Quadraphonic
Member
PopCap's output has become tripe since they were bought.
But considering the studio's history, how different would it have been without EA?
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Kotaku: List of studios EA has bought and then shut down
- Thread starter dmr87
- Start date
PopCap's output has become tripe since they were bought.
But considering the studio's history, how different would it have been without EA?
twothunder
Member
Quite a list...
The Comic that stays relevant.
Almost surprised we don't have an animated version yet.
The Comic that stays relevant.
Almost surprised we don't have an animated version yet.
EA has been trying to kill visceral for like 6 years now and they're probably going to finally succeed with battlefield hardline
fuuuuuuuuuuuck
if you ever want to be sad, read up on dead space 2 and 3's development history. EA basically tried to make those games fail as hard as possible
not in any incompetent manner either, i mean in a straight up malicious manner
fuuuuuuuuuuuck
if you ever want to be sad, read up on dead space 2 and 3's development history. EA basically tried to make those games fail as hard as possible
not in any incompetent manner either, i mean in a straight up malicious manner
D
Deleted member 80556
Unconfirmed Member
Fuck you EA, I liked Pandemic, and I loved The Saboteur. I want my god damned sequel, and a proper Mercenaries.
I lost so much of my free time from 2001-2006 on DAoC.
MrNyarlathotep
Banned
I doubt they'd have made Peggle 2 an Xbox One exclusive and announced it an E3 presser, or turn PvZ into Imagine: Battlefieldz.
Considering the studios history, they could be King right now.
Rogue_Ledr
Banned
This is probably the biggest waste of talent ever.
To think, people give Microsoft shit for its handling of studios.
The biggest shame is Pandemic! They never even gave that studio a chance after they bought them and Bioware together.
To think, people give Microsoft shit for its handling of studios.
The biggest shame is Pandemic! They never even gave that studio a chance after they bought them and Bioware together.
randomengine
Banned
Video game reporters need to start asking when EA is going to close Bioware during every interview they participate in. We all know it is inevitable. EA always closes good studios. What is the longest running studio EA has, that was from an acquisition that hasn't been closed yet? We should have a running counter because I feel like every one of these studios is marked for death sooner rather than later.
EA is just a fucking vampire that latches onto the meatiest developers, sucks them dry, and then dumps their bodies in a ditch looking for the next meal.
EA is just a fucking vampire that latches onto the meatiest developers, sucks them dry, and then dumps their bodies in a ditch looking for the next meal.
List of studios Activision has bought and shut down:
Seriously, I think this is the 8th article I've read on EA closures in as many years, and it's almost always right after they close a studio. With companies this large, mergers, acquisitions and closures are part of business as usual. And EA has been pretty transparent about them trimming the fat after Riccitiello left.
Seriously, I think this is the 8th article I've read on EA closures in as many years, and it's almost always right after they close a studio. With companies this large, mergers, acquisitions and closures are part of business as usual. And EA has been pretty transparent about them trimming the fat after Riccitiello left.
Karsticles
Member
Why even buy all these studios just to shut them down?
SirNinja
Member
DS2 turned out well enough, but you could definitely tell EA was pulling out all the stops to make DS3 a franchise-killer.
Nope. Its better with the shot, though not funnier.
Their games could be on PC again. PvZ 2 could be good. Maybe they could've done something new by now.
I don't know. Maybe they would've ended just as bad, but on their terms at least.
Suzushiiro
Banned
That was true for a while but thankfully seems to be reversing lately with the rise of the viability of indie development due to digital distribution. You don't get as much benefit from being owned by one of the big guys as you did 10-20 years ago- having them handle publishing/marketing like Respawn and Bungie have been doing, sure, accepting hats made of money for exclusivity like Insomniac and Platinum have been doing, sure, but not selling the whole thing to them.
Bioware as a whole is pretty safe for the foreseeable future, I think, considering that Mass Effect and Dragon Age are the two biggest WRPG franchises out there by a mile.
MrNyarlathotep
Banned
Probably related to The Club -> Blur -> 007: Bloodstone
semiconscious
Gold Member
...uhm details please
Didn't they also make that awesome RPG called "Nox"? Westwood was a fantastically talented studio I still can't believe they were shut down.
Edit: Yep it was them. Nox was such a great game ... :'(
UnluckyKate
Member
Dude, 80% of Criterion (2012) went to Ghost Game. 80 people left. 17 remained.
Criterion's founders and creative directors left to open a new studio
Criterion got a new location, new office and new staff. It's like Infinity Ward. It's an empty shell. Just a fake name now.
Ghost Game will be run to the ground, making NFS for life, and close, just like Black Box and Criterion.
