EA Maxis Emeryville was a subsidiary of Electronic Arts, producing such big name titles as The Sims and Spore. Despite that, news was revealed via Twitter today by lead gameplay scripter and designer Guillaume Pierre.
Well it was a fun 12 years, but it's time to turn off the lights and put the key under the door. #RIPMaxisEmeryville
— Guillaume Pierre (@MaxisGuillaume) March 4, 2015
That news was later confirmed by Electronic Arts in thier official statement on PC Gamer:
"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. 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.
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.
All employees impacted by the changes today will be given opportunities to explore other positions within the Maxis studios and throughout EA. For those that are leaving the company, we are working to ensure the best possible transition with separation packages and career assistance."
It is sad news for sure when a developer closes its doors, but even more so when it involves a franchise that has been going strong for so many years. Maxis was founded in 1987, but acquired by EA in 1997. Their most recent title, The Sims 4 holds a solid 70 on Metacritic. [2]
[1] - PC Gamer Article - Electronic Arts Closes SimCity Studio Maxis Emeryville - http://www.pcgamer.com/electronic-arts-closes-simcity-studio-maxis-emeryville/
[2] - Metacritic - The Sims 4 - http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/the-sims-4
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