EA fires "hundreds" :(

kuddles wrote:

Looks like Pandemic might be closed today. Can't say I'm surprised. Their output this generation has been....disappointing to say the least. Still sad to see them go, and yet another sign that the EA that took chances and avoided milking franchises is an experiment that's probably dead in the water.

Too bad a new SW Battlefront never made it out this generation. Xbox version still gets a lot of onlne play.

Edit: Oct 26 stats from Major Nelson:

Original Xbox Top Live Titles (based on UU’s)

1 Halo 2
2 Star Wars: Battlfrnt 2
3 Counter-Strike
4 Fable
5 Conker: Live Reloaded
6 Splinter Cell Chaos
7 Doom 3
8 Star Wars: Battlefront
9 SW: Republic Commando
10 Call of Duty 3

kuddles wrote:

Looks like Pandemic might be closed today. Can't say I'm surprised. Their output this generation has been....disappointing to say the least. Still sad to see them go, and yet another sign that the EA that took chances and avoided milking franchises is an experiment that's probably dead in the water.

That sucks. What's worse is to ask yourself if they would have died outside of EA. Hard to say.

I hope this doesn't mean bad things for Saboteur.

Lucky Wilbury wrote:

I hope this doesn't mean bad things for Saboteur.

That game is set in WWII, so I'm sure it'll do fine.

LobsterMobster wrote:
Lucky Wilbury wrote:

I hope this doesn't mean bad things for Saboteur.

That game is set in WWII, so I'm sure it'll do fine.

Plus, large swathes of it are in black and white. Worked great for Madworld.

Jonman wrote:
LobsterMobster wrote:
Lucky Wilbury wrote:

I hope this doesn't mean bad things for Saboteur.

That game is set in WWII, so I'm sure it'll do fine.

Plus, large swathes of it are in black and white. Worked great for Madworld.

Wii exclusive to seal the deal?

How f*cking depressing is it that "taking all the fun out of making video games" proved to be the path to success?

kuddles wrote:

How f*cking depressing is it that "taking all the fun out of making video games" proved to be the path to success?

Isn't this the way all of corporate America works? Small, vibrant, innovative companies living on the edge get bought out by giant mega-corps who squeeze them for talent and IP and then plug everyone into a rigid GE/Six Sigma/IBM template and move on to the next to assimilate. That's been my experience. I've worked at no less than 4 successful independent companies that were bought by giant public companies. A few months later the fun was gone, the work sucked, we were bleeding customers and eventually the office was shutdown.

Then the people who aren't too jaded go join other small companies or form startups. It's the circle of life. When they say small business is the engine of growth and employment they're right. Large corporations are the opposite of this.