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Dhruin
Stranger In A Strange Land
Joined: 20 May 2002
Posts: 1825
Location: Sydney, Australia |
| Origin Shutdown - Official Statement |
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Reuters via Yahoo has provided the official statement on Origin Systems closing that we have all been expecting:<blockquote><em> LOS ANGELES, Feb 25 (Reuters) - Video game publisher Electronic Arts Inc. (NasdaqNM:ERTS - News) will close down its Austin, Texas studio, home to the "Ultima Online" franchise, by the end of April, the company said on Wednesday.
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<br>EA, the world's largest game publisher, has been consolidating its development operations around major "hubs" like its Redwood City, California headquarters, its studio in Vancouver and a new facility being established in Los Angeles.
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<br>A spokeswoman said development would continue on "Ultima Online" and "Ultima X: Odyssey" at the headquarters studio.
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<br>Many of the 100 or so employees in Austin were being offered the chance to move to California, while those who do not move will receive severance packages.
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<br>The Austin office is the home of Origin Systems, the pioneering PC game developer that EA acquired in 1992. Rumors had spread in recent days across Internet fan sites devoted to Origin games like "Ultima" and "Wing Commander" that the Austin studio was to be shut down.
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<br>EA recently said it would close the home of another studio prominent in the industry's history, "Sims" developer Maxis. Those jobs, like many of the Origin jobs from Austin, are to be moved to Redwood City.</em></blockquote>Head <a href="http://biz.yahoo.com/rc/040225/media_electronicarts_1.html" target="_blank">here</a> to read the rest. |
Thu Feb 26, 2004 9:30 am |
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Garrett
Joined: 13 Jul 2001
Posts: 74
Location: Munich, Germany |
*sniff*
Even though Origin wasn't Origin any more, this is sad news indeed. Now not a single pioneer is left...all gone...Looking Glass, Microprose, Origin, Sierra, New World Computing, SirTech...oh wait, the latter is likely to return based on what Robert Sirotek said last summer in our interview with him  |
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Thu Feb 26, 2004 9:33 am |
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Snoekie
Baron of the Court
Joined: 09 Jul 2001
Posts: 335
Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands |
It was to be expected. Too many rumors going around.
Glad it's now official - eventhough it's bad news.
I'm just gonna expect that UXO will see the light of day a little later then was planned. |
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Thu Feb 26, 2004 12:45 pm |
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OctarineDragon
Head Merchant
Joined: 28 Nov 2003
Posts: 57
Location: The Void |
I'm not so sad about this final development, although I'm sorry for the employees faced with the decision: your home or your job.
However, Origin per se has to me been no more than a zombie bearing a cruel parody of the former company's appearance ever it was formally buried by its founders. If it has been finally laid to rest now by the evil necromantic corporate overfiend that has been animating this sorry corpse for the past years, it should bring me some peace as well. |
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Fri Feb 27, 2004 5:27 pm |
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Garrett
Joined: 13 Jul 2001
Posts: 74
Location: Munich, Germany |
Wow, Octarine, these are great words! You should write fantasy books |
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Fri Feb 27, 2004 5:35 pm |
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OctarineDragon
Head Merchant
Joined: 28 Nov 2003
Posts: 57
Location: The Void |
How irreverent of you to pull my leg on this somber occasion!
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Fri Feb 27, 2004 8:09 pm |
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Dhruin
Stranger In A Strange Land
Joined: 20 May 2002
Posts: 1825
Location: Sydney, Australia |
quote:
Originally posted by OctarineDragon
I'm not so sad about this final development, although I'm sorry for the employees faced with the decision: your home or your job.
However, Origin per se has to me been no more than a zombie bearing a cruel parody of the former company's appearance ever it was formally buried by its founders. If it has been finally laid to rest now by the evil necromantic corporate overfiend that has been animating this sorry corpse for the past years, it should bring me some peace as well.
Well said!
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Editor @ RPGDot |
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Fri Feb 27, 2004 9:07 pm |
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Nexus'
Guest
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This leaves a hole in my heart. I used to play Origin titles like mad, loving everything from the Crusader series to Wing Commander and more (although I only got to tinker a bit with Ultima 7 and  . |
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Sat Feb 28, 2004 6:27 pm |
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deiland
Eager Tradesman
Joined: 10 Nov 2002
Posts: 42
Location: Florida |
It is sad to see so many great developers folding. Wing COmmander was my favorite series and nothing has been able to make such great Space Sims. X2 - Threat was a letdown on gameplay but great graphics. Wizardy 8 was once heck of a good RPG, so Sirtech went out with a bang. Seems that the German developers are making the best games now (Divine Divinity, GOthic 2, Sacred).
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God Bless You! |
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Sun Feb 29, 2004 6:55 am |
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Ryuken
Guest
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quote:
Originally posted by deiland
Seems that the German developers are making the best games now (Divine Divinity, GOthic 2, Sacred).
Divine Divinity is made by Belgians (Larian). Published by CDV yes. |
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Mon Mar 01, 2004 8:16 am |
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