Electronic Arts Shuts Down Origin Systems?

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Electronic Arts Shuts Down Origin Systems?

Posted by simoniker on Monday February 23, 2004 @05:43PM from the passing-to-the-other-side dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Waterthread.org has picked up the following on the studio that brought us the popular Ultima and Wing Commander series: 'Game company Electronic Arts is expected to tell its Austin employees this week that the company will be shutting down Origin Systems, its Austin operations, according to sources. Employees will be offered an opportunity to relocate to California or accept a severance package. Company officials could not be reached for comment. Austin is the #3 location in the U.S. for game development with more than 50 companies making major contributions to the game industry, including game development, publishing, tools and middleware and chips and hardware." The Wing Commander CIC has also posted a epitaph for Origin."

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Re:EA kills another great developer by grumpygrodyguy · 2004-02-23 17:51 · Score: 5, Informative

Some Origin oldies but goodies.

--
The government has a defect: it's potentially democratic. Corporations have no defect: they're pure tyrannies. -Chomsky
Re:This will NOT kill Ultima Online. by DAldredge · 2004-02-23 17:58 · Score: 5, Informative

First let me say that I currently play Ultima Online. UO appears to be a project that is being slowly phased out, I base this of the following:

1: The next publish (what UO calls updates) is mostly (90%) about the ability to move characters between shards (seperate UO worlds)
2: The event moderaters have been removed and will ,more than likely, not be back.
3: It is almost impossible to BUY THE GAME in stores anymore. Next to no brick and morter stores carry it and EA does next to no advertizing for it. So how does it attract new customers?
It is true by Donut · 2004-02-23 18:05 · Score: 5, Informative

I have a friend that works there. It is true. Here are the details that I know about:

1. They are not done with UOX. It is in Beta. Origin Beta or real Beta, who knows. They think they can move development to california for the Earth and Beyond people to finish?!?!?!

2. There were 230 people working there.

3. The studio management may have known, but I know they were still hiring and relocating people to Austin several weeks ago.

4. This was the worst kept secret in Austin. Everyone knew last week. Except the employees.

5. UO support moving to california.

6. Origin owned that building.

I have been gone from there for almost 6 years, but I spent 10 there. It is a little sad, but not unexpected. EA tried to shut it down back in '99, but pulled back from the brink for some reason. Feel sorry for their new employees, especially the new GM.

-Donut, Origin Alumni 1990-1999
Ultima VI, Ultima VII, Strike Commander, Serpent Isle, Pacific Strike, Longbow, Longbow2, A-10.
Watch out (re: link in parent post) by Anonymous Coward · 2004-02-23 18:06 · Score: 5, Informative

This site tries to install some very weird shit under IE6.
Re:Not a surprise. by Donut · 2004-02-23 18:07 · Score: 5, Informative

They own that building outright. Moved there in 1995. Bought it from Netware. Brent Thale suggested it to Robert Garriot as a joke, when we were out-growing the building up north.
Origin's games by dtio · 2004-02-23 18:35 · Score: 5, Informative

Basically they have been cashing the Ultima and Wing Commander cows for years, complete list from IGN:

publisher

3DO, CyberMage, Super Wing Commander

Amiga
Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness,Ultima II: Revenge of the Enchantress,Ultima III: Exodus,Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar,Ultima V: Warriors of Destiny,Ultima VI: The False Prophet,Wing Commander

Apple IIe/c/c+
Ogre,Omega,Ultima,Ultima III: Exodus,Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar,Ultima V: Warriors of Destiny

Atari 400/800/XL/XE
Autoduel,Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness,Ultima III: Exodus,Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar

Atari ST
Ultima III: Exodus,Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar,Ultima V: Warriors of Destiny,Ultima VI: The False Prophet

Commodore 64
Ultima III: Exodus,Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar,Ultima V: Warriors of Destiny,Ultima VI: The False Prophet,Ultima: The First Age of Darkness

MSX
Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness (Pony Canyon),Ultima III: Exodus,Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar

Macintosh
Super Wing Commander,Ultima III: Exodus,Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger

