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Layoffs hit multiple teams at EA Salt Lake, studio refocusing on mobile
EA Salt Lake, the studio responsible for Risk: Factions as well as multiple expansions for The Sims series, has recently had to let an undisclosed number of employees go. EA confirmed the redundancies with Game Informer today, citing a "reduction of a few teams" as the studio shifts its focus to mobile games. "EA Salt Lake is becoming largely focused on mobile development, including The Sims and other projects," EA told Game Informer. "Recent shifts unfortunately resulted in the reduction of a few teams. As we look to match skills with opportunities, some staff will be offered other positions at EA, while others will leave the company." These layoffs follow a poor fiscal third-quarter for EA, which posted a $308 million loss for the period. EA officially moved its EA Salt Lake team from Bountiful, UT to downtown Salt Lake City back in 2010 and put the studio to work on casual games under the EA Play label. Before being acquired by EA in 2006, the outfit was known as Headgate Studios. Throughout the 2000s, the studio mostly worked on the Tiger Woods series.
EA gets lost in the woods with Wildlife: Forest Survival
Have you ever seen a couple of alligators like, totally duking it out on some nature show and thought, "Man, this would make for a pretty excellent video game?" We're right there with you -- and apparently, so is Electronic Arts. The mega-publisher has announced Wildlife: Forest Survival, a downloadable title launching next spring on XBLA and PSN, which casts players as one of four woodland creatures tasked with surviving the dangers posed by their fellow beasts. In addition to this single-player survival mode, players can also play as one of the four animals in a 12-player multiplayer arena match. This sounds all well and good, but let's compare the four playable creatures, shall we? There's a fox, an alligator, a hawk and ... a rabbit. We really can't see how this setup could possibly be fair, unless the rabbits are packing heat. Ooh, maybe this is a Cave Story crossover! See, now we're excited. %Gallery-107207%
EA expands Salt Lake studio, announces 'groundbreaking' new project
EA's got something cooking in Utah, as a recent press release states EA Salt Lake is getting some plush new office space downtown, as it gears up to undertake a "groundbreaking" new project and looks to hire people for "several critical leadership positions." EA Redwood Shores is also apparently getting in the mix, as executive producer Ben Bell told IndustryGamers his studio will enlist the aid of some of the best and brightest from over yonder. Everyone is pretty mum on the subject of exactly what the project is right now, but, following EA's massive layoffs affecting 1,500 of its employees, Bell bills this expansion of talent to only "a few key positions right now." The new project will lean heavily on EA Salt Lake and EA Redwood Shores for most of the necessary personnel. EA Salt Lake is perhaps best known for producing The Sims line of games. Maxis obviously created the franchise, but since the release of Spore, has been focusing primarily on that series. EA Salt Lake also handles the EA Play line of games, and has contributed Nerf N-Strike and Littlest Pet Shop. Now, we wouldn't want to speculate on what this new project is, but if you look at the studio's track record since officially becoming EA Salt Lake, one can't help but assume it'll be something on the PC or a Nintendo platform. That, or it's a golf game.
EA celebrates Nerf milestone with Nerf 2: N-Strike Elite
Are you the best of the best when it comes to soft, safe firepower? EA is going to give you a chance to prove your dominance of the Nerf battlefield once again, in the sequel to last year's Nerf N-Strike. This release coincides with Nerf's 40th anniversary, a fact touted by EA in its press release.Most important among the new features of Nerf 2: N-Strike Elite, of course, is the new version of the Nerf Switch Shot EX-3 gun, which works both as a standalone Nerf dart gun and a Wii gun shell. The new blue gun includes a red decoder lens that reveals secret messages in the game -- otherwise, it appears identical to the previous (kind of awesome) gun controller.The game includes new in-game weapons and upgrades, and "enhanced co-op play" with jump-in play. Nerf 2: N-Strike Elite will be out this fall.
