Roessing dot CA

Electronic Arts brings out the chopping block (again)

News is out that Electronic Arts is shutting down Pandemic Studios, half of a $775 million purchase that also included BioWare, putting up to 200 people out of a job.

Not to detract from what the people out of a job are going through now, but is it any wonder what happened to Mythic and WAR, knowing how EA treats its studios and developers?  Origin Systems, creators of the incredible Wing Commander series, was acquired by EA and then shut down in 2004.  Chris Roberts was the man that first got me heavily interested in computer gaming (and lit the spark that got me into programming)… EA’s “touch of death” killed them off not long after Wing Commander 4 (the only one in the series produced under their influence).  Westwood Studios, creators of the venerable Command & Conquer series, was gutted in 2003.  At least EA allowed any willing employees to assimilate under EA Los Angeles.  Now, another studio is going under and I can’t help but think Mythic is next on the chopping block.  They’re losing 40% of their staff, up to 80% of which is content developers.

I knew it was a bad sign when Mythic announced the EA buyout, as did many others.  I knew it was a bad sign when shortly after, Sanya Thomas left the studio.  More recently, Mark Jacobs left EA after the BioWare acquisition.  I can’t help but feel that Mythic, as well as Warhammer and DAoC, would have been much better off if they simply stayed independent and true to their vision.  It may have meant a later release of WAR, but given how things have turned out under the (mis)management of EA, it certainly could have meant a much better game as well.

Here’s hoping BioWare doesn’t come under the death-ray gaze of EA’s (mis)management in the future.  Dragon Age may have been a huge hit, but it seems that as soon as a studio has a mediocre release the chopping block comes out.

~MikeR.