PC
Abuse,CyberMage: Darklight Awakening,Privateer 2: The Darkening,Shadowcaster,Ulitma IX: Ascension,Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness,Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness (Pony Canyon),Ultima II: Revenge of the Enchantress,Ultima III: Exodus,Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar,Ultima IX: Ascension,Ultima Underworld II: Labyrinth of Worlds,Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss,Ultima V: Warriors of Destiny,Ultima VI: The False Prophet,Ultima VII Part II: Serpent Isle,Ultima VII: The Black Gate,Ultima VII: The Forge of Virtue,Ultima VIII: Pagan,Ultima Worlds of Adventure 2: Martian Dreams,Wing Commander,Wing Commander II: Vengeance of the Kilrathi,Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger,Wing Commander: Privateer,Worlds of Ultima: Martian Dreams,Worlds of Ultima: Savage Empire

PlayStation
Crusader: No Remorse,Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger,Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom

Saturn
Crusader: No Remorse

Sega CD
Wing Commander

Super NES
Wing Commander: Secret Missions

developer

3DO
CyberMage,Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger

Amiga
Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness,Ultima II: Revenge of the Enchantress,Ultima III: Exodus,Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar,Ultima V: Warriors of Destiny,Ultima VI: The False Prophet
Wing Commander,Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger

Apple IIe/c/c+
Ogre,Omega,Ultima,Ultima II: Revenge of the Enchantress,Ultima III: Exodus,Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar,Ultima V: Warriors of Destiny

Atari 400/800/XL/XE
Autoduel,Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness,Ultima II: Revenge of the Enchantress,Ultima III: Exodus,Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar,Ultima: The First Age of Darkness

Atari ST
Ultima II: Revenge of the Enchantress,Ultima III: Exodus,Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar,Ultima V: Warriors of Destiny,Ultima VI: The False Prophet

Commodore 64
Ultima II: Revenge of the Enchantress,Ultima III: Exodus,Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar,Ultima V: Warriors of Destiny,Ultima VI: The False Prophet,Ultima: The First Age of Darkness

Game Boy
Ultima: Runes of Virtue,Ultima: Runes of Virtue II

MSX
Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness (Pony Canyon),Ultima II: Revenge of the Enchantress,Ultima III: Exodus,Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar

Macintosh
Super Wing Commander,System Shock,Ultima II: Revenge of the Enchantress,Ultima III: Exodus,Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger

NES
Ultima: Exodus,Ultima: Quest of the Avatar,Ultima: Warriors of Destiny

PC
Crusader: No Regret,Crusader: No Remorse,CyberMage: Darklight Awakening,Strike Commander,Ultima Collection,Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness,Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness (Pony Canyon),Ultima II: Revenge of the Enchantress,Ultima III: Exodus,Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar,Ultima IX: Ascension,Ultima Online,Ultima Online: Age of Shadows,Ultima Online: Lord Bl
www.wcnews.com /.ed by ggvaidya · 2004-02-23 18:39 · Score: 5, Informative

The website's starting to go slow, so I'm posting the text of the epitaph from http://www.wcnews.com/:
Goodbye, Origin
For twenty two years Origin Systems set the tone for the computer gaming. Ultima, Wing Commander and dozens of others set the gold standard for which the rest of the industry could only hope to catch up. This era has finally come to an end as Electronic Arts readies an announcement that it will shut down the Austin-based Origin studio.
This is not the end for Ultima or Wing Commander. Ultima Online will now be run from California, and development of Ultima X will continue on the west coast. Hopes that another Wing Commander game would be developed in Austin were dashed long ago; the longtime belief that a California-based EA team would develop the next Wing Commander title may, ironically, be bolstered by this news.
What it is, however, is a tremendous moral loss on all fronts. Origin Systems will always be the ultimate symbol of gaming's greatest days, and its dissolution to a faceless corporate entity is, sadly, equally symbolic of the world today. Origin entertained, challenged and inspired our generation in a way that seems impossible today. Though the individuals who developed our games long ago moved on to greater careers, the very existence of the company itself continued to stand for something special; something amazing.
The CIC will continue to dedicate itself to Origin's legacy - we will redouble our efforts to archive anything and everything related to the company. We will strike to make the world remember what Origin meant. I wanted to end with a quote - something plithy and literary to express the meaning of such an ending. I came up with only this:
With your carrier destroyed, you drift endlessly through the void.
Re:Ahh Ultima by Anonymous Coward · 2004-02-23 18:40 · Score: 5, Informative

