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EA sacks Madden, NCAA staffers

By Tor Thorsen, GameSpotPosted Jan 21, 2009 5:26 pm PT

Orlando Sentinel reports not even cash-cow farm EA Tiburon has escaped the megapublisher's payroll reductions; football franchises and Tiger Woods PGA to remain at studio.

When Electronic Arts announced that it was laying off 1,000 employees--or 10 percent of its staff--many presumed that its Tiburon studio would be untouched. Located in plush offices outside Orlando, Florida, the developer makes the Madden NFL and NCAA Football series, EA Sports' exclusive--and lucrative--professional and college football sims. It also crafts Tiger Woods PGA Tour, the popular and feature-laden pro golf series.

Unfortunately, according to the Orlando Sentinel, not even EA Tiburon has escaped its parent's cost-cutting unscathed. This evening, EA government-affairs chief Craig Hagen told the newspaper that a number of the studio's 650-700 employees had been laid off. Much like recently downsized Sega's tight-lipped reps, Hagen declined to disclose the scale of the cuts, saying only that it would not overly affect the studio's productivity.

"The economy is affecting every industry, including ours, and we need to tighten our belts and reduce our operating costs," Hagen told the Sentinel. "Tiburon remains one of the flagship studios for EA Sports and will continue to be the home base for the leading sports franchises like Madden, Tiger, and NCAA Football."

157 Comments

  • Redthing

    Posted Jan 25, 2009 4:57 pm PT

    Well, most people find enjoyment in other people's misery. Lots of people watch shows like "Worlds Scariest Crashes" or some show similar to that. In fact, some people I know watch NASCAR just for the crashes.

    As for people losing their job, yeah, that sucks.

  • subrosian

    Posted Jan 25, 2009 9:56 am PT

    I find it incredibly odd that people here are cheering job losses and economic hardships simply because they want to see SEGA make a football game again. I mean, really? You're okay with people losing their homes and the economy going further into the toilet, so long as you get your game?

    -

    The vultures need to stop circling - EA isn't going anywhere, and taking joy over other's suffering is simply sick. For shame.

  • ZonaBoy89

    Posted Jan 23, 2009 2:08 pm PT

    someone explain how NFL2k5 was better than Madden, the players looked and moved like stick figures, the onlything NFL2k had on Madden was the ESPN presentations and 1/2 show, shich was all just replayed highhlights every week with different teams, NFL 2k was good but not great, im sure u people are Just EA haters, and im sure if NFL2k series was still around Madden wouuld still be on top.

    Nfl2k would of been better then madden but every year i bought it their was a major glitch in it. Like the first year for dreamcast, i would loose my season after week 6 it would just go away from my memmory unit. Then on the last one with that queer on the cover pretending to be an eagle I couldnt draft players, it would just freeze up. I wasnt going to buy madden that year and i didnt untill i finished my first season and seen that crap. That being said i wish their was some competition for madden so them dudes would get on their game and make major upgrades.

    Oh and to those hoping EA folds your either not from the states or your just that retarded and dont realise when companies go under its another blow to the ecconomy. Grow up, video game publishers arent that important in the grand scheme of things. Not knocking video games, i love em but i do have them in the propper perspective


    Thats what im sayin all 2K really had was the ESPN halftime and post game shows thats the only thing they had that madden didnt. I do agree Madden should change every year but how much can you really change a FOOTBALL game? Other than adding post game and halftime shows? The gameplay is awesome, the online leagues are great the only reason i can see that ppl hate on this game is cuz ppl like me always smoke them in an online game cuz they have no skill whatsoever

  • Cabal23

    Posted Jan 23, 2009 8:43 am PT

    Well being that Madden hasn't really changed, all they need is a data entry person to change the names and stats of players. No wonder they are cleaning house.

  • Squeets

    Posted Jan 22, 2009 4:52 pm PT

    It's not a good sign for gaming industry when the largest and most powerful game development firm on the planet has to nearly shutdown one of its best, if not its best studio (as far as money making is concerned)...

  • LooseChangepor

    Posted Jan 22, 2009 4:47 pm PT

    someone explain how NFL2k5 was better than Madden, the players looked and moved like stick figures, the onlything NFL2k had on Madden was the ESPN presentations and 1/2 show, shich was all just replayed highhlights every week with different teams, NFL 2k was good but not great, im sure u people are Just EA haters, and im sure if NFL2k series was still around Madden wouuld still be on top.

