- EA has purchased and shuttered 20 studios in its long-standing 40-year history.
- The latest studio affected is BioWare, which was developing Mass Effect 5.
- The studio has now become notorious for not being able to retain its teams.
Electronic Arts recently saw a major transition when it was bought by a Saudi fund. There were fears that it would lead to game cancellations and studio closures, and now the worst fears have become a reality with BioWare’s closure.
But this isn’t the first time the company has shut down a studio. In fact, in its almost 40-year history, EA has purchased and closed a whopping 20 studios, highlighting how bad the management is at retaining its teams.
Why it matters: The company has now become notorious for purchasing studios and just letting them go. In fact, this dates back to its earliest years as well, when it bought and shut down Batteries Included in 1987.
While there is a total of 20 studios EA has purchased and shuttered, here are the biggest names:
- Maxis Emeryville – Known for The Sims
- Westwood Studios – Known for Command & Conquer, Dune
- Bullfrog Productions – Known for Dungeon Keeper
- Visceral Games – Known for the Dead Space trilogy
- BioWare – Known for Dragon Age and Mass Effect
The other studios include Origin Systems, Batteries Included, Kesmai, Danger Close Games, Black Box Games, EA Chicago, Hypnotix, Mythic Entertainment, Phenomic Game Development, EA Salt Lake, Pandemic, and J2MSoft.
And the last few are Playfish, Chillingo, and Industrial Toys. So, in total, the company has shuttered 20 studios since its beginning, and this is rather alarming, as survival doesn’t seem to be a guarantee at the company.
BioWare was arguably the biggest name of all. It has a huge misfire with Dragon Age: The Veilguard, but the potential was still there, and it would’ve been nice if it had been given the opportunity to complete Mass Effect 5.
What are your thoughts on EA purchasing and shutting down 20 studios in its 40-year history? Let us know your opinions in the comments or join the discussion at the official Tech4Gamers Forum.
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News Reporter
Abdullah is an avid gamer who primarily plays single-player titles. If you can’t find him anywhere, he’ll probably be at his desk playing The Witcher 3 for the millionth time. When he isn’t playing games, he’s either reading or writing about them.
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