EA Has Closed Down Visceral Games

Visceral Games, the developers behind Dead Space, Battlefield: Hardline, and an untitled Star Wars game, has been shut down by EA, according to a report from Kotaku.

In a statement provided by EA, Visceral Games' untitled Star Wars game will continue development at EA Vancouver. While the game was initially planned as a linear adventure game, under development at EA Vancouver the game is pivoting towards "a broader experience that allows for more variety and player agency."

In the same statement, EA notes that they're working on moving "as many of the team as possible to other projects and teams at EA," despite Visceral as a whole shuttering its studios. Where that leaves high profile team members such as former Uncharted writer Amy Hennig is unclear as of the moment.

Update 1: Kotaku news editor Jason Schreier reports that EA is still in talks with Hennig about what her next move is.

EA spokesperson tells me: "We are in discussions with Amy [Hennig] about her next move."
— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) October 17, 2017

This article may contain links to online retail stores. If you click on one and buy the product we may receive a small commission. For more information, go here.

Comments 10

Order

Newest Oldest Best Worst

#1 SIGGYZtar 6 months ago

EA gonna do what it always does, shoot a valued associate and pick off its carcass. :(

Sign in to Reply
#2 not_themilkybarkid 6 months ago

Sounds like someone at EA realised that you can't shove gamble boxes into single player games. :( I was really looking forward to this. Hopefully all the devs affected land on their feet.

Sign in to Reply

#3 Vodka-Tonic 6 months ago

"In a statement provided by EA, Visceral Games' untitled Star Wars game will continue development at EA Vancouver. While the game was initially planned as a linear adventure game, under development at EA Vancouver the game is pivoting towards "a broader experience that allows for more variety and player agency.""

Does it make me cynical, to read that and only see, "The game we were making wouldn't involve microtransactions, and we want to focus all our efforts on implementing a model in which we can make loads more cash by monetizing cooler lightsabers, blasters, armor, special characters, and better endings"?

#4 SIGGYZtar 6 months ago

@Vodka-Tonic Player agency and variety meaning you're paying for the "shaders"

Sign in to Reply
#5 catymcc 6 months ago

@Vodka-Tonic Nope. That's how I read it too. Such a bummer, I was really looking forward to a solid Hennig-penned linear adventure game. ):

Sign in to Reply

#6 LBD_Nytetrayn 6 months ago

"Hi, we're EA. We are a huge game company with immense resources and considerable market share. As a smaller developer, you might be asking yourself 'well, what can you do for me?'

"By signing on with EA, we'll give you an opportunity to create the games you want, the way you want to (provided they adhere to our guidelines and focus-tested revisions)!

"Just know that the very instant something goes wrong, be it a Metacritic score under 85 or our imposed executive meddling causing sales to tank, we're going to gut your company like a fish, pick the bones for whatever IP sounds like it would fit the mobile market, and leave your entire legacy to rot within our archives with all the others we've done this to.

"But you're good developers with great ideas, so that would never happen to you, right? (Note: If this doesn't happen in due course, we'll make it happen and put any survivors to work on our money franchises, like Need for Speed or Madden ports.)"

Developers: "Sounds good! Where do we sign?"

#7 not_themilkybarkid 6 months ago

Relevant:

Sign in to Reply

#8 Vodka-Tonic 6 months ago

@SIGGYZtar Indeed.
@catymcc This was the only Star Wars game I was looking forward to playing. I've purchased a 10lb bag of salt with which to take any news/images/video pertaining to this unnamed title, in the future. *sarcastic slow clap for EA*

#9 shurn 6 months ago

Wow a drag, I wasn't looking forward to the new starwars game (not a fan ) and dead space 3 was bland to me but I loved the first two. Dam ea you value soulless money makers over creative, emotionally engaging projects that still resonate with your old fans. Such a shame.

#10 Kochambra 6 months ago

Well, this is EA after all. You know, the same enterprising guys who killed off the Ultima series and hung its creator's corpse on their mediocre online storefront. Did anyone really expect any better from them?