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EA closes Japan studio

Internal development studio to go as part of corporate restructuring.

EA's Japanese studio will soon be closing its doors after three years, having produced one game, Theme Park DS, with two more Nintendo DS games in the works.

An EA spokesperson confirmed a 1Up report that the studio was to close, with the reason being that the company would be consolidating its Japanese development team. The spokesperson said, "We're moving it under our EA Partners model, focusing on working with external Japanese developers."

The studio originally opened three years ago, and it was due to release Theme Park DS in Japan on March 15.

The EA spokesperson confirmed that Theme Park DS would still be released on schedule, adding, "It's important to note that the development that was underway in Japan for the three products for the DS--Theme Park DS, Sim City DS, and Dragon Zakura DS--continues, so those titles don't go away. They're still very much part of our release plans."

Dragon Zakura is a "very Japan-focused game," based on a Japanese TV drama series and a manga of the same name, whereas Theme Park DS and Sim City DS are localisations of popular Western franchises for the handheld.

70 Comments

  • filodelallata

    Posted Mar 1, 2007 1:42 pm GMT

    yeah that would be nice...

  • GrgSpunk

    Posted Feb 12, 2007 8:03 am GMT

    Now if only something like this could happen to the western markets...

  • GFofgaming

    Posted Feb 11, 2007 11:01 pm GMT

    Wtf?? I didn't even knew EA had a Japanese studio to begin with.

  • neonblueshadow

    Posted Feb 11, 2007 12:37 pm GMT

    errr most games take 2-3 years to make, if not more. This isn't really of any loss to EA anyway, compared to the income they make this isn't even a setback. Nor is this a waste of time , since this whole venture was to probably test the waters in japan with this studio.

  • psymon_05

    Posted Feb 11, 2007 8:28 am GMT

    A massive waste of both time and money by the sounds of it. Good to know where our money goes.

  • Nawras

    Posted Feb 11, 2007 5:49 am GMT

    Wow, an entire studio to create one game in three years and then close? So this is where our money goes in EA?

  • Splintersixcell

    Posted Feb 11, 2007 3:07 am GMT

    good move from a retarded money-hungry company. ratio of game liked 1:150 from company

  • epormada

    Posted Feb 10, 2007 7:09 am GMT

    Alright right, now just close the rest of them and we'll be good!

  • wenbin09

    Posted Feb 10, 2007 12:08 am GMT

    1 game in 3 years? it's a good move..

  • TheGamer4Life

    Posted Feb 9, 2007 9:37 pm GMT

    EA focuses on mainly the North American market anyway.

  • AuthenticM

    Posted Feb 9, 2007 9:09 pm GMT

    I never saw the point in them having a japanese studio; EA doesn't do Japan-centric games.

  • VegetaMaelstrom

    Posted Feb 9, 2007 7:27 pm GMT

    Only one game in three years. Wow. EA Japan must be inspired by Valve and 3D Realms.

  • matrixman2k

    Posted Feb 9, 2007 6:05 pm GMT

    how the big and mighty have fallen...i remember all the big talks from a while back. Now even they need restructuring.

  • GANGSTA287

    Posted Feb 9, 2007 4:32 pm GMT

    Kill the Facists!!!!!!

    I hope this was actually a joint op by American Delta Force and Some Secret Japenese Elite Squad to free the world from EA....

  • Colonel_Cool

    Posted Feb 9, 2007 1:59 pm GMT

    One down, many more to go!

  • Brown52

    Posted Feb 9, 2007 10:45 am GMT

    As long as they are still working on Sim City DS, everythings good IMO.

  • subject117

    Posted Feb 9, 2007 9:41 am GMT

    Yeah, EA REALLY needs to squash any hopes of creativity or originality... *rolls eyes*

  • a0me

    Posted Feb 9, 2007 8:44 am GMT

    @rob3nelson

    The studio will be closed by EA (a US company) before any of the Japanese studio's game has even been released. What does it have to do with Japanese gamers' taste? They even haven't released a single game.

  • kavadias1981

    Posted Feb 8, 2007 11:37 pm GMT

    A good business move

  • Kbs64

    Posted Feb 8, 2007 11:20 pm GMT

    good I want my Simcity fix!!! Having a portable Simcity sounds sweet!!!

  • rob3nelson

    Posted Feb 8, 2007 10:24 pm GMT

    Just goes to show you how strange the Japanese taste for video games is. If the Japanese had normal appetities, this studio would still be open.

  • TryMe01

    Posted Feb 8, 2007 9:03 pm GMT

    i never knew one existed, and now it wont for long

  • ssalex333

    Posted Feb 8, 2007 4:55 pm GMT

    wow i remember seein EA lookin for japanese talent headlines. and now its closing. lets face it EA cant make games for the japanese. i mean have you seen those crazy ds titles and wii games they play? no way EA could ever make those.