New Criterion... Well... We all know how it will go
Rhomega Beta
Member
Command & Conquer was a big part of my PC gaming childhood. Screw you, EA.
I know everyone loves to hate on EA, and while I don't know all the specifics of the situation, I wanted to play devil's advocate for a second.
When it comes to Pandemic they likely had to buy them to get to BioWare since Pandemic and BioWare had sort of merged a little while back (same holding company or something like that). It is also my impression that a lot of times when a study gets bought up it's almost a sign of decline or that some of the top level management is ready to move on and wishes to cash out.
Lastly, while EA clearly has shut a bunch of studios down, haven't they also expanded BioWare a fare amount? Sounds like they bought too many studios and then had to start trimming the fat, which isn't uncommon even when studios stay independent.
I don't think EA handles their stuff particularly well since it seems like a waste to keep buying studios and shutting them down, but with Maxis given the subpar performance of their recent games it may just not have been financially viable to keep them going...
Who knows? I just play games and don't particularly get worked up too much about a certain company or another since I doubt I'll ever had a real idea of what's going on behind the scenes.
When it comes to Pandemic they likely had to buy them to get to BioWare since Pandemic and BioWare had sort of merged a little while back (same holding company or something like that). It is also my impression that a lot of times when a study gets bought up it's almost a sign of decline or that some of the top level management is ready to move on and wishes to cash out.
Lastly, while EA clearly has shut a bunch of studios down, haven't they also expanded BioWare a fare amount? Sounds like they bought too many studios and then had to start trimming the fat, which isn't uncommon even when studios stay independent.
I don't think EA handles their stuff particularly well since it seems like a waste to keep buying studios and shutting them down, but with Maxis given the subpar performance of their recent games it may just not have been financially viable to keep them going...
Who knows? I just play games and don't particularly get worked up too much about a certain company or another since I doubt I'll ever had a real idea of what's going on behind the scenes.
goldenticket
Member
I've only played skate 2 but I really liked it. What I really want it a jet set radio game that had some of the online elements that skate had
J
Jotamide
Unconfirmed Member
Next will be Visceral after Hardline, and I will be mad because of that. Can't treat the people who created Dead Space like trash.
You see, I get this as an individual corporation, but this is terrible for the industry as a whole.
Suzushiiro
Banned
The thing is that most people see EA as the primary reason *why* Maxis' recent games performed like shit, because EA demanded things that made the games shittier in the name of making more money off of them. SimCity 2013, for example, would probably have sold better were it not for the bad press that the always-online DRM and subsequent server issues had at launch.
If the games that these studios made hadn't become significantly shittier between being bought by EA and being shut down by EA, people wouldn't shit on EA nearly as much for it.
AuthenticM
Member
Westwood still hurts me. What I would give to visit an alternate universe in which they were still making C&C games.
fredrancour
Member
I could have sworn Skyrim crushed both of them, sales-wise?
This bums me out so hard. Westwood and Pandemic in particular, but all of these studios had legitimate talent.
And Criterion is probably on it's way.
It's so regrettable considering the wasted talent and potential, and EA used to be one oft favorites. They're especially villainous looking when they close Pandemic within a year.
And Criterion is probably on it's way.
It's so regrettable considering the wasted talent and potential, and EA used to be one oft favorites. They're especially villainous looking when they close Pandemic within a year.
joecanada
Member
I dunno but skyrim is literally a generation ahead of dragon age, dragon age is just above fable with how basic and repetitive it is...
And skyrim has its own problems but still
Jibbajabbawockky
Member
It did. As I recall, Skyrim did absolutely insane sales numbers, especially compared to anything BioWare has put out.
The recent EA talk of Dragon Age Inquisition being BioWare's most successful launch was basically all they said. They didn't really give any hard numbers or figures, just that they were pleased with how it had sold and obviously how it was critically received.
Literally came to post these exact words. OG C&C will always be one of my first loves of gaming on the PC.
Suzushiiro
Banned
Okay, yeah, I forgot about Skyrim, that one's probably bigger.
Still though, Bioware's stuff seems to be doing well enough that I don't think we'll see them get the axe any time soon. Especially considering that if they go away all they'd really have left for non-sports AAA titles would be Dice.
Maxis made the greatest selling PC title of all time look how that turned out. I'm sure all those great awards Bioware won means they're safe.
It's not like Bioware ever fucked up or anything cough.SWTOR cough...
Intheflorsh
Banned
Assholes.
They paid half a bil for BioWare/Pandemic, too.
original gaming pillars killed by one of the oldest gaming publishers. I remember when EA sold cheapware in repurposed album covers. They lived long enough to become the true villain.
LOLCats
Banned
This. I still cry sometimes.
Fallout beats them too.
Bioware games sell surprisingly averagely, considering how high profile they seem to be.