Now that the Harry Potter series has been completed the staff at Bright Light in Guildford have entered a ‘formal consultation process’ as EA look at shutting down the developer.
Staff will be considered for positions at other EA studios in the UK and abroad.
“After a review of all current and future projects, Electronic Arts has started a formal consultation process with its Bright Light employees over the proposed closure of the studio,” said EA’s Tiffany Steckler.
Electronic Arts say that the UK is ‘a vital centre of game development.’
Source: GamesIndustry.biz
Jakster123x
Always a sad thing to see.
Youles
Surely these studios would use contract staff, who are used to assignment based work, and are generally paid more than an employee due to this nature of the work?? Whenever developing a game, you know the work is going to stop when the game is finished – depending on sequals or patches etc.
StevenHibs
Are there any games developers left in the UK, barring Rockstar and Rocksteady, jeeez
bacon_nuts
Media molecule, Codies..?
Tuffcub
Lionhead, Criterion, Freestyle (the DJ Hero peeps) are still here but god knows what they are working on.
AG2297
Yeah, quite a lot in fact. Sony have 6 in the UK alone. You also have studios that are a little less well known such as Firefly Studios (making Stronghold 3) and studios such as Lionhead who make Fable and the publisher Codies has developer studios here too … and those are just off the top of my head.
alisound
Yes there are, and lots of them are still here in Guildford.
rht992
we’ve got a few indie developers around i think but not many major players anymore. sad really
bacon_nuts
That’s sad, it might be something that they’re being ‘considered’ for other jobs, but they probably don’t want to move house/country and stuff. What the hell is ‘considering’ but something to attempt to make it look like they’re trying to be nice anyway, I doubt but a few will immediately be transferred elsewhere.
The Lone Steven
Even though Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was an insult to the series and fans, i wouldn’t wish a closure on any studio. I hope EA reconsiders and gives them another chance. It is always sad whenever a game studio is at risk of being shut down. :(
Sympozium
I don’t like the games.. or Harry Potter anymore now but seeing another studio aabout to be closing is very sad.
Sympozium
Well they where to used to make the dreaded Potter games (all? please confirm) so it isn’t a surprise to see this studio to meet its fate from another US publisher.
I’d rather see them go independant and make a few indie games. Closing is a waste to me.
hazelam
i’m with you, i’d like to see what they could have produced without all the external demands and time pressures working on movie licensed games brings.
but the cash cow is gone so ea have no interest in the studio anymore.
ron_mcphatty
Bloody hell, they have only been in that office for a couple of years! Hopefully the whole thing isnt shutting down, its a really nice looking place, and Guildford has had some awesome games made there over the years it would be a shame to ditch it just because bloody Harry Potter has been blead dry.
TSBonyman
Yet another studio cast aside by their publisher – or should that be yet another studio cast aside by EA. It’s a shame, i wasn’t a fan of the HP games but they seemed reasonably well done for movie tie-ins.