EA Considering Closure Of Harry Potter Dev Bright Light

Publisher Electronic Arts says it has entered into talks with the members of Guildford-based Bright Light Studios, makers of the company's most recent licensed Harry Potter games, in advance of a potential closure for the developer. "After a review of all current and future projects, Electronic Arts has started a formal consultation process with its Bright Light employees over the proposed closure of the studio," the company said in a statement. "The proposed changes will help centralize development on future projects, reduce development costs and will allow for better knowledge and talent sharing within the organization," the statement continues. Bright Light can trace its roots back to renowned PC developer Bullfrog, which EA acquired in 1995. That studio was responsible for hits such as Dungeon Keeper, Theme Park, Populous, and Syndicate before being merged with the larger EAUK and effectively closed in 2001. The studio was rebranded as Bright Light in 2008. Besides EA's last two Harry Potter games and a number of casual-focused titles, Bright Light was responsible for EA's user-generated content project Create, which launched last year to middling reviews and little fanfare. The Bright Light closure would leave Guildford-based Burnout developer Criterion as EA's only remaining studio in the UK, after the 2006 closure of EA Warrington. In its statement, EA notes that any affected Bright Light employees would be considered for relocation, and stressed that "the UK is a vital center of game development for EA and we intend to maintain a strong presence here."