Report: 21 jobs lost at EA's Visceral Melbourne

Mon 19 Sep 2011 7:39am GMT / 3:39am EDT / 12:39am PDT
PublishingDevelopment

Dead Space studios closed after cancelled project

EA

Visceral Games

EA Redwood Shores Studio has been renamed and rebranded Visceral Games to better reflect the studio's...

visceralgames.com

Visceral Games Australia

The Australian branch of EA's Visceral team could close today, according to a tip off from a source inside the studio.

According to Kotaku, the news was delivered to the staff by studio management.

The team had apparently been working on a new AAA title for consoles for three years, but new VP of the EA Games Label Patrick Soderland killed the project on the grounds it would not be a financial success for the company.

While EA has refused to comment on the rumours, the IGDA Melbourne confirmed the reports through its official Twitter account.

"Confirmation of EA closing Visceral has been received :( our best wishes to the 21 devs now out of a job #EAVisceral."

In the past Visceral Melbourne has worked on Dead Space, Godfather 2 and Dante's Inferno.

9 Comments

Harrison Smith
Studying Games and Graphics Programming

Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology

Well i believe there is only one more of these Australian Arms left, and that is 2K Marin Canberra Australia (former Irrational Games Canberra). So if X-COM dont do too well, there might be another closure, lets hope there isn't.

Hopefully some of these guys find a place in the many indie developers that have popped up the last few years.

Posted:A year ago

#1

Dr. Chee Ming Wong

Opus Artz Ltd

The strong AUD doesnt help with game development from Auzzieland

Posted:A year ago

#2

Nic Wechter
Senior Designer

Guerrilla Games

Sega (Creative Assembly) in Brisbane are also still trucking.

Posted:A year ago

#3

Thomas Grant
Software / Game Developer

Right, let me get this right. Make a game that does badly, like Bodycount, and you lose your job. Make a great game, like Dead Space 2, and you lose your job. Seriously, that's where the industry is headed. Set up a studio, make a game, sack everyone, repeat?

Posted:A year ago

#4

Frank Young
Studying Entertainment Business

California State University

Its EA.

Posted:A year ago

#5

Kevin Patterson
musician

Bummer, I love the Dead space games.... My best wishes to those lost their jobs.

Posted:A year ago

#6

Mark Wayland
Senior Programmer (Graphics)

Torus Games

I left the company 6 weeks prior to the closure, and I can tell you that the team there was awesome to work with - hard working and smart guys that I'd work together with again in a heart beat. My best wishes go out to them and their families in these very uncertain times.

Edited 1 times. Last edit by Mark Wayland on 20th September 2011 12:12am

Posted:A year ago

#7

Nick London
Programmer

EA Mobile

Thomas: The industry seems to be moving closer and closer to the film model of production; keeping a small, close core team and hiring contractors for the bulk of the work.

Posted:A year ago

#8

Alex Hutchinson
Creative Director

Ubisoft Montreal

Thomas: They worked on Dead Space, but most of it was done at EA Redwood Shores in California.

Mark: I agree, I worked with several of those guys before. Great people. They have my contact details if they feel like moving. ;)

Posted:A year ago

#9

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