Follow Slashdot blog updates by subscribing to our blog RSS feed

 


Forgot your password?
Close
typodupeerror
×
Businesses

EA Shuts Down Pandemic Studios, Cuts 200 Jobs 161

Posted by Soulskill from the say-goodnight-folks dept.
lbalbalba writes "Electronic Arts is shutting down its Westwood-based game developer Pandemic Studios just two years after acquiring it, putting nearly 200 people out of work. 'The struggling video game publisher informed employees Tuesday morning that it was closing the studio as part of a recently announced plan to eliminate 1,500 jobs, or 16% of its global workforce. Pandemic has about 220 employees, but an EA spokesman said that a core team, estimated by two people close to the studio to be about 25, will be integrated into the publisher's other Los Angeles studio, in Playa Vista.' An ex-developer for Pandemic attributed the studio's struggles to poor decisions from the management."
Role Playing (Games)

New Fable II DLC Coming May 12th 26

Posted by Soulskill from the more-and-better dept.
Lionhead Studios today announced that their next section of downloadable content for Fable II, called See the Future, will be available on May 12th. The new content will include new quests, monsters and items, a Colosseum, and alter egos for the player's dog. Peter Molyneux also hinted at a connection to the next Fable game, saying, "... it would be pretty poor to say See the Future if it didn't have some connection." Further details are available in the latest in Lionhead's series of developer diaries.
Wii

Submission + - Where are the co-operative Wii games?

Submitted by Chuck Chunder
Chuck Chunder writes: I have bought a Wii (having previously owned an XBox and a Playstation) and am really enjoying it. It is a load of fun and I get a real kick out of seeing non gamers pick up a controller and enjoy themselves. However the fact remains that someone with general gaming experience will get to grips with a game a lot faster than someone without experience. This fact makes most of the "newbie friendliness" of the Wii moot when playing competative multiplayer games.

If my girlfriend and I play such a game (eg Sports, Rayman or Monkeyball) then it isn't much fun for either of us if I win all the time. The most fun we have had together with the Wii so far has been working through the single player part of Rayman, taking it in turns to face a challenge.

By doing that we both have some success and take part in the progression. Given that the Wii is reaching out to a broad range of people and multiple users on the same console I am thinking there should be plenty of collaborative (non FPS) games which players of varying skill levels can all play at once and have some success in. Am I missing some titles or is this a hole in the current Wii lineup?
User Journal

Journal Journal: BBC iPlayer Not Just For Windows! 2

Journal by Thwomp
It seems that on various sites (and petitions!) people are making a big issue about the BBC's iPlayer being restricted to Windows DRM only. While it's true that it only works on Windows at the moment the BBC Trust has asked the BBC to investigate a platform antagonistic solution so it can also work on Macs and Linux. You can even see this conclusion in their
Toys

Submission + - New Rubik's puzzle released; no twisting required

Submitted by PuzzleBoy
PuzzleBoy writes: The first review of the Rubik's Revolution has hit the net. Although the new toy resembles a traditional Rubik's cube, it works in a totally different way, no twisting needed. That's going to cause some confusion around the office. From the article: "My first thought—and I know I won't be alone in this—was to twist it in the traditional Rubik's Cube way. Nothing doing—this cube is a Rubik's in name and basic design only. The decision to package this electronic toy inside the iconic cube seems to be a marketing one: if it didn't have the Rubik's name attached to it, would we all be talking about the toy as much as we are?" Is a light game a worthy successor to the iconic Cube of yore?
United States

Submission + - Digital Fair Use bill introduced to US House

Submitted by
An anonymous reader writes: Ars Technica reports that "US Representative Rick Boucher (D-VA) and John Doolittle (R-CA) today announced the Freedom And Innovation Revitalizing U.S. Entrepreneurship Act of 2007 (FAIR USE Act). The bill's aim is to help put an end to the madness circulating around the general imbalance that has befallen copyright in recent years."
Sci-Fi

Submission + - Star Trek To Return Christmas 2008

Submitted by
Tycoon Guy
Tycoon Guy writes: "Paramount today announced the new 'Star Trek' film is scheduled for release on Christmas Day 2008. The studio also confirmed the film will be directed by J.J. Abrams, who said the film will "embrace and respect" Trek canon, but will also "chart its own course." Also today, rumors are out claiming Matt Damon, Adrien Brody and Gary Sinise will play Kirk, Spock and Scotty, respectively."

Slashdot Top Deals

Those who can, do; those who can't, write. Those who can't write work for the Bell Labs Record.

Close