Continuation of OSI Closure rumors

[Borg]

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, Waterthread.org has posted some details based on a 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 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.

Comment from Borg.....

In the continuing consolidation and downsizing trend of American mainstream businesses are performing....this does not surprise me. I, myself within my current employment am being directly cut from the corporate collective. Regardless of the success and performance to plans we had....the decision was made to eliminate my unit from the corporation. (OfficeMax)

OSI seems to be similarily cut REGARDLESS of the fact that they have a viable and successful game engine unit. We can hope that the UO units will be supported from the Redwood Shores location.

This is a topic that surely will be covered in depth by the PR division of EA quickly and we shall all look in earnest at the information.

I guess I will send my resume' then to EA at Redwood Shores........I firmly still believe there is much to improve without programming but thru WORK from within existing systems and using the minds eye in events we all seek in all game engines. I know I can entertain ye ........now if I could open the minds eye of the powers to be at EA......my minds eye has never closed and always has sought to entertain ye all.

Strength and HONOR!!!