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EA shuts down SimCity studio Maxis Emeryville
Chuck Bednar for redOrbit.com – @BednarChuck
It’s a sad day for gamers everywhere: Maxis Emeryville, the studio responsible for developing hit titles such as SimCity and The Sims, closed its doors for good.
The end of an era
According to Engadget, parent company Electronic Arts (EA) confirmed on Wednesday that it was shutting down the California-based studio and relocating staff members to various offices across the globe.
The company still plans to move forward with projects that were already in the works at Maxis Emeryville, the website added. Those projects include a new expansion pack for The Sims 4 and continued support for existing titles in both the SimCity and The Sims franchises.
In a statement released by EA on Wednesday and reprinted by Kotaku, the company said, “Today we are consolidating Maxis IP development to our studios in Redwood Shores, Salt Lake City, Helsinki and Melbourne locations as we close our Emeryville location.”
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“Maxis continues to support and develop new experiences for current Sims and SimCity players, while expanding our franchises to new platforms and developing new cross-platform IP,” EA added. “These changes do not impact our plans for The Sims. Players will continue to see rich new experiences in The Sims 4, with our first expansion pack coming soon along with a full slate of additional updates and content in the pipeline.”
The company went on to state that all employees affected by the closure would be offered other positions within Maxis studios and throughout EA. Those choosing to leave the company would be offered “separation packages and career assistance” to “ensure the best possible transition.”
Poor practices bred ill will
According to CBC News, Maxis was originally founded by Will Wright and Jeff Braun in 1987, and two years later, they released their first major software title – the original SimCity. The city-building simulator went on to launch a successful, critically-acclaimed franchise that included a series of spin-off titles, such as SimEarth, SimAnt, SimGolf and, of course, The Sims.
Maxis was acquired by EA in 1997, which the CBC said had “come under fire” for its handling of the studio and its software in recent years – including a 2013 SimCity reboot that required players to have a constant internet connection in order to play it. The title was so popular and attracted so many fans that its servers were overloaded, preventing many from playing.
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“The closure is sure to make SimCity’s legion of long-time fans sad,” wrote Peter Bright of Ars Technica. “But a combination of both technical issues and design issues meant that the [SimCity] 2013 release squandered the goodwill that had been built over a generation. Many, including myself, believed that SimCity was as good as defunct anyway. Disbanding the team that built it feels like an inevitable response.”
The Guardian marked the occasion by remembering some of the greatest moments throughout Maxis-developed games, including the first monster attack in SimCity, raiding the red ant nest in SimAnt, and building a cathedral to earn the ultimate rating in SimTower.
Yes, it’s sad to see such a beloved developer bite the dust. Just remember—it’s probably for the best.
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Source: http://www.redorbit.com/news/technology/1113347996/ea-shuts-down-simcity-studio-maxis-emeryville-030615/
