for. Thats just a very sick buisness practice imo.

[FrieChamp]

":1ncgvado]gonna post this here, OT but better than another thread.

http://www.marketrap.com/article/view_a ... ears-later

“with only eight months on the job as Chief Executive Officer, John Riccitello announced a buyout of Pandemic and Bioware studios from his former firm Elevation Partners, of which he was one of the founders. The purchase price looked astronomical for a developer: 840 million. To put that in perspective, Take Two (TTWO) Interactive, Inc. purchased Bioshock developer Irrational Games for 11 million and Civilization publisher Firaxis for 27 million in 2006.”

Yea the whole Pandemic story, from EA's acquisition to its closing only 2 years later, is a mess Certainly doesn't make Riccitello shine in a good light.

[Rick_D]

he got a cool 5 mil out of the deal so it makes him look even worse..

[Hourences]

The amount of money they throw out all the time is absolutely incredible. Containers full.

I really don't get how they can even make money at all.

Buying up a studio for 300 mil or so on on day one, then firing loads of people on day 2 because "we need money" also isn't exactly a sign of good timing...

[Jetsetlemming]

Er, what? Okay, but what I just said about Maxis not necessarily being worth keeping at its full-strength size still stands. When you're suffering massive financial losses — largely caused by supporting original IP and gamers not fucking buying the games, I might add — you're obviously going to downsize parts of the company not performing, no matter how loved they are.

EA gave Maxis all the goodwill in the world with Spore, and it ended up being a bit shit. Creators of The Sims or not (bearing in mind that part of Maxis is now a separate studio), they're subject to the same rules that govern all businesses in the world — if they don't supply products that people demand, they lose their opportunity to do so.

I mostly blame gamers nowadays. Every time publishers have lent massive support to original IP, they end up underselling and/or being total flops. There's a cemetery of amazing games that didn't sell well, and the 'publisher didn't market it properly' excuse only goes so far.

There's a difference between downsizing Maxis and closing them down, and I was responding to rumors that put Maxis in the same category as Pandemic, which was just shuttered. I don't care what justification a company might have financially for it, I still don't have to like it.

Also "Every time publishers have lent massive support to original IP, they end up underselling and/or being total flops." isn't true. Dead Space 1, and Bioshock for recent games, new IPs that did great. Mirror's Edge and Assassin's Creed sold well enough to get sequels. You can't blame the consumers for not buying a game they don't want. It's the people making the game who are responsible for making what there's a market for, not the market's responsibility to buy up whatever's offered.

[Pampers]

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.ph ... tcount=309

[Furyo]

Yeah absolutely nothing of what this former employer says is even remotely surprising to me. I haven't worked at Pandemic, but I know a few stories that definitely would send signals to anyone that this would eventually happen. As far as Saboteur, yes EA is definitely sending it to die. The hype is close to none, and the marketing even less.

[Pampers]

pandemics twitter page says its still going to be released though

[Rick_D]

he made a cool 5 mil off of the sale of Pandemic

man wtf, almost word for word what i wrote :S

also, god damn i hate neogaf - what a shithole filled with faggots