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EA opens new DICE studio in LA. Will work on [Battlefield and more]

Quentyn

Member
Electronic Arts Inc., EA +3.08% fresh off announcing it cut 10% of its workforce to trim costs, is investing in a new Los Angeles studio for its Stockholm-based DICE game developer with the goal of poaching talent from rivals like Activision Blizzard Inc. ATVI +3.13%

The DICE unit, purchased by EA in the middle of the last decade, will be a key cog in the creation of a new series of Star Wars videogames. Walt Disney Co. DIS +0.22% announced last week that it enlisted EA to make Star Wars games weeks after closing its LucasArts games division.

...

As DICE begins the initial phases of sketching out ideas for a new Star Wars game, it is in the process of opening a Los Angeles office this month to help with recruiting talent, General Manager Karl-Magnus Troedsson said in an interview at the Stockholm office.

"There is an extreme talent pool over that we want a part of," he said. "It's no secret that our main competitor is there," referring to Activision's Infinity Ward and Treyarch operations, which use Southern California studios to work on the popular Call of Duty game that outsells Battlefield.

While not divulging specific numbers, Mr. Troedsson said the DICE studio represents a significant investment with plans to add 60 staffers by the end of 2013. He said the firm is looking to add the best talent in the business for the venture, and that DICE needs to expand its wings following the success of the Battlefield franchise.

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The article in WSJ is subscriber only, but if you google the title you can read the whole thing.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324715704578483171152663246.html

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/192250/New_DICE_studio_opened_in_LA_with_a_focus_on_Star_Wars.php
 

Polk

Member
So they just fired everyone at Danger Close to establish new studio under DICE name.
That makes sense.
 
Does this mean they could move some of the DICE heads at sweden to LA?

Hope not as that could mean losing a couple of important people from the BF team right?
 
Looking forward to a new Republic Commando....with awesome beards.


I am actually excited that EA will be doing Star Wars, they do alot of horrible things, but they also do alot of good ones as well, hopefully they realize how important putting forward quality products with the Star Wars license is
 

rdrr gnr

Member
So, Danger Close aka DICE LA is now doing SW instead of BC? Excellent. The general quality of Star Wars games and franchise is matched evenly with a studio like DC.
 

wondermega

Member
Sounds good. I would like to work there. EA recruiters looking for an environment artist, hit me up. Plenty of the local dudes you recently laid off would probably like to come back as well. ("like to" = can't afford not to)
 

ZoddGutts

Member
So it really isn't DICE working on a Star Wars game. Gee great. Guess their busy making Battlefield games for all eternity.
 

2MF

Member
Kotaku already started making up stuff about this, saying it's just a recruitment office even though the WSJ article talks about a target of 60 people there... OMG.
 

cyberheater

PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 Xbone PS4 PS4
So due to EA's "unprecedented partnership" with Nintendo. It's almost guaranteed that these games won't come out on WiiU.
 

Ushae

Banned
RC-like SP campaign with BF-style MP, let's FUCKING DO IT.

HNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

P.S. I heard that the Austin Studio is beginning to use Frostbite Engine, this is likely the new Star Wars game since their current TOR uses the abomination that is the Hero Engine. 2 teams possibly there?

KOTOR sold incredibly well for Bioware, no fucking way EA will pass that up. No way.
 

Quentyn

Member
I don't think this thread title is entirely accurate. It isn't really a new new studio.

:/

Yea, you are right. I was unsure if I should put that in the title or not. Technically it is a new DICE studio and they plan to hire a lot of new people so I went with it.
 

Plasma

Banned
So when they say DICE will be developing Star Wars games they actually mean a new studio that has just been called DICE.

I guess they didn't learn their lesson after rebranding a bunch of studios as Bioware.
 
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