If I recall correctly,

U4: word of passage that allows entry into the abyss
U5: allows entry into dungeon Doom in the center of the underworld
Here's some linkage: by Tarrek · 2004-02-23 18:57 · Score: 5, Informative

Source 1

Source 2

Here ya'll go! Free Ultima Online to mourn the loss of OSI with.
Re:Damn it's true... by Jonah+Hex · 2004-02-24 02:53 · Score: 5, Informative

Some words from the UO Yahoo Group, slightly editted to cut out the crap /. didn't like... my thoughts follow...

Date: Mon, 23 Feb 2004 12:06:18 -0800 From: "Joshua Rowan" <joshua@stratics.com> Subject: Rumors of Origin Systems Shutting Down --- Rumors of Origin Systems Shutting Down --- Posted Monday, February 23, 2004, 12:50 PM EST by Joshua Rowan: Hail UO and UXO Fans, We are receiving information this morning indicating that something very serious may be hitting the news in the next few days (maybe as soon as today). So far, it is all unsubstantiated rumors, but with enough evidence behind them that we believe the information to be very close to the truth. For that reason, I am posting this to our news so that everyone can prepare for it in case it does come to pass..... With that said, the rumor is that Electronic Arts Corporate may be shutting down Origin Systems Inc (OSI, also known as EA Texas) and moving both the Ultima Online and the Ultima X: Odyssey projects to the California location. The hope is that as many current staffers (including dev teams) as possible will be relocated as well, but at this point we have no details on that. To say the least, our thoughts and hearts go out to the people that may be affected by this. So far, there has been no official comment from anyone at Electronic Arts or Origin Systems about this, but the second we do get it we will share it with all of you. Joshua Rowan UO Stratics Managing Editor http://uo.stratics.com

Date: Mon, 23 Feb 2004 14:51:01 -0800 From: "Joshua Rowan" <joshua@stratics.com> Subject: More Details about Latest CA Rumors More Details about Latest CA Rumors --- Posted Monday, February 23, 2004, 3:40 PM EST by Joshua Rowan: A bit more news to share with all of you about the latest rumors of UO and UXO being relocated to California and the Origin Systems Development Studio being shut down as a result. First, ( http://waterthread.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=1 774 ) Waterthread.org has posted some details based on a ( http://www.shermanventures.com/austinxl.html ) AustinXL News Mailing List that they belong to. As they explain, the following was posted to the newsletter today: QUOTE Electronic Art's Austin Unit Origin Systems to Shut Down Game company Electronic Art's is expected to tell it's Austin employees this week that the company will be shutting down Origin Systems, its Austin operations, according to sources. Employees will be offered an opportunity to relocate to California or accept a severance package. Company officials could not be reached for comment. Austin is the # 3 location in the U.S. for game development with more than 50 companies making major contributions to the game industry, including game development, publishing, tools and middleware and chips and hardware. In a related story about another Electronic Arts studio, Maxis (developers of The Sims line of games), Gamespot reported the following just last week, indicating that a consolidation of EA-owned studios may be becoming a trend. Here is what ( http://www.gamespot.com/all/news/news_6089213.h tml ) Gamespot's Article states: EA brings the Sims developers to its corporate headquarters. Today, sources at Electronic Arts confirmed what has been rumored for the past week: EA is folding Maxis into its central corporate offices. Currently, Maxis operates out of a now-cramped building in Walnut Creek, California. Their new digs will be in EA's Redwood Shores headquarters, some 30 miles to the east. "Maxis was running out of space at Walnut Creek," an EA spokesperson told GameSpot this morning. The current management team at Maxis, Luc Barthelet, Lucy Bradshaw, and Sinjin Bain, will relocate to Redwood Shores, as will most of Maxis' 300 staffers.

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