Jeremy Blum tells the story of the founding of New World Interactive, developers of Insurgency, explaining how his background boosted his effort to build a community-focused studio. …
Building a games-as-a-service studio from the ground up
May 17, 2013 by Leave a Comment
DICE Forming LA Studio, ‘People Stood Up And Cheered’ At News Of Upcoming Star Wars Work
May 15, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Today marks a big step for EA on its path to new games based on its newly acquired Star Wars license. The publisher has revealed that it's Stockholm-based DICE studio has opened up a Los Angeles office to work on the franchise.
Locating in southern California was no accident according to DICE general manager Karl-Magnus Troedsson. "It's no secret that our main competitor is there," he told the Wall Street Journal. This should certainly heat up the competition between Battlefield and its chief rival, Activision's titanic Call of Duty franchise.
For Troedsson, working on Star Wars titles is an exciting prospect. His studio shares the same level of anticipation. "People stood up and cheered, when I announced that we were working on Star Wars," he stated. Fans might be cheering along with them if DICE decides to expand on an existing franchise (Battlefront would make the most sense), a plan that is under consideration.
This news comes shortly after EA's annual financial results were released, along with word that Frostbite 3 was ready to support titles next-gen from BioWare, Visceral, and DICE (some of which we will see at E3). Last week, the studio revealed it had laid off 10 percent of its global workforce (approximately 900 people). At that time, inquiries regarding the allocation of those cost savings were met with coy responses. Opening a new studio and bringing in top tier talent for one branch of the EA's Star Wars planning puts the operating expense picture for 2014 into clearer focus. EA also was clear that no Star Wars titles should be expected during fiscal year 2014, which ends on March 31, 2014.
[Source: Wall Street Journal via Joystiq]
Gree closes Chinese studio as profits dip
May 15, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Japanese mobile company Gree has been forced to close its studio in China after recording extraordinary loss” as a result of its recent business performance in its full 2013 fiscal forecast. …
New DICE studio opened in L.A. with a focus on Star Wars
May 15, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Electronic Arts has opened a new DICE studio in Los Angeles, with a key focus around creating new video games in the Star Wars franchise. …
EA opening DICE Los Angeles studio
May 15, 2013 by Leave a Comment
EA is bringing a new DICE studio to Los Angeles, and it’s expected to be a key part in the creation of new Star Wars games. As the Wall Street Journal reports, DICE LA hopes to take advantage of the area’s “extreme talent pool,” a pool Activision is already knee-deep in via Infinity Ward and Treyarch, both based in California. DICE LA plans to employ 60 members by the end of 2013, and is keen to bring the very best to the studio.
“There is an extreme talent pool over [there] that we want to be a part of,” DICE General Manager Karl-Magnus Troedsson told WSJ. “It’s no secret our main competitor is there.”
Troedsson didn’t reveal just how much the company is investing in the new studio. The news comes after what’s been an eventful month for EA. The company announced 900 layoffs due to restructuring, estimated to be 10 percent of its then workforce. However, EA is clearly looking to build big on the platform of exclusive rights to Star Wars games.
[Image Source: @Battlefield]
EA opening DICE Los Angeles studio originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 15 May 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Angry Birds studio Rovio moves into mobile publishing
May 14, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Angry Birds studio Rovio today launched a new mobile game publishing initiative, through which it plans to forge its first path into the world of third-party titles. …
YoYo Games rolling out GameMaker: Studio module for Tizen
May 14, 2013 by Leave a Comment
“We strongly believe that Tizen will be a significant platform for mobile and other devices,” says GameMaker: Studio developer YoYo Games, in announcing the software’s support for the open-source OS. …
Road Not Taken Preview – Studio Behind Triple Town Takes On Life And Loss
May 13, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Spry Fox, the studio behind the game Triple Town have announced their next game. Road Not Taken tackles weighty themes under guise of a roguelike puzzle game.
The title is a reference to Robert Frost's poem "The Road Not Taken." The game's designer says the game explores the expectations that a person faces throughout their lives and the repercussions that occur when alternate paths are chosen. The game is designed to be played repeatedly, and Spry Fox says that in doing so players will begin to understand the larger themes at play. It doesn't take that degree of effort to see that the game is beautifully rendered.
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Spry Fox says more details on the game will be coming over the next few weeks. If you haven't yet played Spry Fox's game Triple Town, check it out on iOS or Android. You'll soon understand why the mere presence of those bears makes our eyes twitch.
Gree lays off staff at its U.S. studio
May 10, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Japanese mobile gaming giant Gree moved its U.S. headquarters to San Francisco just over a year ago — but now the company has been forced to cut back on its staff numbers at the studio. …
Bethesda’s silent studio finally reveals its first project
May 7, 2013 by Leave a Comment
After being acquired by ZeniMax Media back in 2010, the Uppsala, Sweden-based MachineGames has finally revealed what it’s been up to: a reboot of the Wolfenstein franchise. …