14 DAY TRIAL // These seem to be tough times for all videogame developers. Raven Software, which has put together the newest Wolfenstein title, has announced layoffs amounting to around 60 people, and now Maxis, the Electronic Arts subsidiary in charge of creating last year’s Spore and this year’s The Sims 3, is said to have laid off some of its employees. The number is not clear but it appears that we are talking about dozens rather than single digit numbers.
Electronic Arts has released a statement related to the situation, telling Gamasutra that “Often in the video game industry, the size of a studio fluctuates in response to business conditions. In this case, EA has taken action to reduce the workforce at Maxis as we focus the business and focus Maxis.”
Trying to dispel any idea that Spore was somehow being abandoned, the publisher added that “EA remains fully committed to Spore and other IP within Maxis, with games planned for launch in the next 3 months, including Spore Hero, coming to the Wii for the first time, and Spore Hero Arena on the DS. All eligible employees will receive severance and outplacement assistance.” Electronic Arts has also said that it plans no more official communication on the subject.
Maxis was founded by Will Wright, the man who is behind such classic franchises like The Sims and Sim City. He was also behind Spore, which was sort of a disappointment, failing to deliver on the extravagant “life sim” claims he made. Wright is now heading the think tank Stupid Fun Club, which is searching for novel ways of creating videogames with the emphasis on creativity and, well, fun.
Meanwhile, Maxis is working on Spore Hero and its spin off arena, made for Nintendo hardware, while also developing the first expansion for The Sims 3, which is set to allow players to explore exotic locales.