  • Cooljon

    Posted Feb 8, 2007 4:30 pm GMT

    PS3 have had a big effect on ths. Though saying that, if they only made one game in 2 years, its not suprising really

  • JoeSmith34

    Posted Feb 8, 2007 4:07 pm GMT

    Poor sales of the Playstation 3 in Japan are probably the reason why this is happening. Playstation 3 has sold just as bad in Japan as it has in North America.

  • mcgarrett

    Posted Feb 8, 2007 3:53 pm GMT

    The workers aren't being laid off I think, just relocation?

  • comthitnuong

    Posted Feb 8, 2007 3:34 pm GMT

    only one game in 3 years? thats pretty slow production there...

  • enoslives7

    Posted Feb 8, 2007 3:11 pm GMT

    EA is a black eye on gaming...they are a bunch of scam artists. BOYCOTT EA !!!

  • thefjk

    Posted Feb 8, 2007 2:47 pm GMT

    Close anything that hasn't produced any major games, and by that I mean games that I've heard of!

  • Jerian

    Posted Feb 8, 2007 2:14 pm GMT

    It goes the other way too, Retro Studios is out of Texas working for the big N....EA Japan just sounds wrong though.

  • mrklorox

    Posted Feb 8, 2007 2:10 pm GMT

    Well perhaps if more EA games were developed for three years or longer, WE MIGHT ACTUALLY GET SOME DECENT GAMES FROM EA TO PLAY...

    Seriously, I'd rather have perfect ports of these classic strategy/sim games to enjoy than a slow or broken waste of ROM. Does anybody remember Sim City 2000 for the SNES?

  • TJchief

    Posted Feb 8, 2007 1:49 pm GMT

    i remember when i was a kid there was an electronic arts studio a few miles from my house

  • guardianlegend7

    Posted Feb 8, 2007 1:39 pm GMT

    EA's got a ton of companies in other countries. There's an EA Poland, EA Spain, EA China, etc etc.

    I don't think all the companies make games, though.

  • dukerav

    Posted Feb 8, 2007 1:25 pm GMT

    One game, three years, sounds like it was pointless to have the studio then.

  • AHDOAH

    Posted Feb 8, 2007 1:16 pm GMT

    oh well- -that's sad///

  • ogretroll123

    Posted Feb 8, 2007 1:05 pm GMT

    wtf? They had an EA Japan?

  • datniccah187

    Posted Feb 8, 2007 1:05 pm GMT

    One game that no ones heard of in three years, sounds like grounds to shut an operation down to me. EA had been a little shakey lately. I'm excited about some of their games coming out, but they need to start cranking out some good maddens and nba lives here. Those to series have not been going anywhere fast. Madden is just not getting better, and NBA Live is just getting worse.

  • Chief_Kuuni

    Posted Feb 8, 2007 1:02 pm GMT

    oh well it happens to the best of us, hopefully they find other jobs somewhere else

  • SearchBomber

    Posted Feb 8, 2007 12:35 pm GMT

    Sucks for the folks that worked there.

    Otherwise, they haven't done enough to make anyone care.

  • gemgembobbie

    Posted Feb 8, 2007 11:55 am GMT

    As other people already said, I didn't even know an EA studio was in Japan.

  • Fixer38

    Posted Feb 8, 2007 11:35 am GMT

    Go Team!

  • majestikk

    Posted Feb 8, 2007 11:07 am GMT

    EA was in Japan?

  • Staryoshi87

    Posted Feb 8, 2007 10:55 am GMT

    As long as Sim City DS is still in the works, I'll survive.

  • Re_ensurer

    Posted Feb 8, 2007 10:50 am GMT

    Interesting.

  • iliyun

    Posted Feb 8, 2007 10:45 am GMT

    Good!!! one of many more to come ! E.A. makes a dozen crappy games for every 1 good game. this news brought tears of Joy to my eyes

  • frogiggy323

    Posted Feb 8, 2007 10:40 am GMT

    They need to make a DS version of Sim City 4, that game rocked. But anyway, it doesn't sound like they're losing the jobs, but like more or less being transferred to other EA companies.

  • K1nG_Gr4H4m

    Posted Feb 8, 2007 10:37 am GMT

    Too bad for them. I hope they'll get something else soon. I'm not to sure about Dragon Zakura though. I loved the drama, but a game about studying for the entrance exam, to get into Japan's toughest University (Toudai) (o_O) ... bleh.

  • abelmaestro

    Posted Feb 8, 2007 10:37 am GMT

    One step closer.

  • axillia

    Posted Feb 8, 2007 10:29 am GMT

    Too bad people will be losing their jobs.

  • coollizy

    Posted Feb 8, 2007 10:22 am GMT

    So they've been open for three years, and they're only now finishing their first DS game? It's hard to say what's what with so few details, but if that's the reason they're closing, it makes a heck of a lot of sense.

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