Sponsored By

Bay Area-based Spore developer Maxis has laid off an unspecified number of staff, owner Electronic Arts confirmed to Gamasutra today, in order to "focus the business and focus Maxis."

Chris Remo, Blogger

August 26, 2009

1 Min Read

Bay Area-based Spore developer Maxis has laid off an unspecified number of staff, owner Electronic Arts confirmed to Gamasutra today. The scale of the job cuts at the veteran, formerly Will Wright-headed EA division is unclear, although various internet reports peg it as being on the order of dozens, rather than smaller amounts. An Electronic Arts representative characterized the layoffs as part of the normal business cycle, by way of the following statement: "Often in the video game industry, the size of a studio fluctuates in response to business conditions. In this case, EA has taken action to reduce the workforce at Maxis as we focus the business and focus Maxis." The statement concludes: "EA remains fully committed to Spore and other IP within Maxis, with games planned for launch in the next 3 months, including Spore Hero, coming to the Wii for the first time, and Spore Hero Arena on the DS. All eligible employees will receive severance and outplacement assistance." Gamasutra inquired further about the scope and breadth of the Maxis layoffs, but EA has confirmed that officials "are not releasing any more detail on this action." Based in Emeryville, California, Maxis was co-founded by eventual SimCity and The Sims creator Will Wright, who left the studio this year to pursue his "entertainment think tank" Stupid Fun Club.

About the Author(s)

Chris Remo

Blogger

Chris Remo is Gamasutra's Editor at Large. He was a founding editor of gaming culture site Idle Thumbs, and prior to joining the Gamasutra team he served as Editor in Chief of hardcore-oriented consumer gaming site Shacknews.

Daily news, dev blogs, and stories from Game Developer straight to your inbox

You May Also Like