Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:EA) is closing down Visceral Studios.
Visceral Studios is the developer behind video games such as Dead Space and Dante’s Inferno. The studio was developing a new Star Wars game for Electronic Arts Inc. when news came that it will be shutting down.
Electronic Arts Inc. says that it will be working to shift many members of Visceral Studios to other development teams. The new Star Wars game that is in the works will be taken over by a team from across EA Worldwide Studios.
Electronic Arts Inc. notes that it is changing direction with its new Star Wars game. The company says that it wants to focus more on creating “a broader experience that allows for more variety and player agency.”
The change of developers will result in Electronic Arts Inc. working on a game that it hopes will “deliver an experience that players will want to come back to and enjoy for a long time to come.” The game was previously going to be an action-adventure title with a linear story.
While we don’t yet know how this shift in focus will change the upcoming Star Wars game, it seems likely that the company wants to create a more open-adventure game that adds loot boxes. There’s been a shift in the game industry lately toward these types of games and EA is likely looking to cash in on the model.
Electronic Arts Inc. says that the Stars Wars game was previously set to come out in 2019. However, it is now pushing it back to a later date. The company will provide more details on the change in the future.
You can check out the statement at this link.
EA stock was down 3% as of noon Wednesday, but is up 42% year-to-date.
As of this writing, William White did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.