    Nfl2k would of been better then madden but every year i bought it their was a major glitch in it. Like the first year for dreamcast, i would loose my season after week 6 it would just go away from my memmory unit. Then on the last one with that queer on the cover pretending to be an eagle I couldnt draft players, it would just freeze up. I wasnt going to buy madden that year and i didnt untill i finished my first season and seen that crap. That being said i wish their was some competition for madden so them dudes would get on their game and make major upgrades.

    Oh and to those hoping EA folds your either not from the states or your just that retarded and dont realise when companies go under its another blow to the ecconomy. Grow up, video game publishers arent that important in the grand scheme of things. Not knocking video games, i love em but i do have them in the propper perspective

  • Jab7604

    Posted Jan 22, 2009 4:40 pm PT

    someone explain how NFL2k5 was better than Madden, the players looked and moved like stick figures, the onlything NFL2k had on Madden was the ESPN presentations and 1/2 show, shich was all just replayed highhlights every week with different teams, NFL 2k was good but not great, im sure u people are Just EA haters, and im sure if NFL2k series was still around Madden wouuld still be on top.

  • delcidanddarth

    Posted Jan 22, 2009 4:32 pm PT

    Flagrant false advertising... I was hoping for an end to the uber-boring madden and ncaa football annual regurgitations. It would be better as a once every two or three year release.

  • LindBergh2007

    Posted Jan 22, 2009 4:06 pm PT

    EA is going bankrupt and they very well could lose thier Madden license soon.

    Don't be suprised if Sega suddenly is able to buy thier license from EA.

  • marklovesbaseba

    Posted Jan 22, 2009 4:03 pm PT

    long live NFL2k3(5)

  • marklovesbaseba

    Posted Jan 22, 2009 4:02 pm PT

    after this years amdden im never buying and EA game again...
    none at all..
    by far the worst game publisher on the planet they dont fix anything......
    like there lord of the rings game that just came out, it was terrible and was really just battle for middle earth zoomed in

  • killuminati4181

    Posted Jan 22, 2009 3:30 pm PT

    lol

  • SweetMusic

    Posted Jan 22, 2009 3:09 pm PT

    2K Sports > EA Sports

  • ttime32

    Posted Jan 22, 2009 3:08 pm PT

    I never bought a Madden game until Madden 09 and it was ok. I was always a fan of the other series out there. I had NFL Gameday '98 and '01, then switched over to ESPN 2k3 and 2k5. I never really understood the idea of getting a new one or making a new one every year, so I usually only bought every other year. Without any other football franchises out there Madden is ok but it isn't that great. They should just release one ever two years and include roster updates, maybe even charge $5 or $10 for them, anythings cheaper than buying a new game.

  • djkaos

    Posted Jan 22, 2009 2:51 pm PT

    And yes, the NFL2K series was WAY better than Madden, in my opinion, until EA bought exclusive NFL rights.

    I hope 2K makes a comeback, it would be good to have 2 different football games competing and give us gamers a choice.

  • djkaos

    Posted Jan 22, 2009 2:49 pm PT

    I agree with what others have said about Madden. There really is no point in it coming out every year if all they are doing is minor changes. They should change the franchise entirely, or move it to a 2 year schedule, or have downloadable new content that updates the game yearly (not just rosters) instead of releasing a full retail version every single year.

  • Stanford123

    Posted Jan 22, 2009 2:12 pm PT

    i might buy this for my ps3

  • destroyer360

    Posted Jan 22, 2009 2:09 pm PT

    NCAA is better than Madden

  • icym

    Posted Jan 22, 2009 1:53 pm PT

    Wow, one of the few places I would think, because of Madden, is steady against the recession got hit too. Whats next? Blizzard? Valve?

  • Dreski83

    Posted Jan 22, 2009 1:46 pm PT

    On the Madden/NFL tip, hopefully they stop dumping major money into silly Madden-Nation grand prizes and unfair exclusive rights to the NFL franchise.

    Best wishes to the laid off EA employees, but I see a big chance for 2K to take back the football respect they earned just a few years ago

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