Dead Space Vets Join New Activision Studio

July 22, 2009 2:05 PM

Publisher Activision has hired Dead Space veterans Glen Schofield and Michael Condrey away from EA, with the duo set to lead a new studio in the San Francisco Bay Area that's been tasked with a creating a new game based in an existing Activision franchise.

Schofield had served as executive producer on Dead Space at Visceral Games, formerly known as EA Redwood Shores, and was acting as vice president and general manager of the studio. Condrey, meanwhile, was the studio's COO. The developer's work on Dead Space Extraction and Dante's Inferno is said to be unaffected by the staff changes.

Word of the departures first emerged via GameSpot, with EA and Activision later confirming the news to various sites, including VG247 and IndustryGamers.

Chris Faylor

Chris Faylor was previously a games journalist creating content at Shacknews.

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robosextoid

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July 22, 2009 2:08 PM

is this a big deal?
- carbontree
  
   reply
  July 22, 2009 2:24 PM
  
  EA reformed their entire Redwood Shores Studio as Visceral Games mainly because of Schofield and his team's work on Dead Space. Having him leave before they've really done anything with the studio yet seems odd, and casts a bit of doubt on the future of EA's main "adult game" studio.
  - dedgecko
    
     reply
    July 22, 2009 3:34 PM
    
    Yea, it seems odd that someone high up would leave prior to the finish of a upcoming title that's supposed to take on the like's of God of War. Unless they've set things along a path that is a perfect success (rare in game development from what I understand) or things are not looking that great and they are expecting a minimal return or loss at best upon shipping Dante's Inferno, and took the opportunity to cash out and move into a cozier office suite.
  - Sturm08
    
     reply
    July 22, 2009 3:35 PM
    
    I can say as an EA employee w/ a different group (i.e. not Visceral) it's pretty disheartening. I loved Dead Space and I'm really excited about what that group is doing.
    - humbleone
      
       reply
      July 22, 2009 4:23 PM
      
      Did that group go on to work on Dante's Inferno?
      - Sturm08
        
         reply
        July 22, 2009 4:28 PM
        
        I'm sure some Dead Space members are on Dante's Inferno, but honestly I don't know how many. Could be a ton of people or just one or two. People switch around on teams constantly.
- kevlarcardhouse
  
   reply
  July 23, 2009 11:29 AM
  
  Unfortunately, I think this is yet another sign that EA has made the wrong choice trying to be less evil. Look at it this way: They let them make an entirely new IP with full creative control, then they decide to make the whole studio have their own identity and let them work on new IPs completely. How are they rewarded? By them leaving to work at their competitor for more money working on whatever franchise Activision feels like driving into the ground this time around.