EA: Pandemic Not Closing, But Consolidating

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Despite the shuttering of its current Los Angeles-based office and a significant reduction in its workforce, Mercenaries and The Saboteur series developer Pandemic will live on through a "core team," studio owner Electronic Arts tells Shacknews.

"Pandemic Studios and its franchises will be relocated to the EALA facility in nearby Playa Vista," explained the company. "This move has resulted in a reduction in the work force at Pandemic...That said, the Pandemic brand and franchises will continue to live on. A core team of Pandemic developers will move to EALA and continue development on Pandemic games with a focus on quality, cost management and schedule integrity."

The consolidation is part of Electronic Arts' recently revealed cost reduction plan, which aims to save the company roughly $100 million through "the closure of several facilities and a headcount reduction of approximately 1,500 positions." EA acquired Pandemic alongside Mass Effect developer BioWare for $860 million back in 2007.

The fate of Pandemic's two unannounced projects remains unclear, with the studio's long-coming World War II stealth-action game The Saboteur due on December 8.

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

From The Chatty
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    November 17, 2009 12:22 PM

    [deleted]

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      November 17, 2009 12:30 PM

      Yep, the shipped sabotuer and this is what they got.

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      November 17, 2009 12:36 PM

      Yes because that is whats important, the brand. ugh.

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        November 17, 2009 12:39 PM

        Are you implying the people are important? Good one.

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      November 17, 2009 12:47 PM

      We could have fired a couple of executives and saved the 100 million but decided its in our best interest to keep our big bonuses and fire 1,500 people.

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        November 17, 2009 1:40 PM

        odd how the people making the big decisions only care about themselves, innit?

        (useful in any business environment where the only concern is "next quarters numbers")

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        November 17, 2009 7:03 PM

        if you make 100 million a year, and you fire yourself... then you don't deserve to be making 100 million a year.

        regardless, they don't make close to that, do they?

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      November 17, 2009 1:12 PM

      welcome to the 'new' EA :D

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      November 17, 2009 10:31 PM

      Welcome to EA, the largest mismanaged juggernaut in the industry.

      • reply
        November 18, 2009 12:15 PM

        It has to be in contention for most mismanaged juggernaut in ANY industry.

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